The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society released a report this week confirming human-caused climate change increased the severity of 2013 heat waves in Asia, Europe and Australia .
The New York times has called these findings, "The most definitive statement climate scientists have made tying a specific weather event to global warming."
It's hard to forget the extreme heat waves Australia faced last summer and the horrific bush fires that swept through the Blue Mountains. This morning the media is awash with news of the beginning of bushfire season.
Remember when it was so hot, people were cooking eggs on the courts at the Australian Open?
All five research groups involved in this report came to the same conclusion - last year’s heat waves were made more severe because of human-caused climate change, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels.
Thomas R. Karl, L.H.D., director of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center explains,
"This annual report contributes to a growing field of science which helps communities, businesses and nations alike understand the impacts of natural and human-caused climate change. The science remains challenging, but the environmental intelligence the report yields to decision makers is invaluable and the demand is ever-growing."
Australian and New Zealand heat waves:
- - In running multiple global climate models, five independent studies all pointed toward human influence having a substantial increase in the likelihood and severity of the record 2013 temperatures in Australia.
- - For New Zealand, model runs show human-caused climate change caused meteorological conditions that were more favorable for drought in 2013.
See full summary of world-wide extreme weather events and climate change here.
For all of us that live with these extreme weather events, it's clear that our climate has already changed and continues to change. Australia will be one of the hardest countries hit if climate change is allowed to continue unchecked.
It is a hard time to be an Australian thanks to our governments lack of commitment to action on climate change. While we call out and demand big commitments, reductions and actions at a higher level - it's important to remember the words of 1 Million Women Founder, Nat: We need to live the change we want to see, everyday.
1 Million Women is here to help you do that. We are a community of women acting on climate change. Together, our choices and how we live make us powerful! Join us on the journey.