Climate change linked to heavy precipitation

by Richard Riosa

A climate change expert is warning people to become more informed about climate change and the effects it has on the planet, but few people showed up to hear him speak in Windsor.

Jerry Schnoor, co-director of the Center for Global & Regional Environmental Research at the University of Iowa, gave a free lecture on climate change at the University of Windsor Jan. 30, but fewer than 50 people attended.

Douglas Haffner of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research said he invited Schnoor to give the lecture in Windsor because he believes Essex County must work harder to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“I don’t think people are aware of how important it (climate change) is,” said Haffner. “This room should be full and it’s not because people really aren’t aware yet just how this is going to affect their lives, how this is going to affect their jobs and what kind of jobs they have. This is going to affect their quality of life.”

According to Schnoor, climate change refers to the trend of increasing temperatures on the planet. He said statistically warmer average temperatures throughout the last century have been causing the recent increase in frequency of extreme weather events.

“As it (Earth) gets warmer, there’s more evaporation from the seas. More evaporation means more moisture in the air and more moisture means more clouds, particularly high clouds, which seem correlated with these intense precipitation events,” said Schnoor.

Schnoor said emissions created from burning fossil fuels have created a blanket of greenhouse gasses within the atmosphere trapping radiation coming off the Earth, causing temperatures around the planet to rise. Although average temperatures are projected to consistently rise over the next century, Schnoor said people need to become more aware of the effects of this climate change and become more involved in transitioning to renewable energy.

Mechanical engineering student Dustin Rivard, 23, attended Schnoor’s lecture on climate change and said although he was disappointed by the number of people in attendance, he was optimistic about reducing fossil fuel emissions.

“Everyone asks themselves ‘What’s the point of life,’” said Rivard. “The point of life is to leave a better future for your kids and the generations after you, so if you’re not informed of climate change, then what are you doing to help the future?”

Schnoor said he believes society is slowly accepting the legitimacy of climate change and it must now decide how to respond to the effects. According to a 2013 online Angus Reid Global poll, 58 per cent of Canadians believe climate change is a fact and caused by fossil fuel emissions. Schnoor said he believes the world must complete the transition away from fossil fuels and fully embrace renewable energy in order to stop climate change.

“We need to change,” said Schnoor. “We’re in a fossil fuel age that’s lasted since the beginning of the industrial revolution, a couple hundred years, and it’s been a good run. It’s powered our economy, it’s created wealth and prosperity to be sure, but there are limitations on continuing that.”