And as we well know by now, the fossil fuel industry won't change its ways until they get wiped out by some of these storms. Imagine if the refineries in Houston were to get flattened by one of these cat 5-6 storms. The U.S. economy would shatter with the meteoric rise in gas prices. Would that change anything? Only if the people finally said enough and started boycotting the fossil fuel industry. I know, that is a climate activists fantasy but it's a start.
You wrote that oceans are carbon sinks, then cite the percentage of excess heat that they absorb. This may confuse readers. The oceans are both a heat sink and a carbon sink, but these are two separate processes. Something could be a heat sink without being a carbon sink and vice versa. Oceans are both.
Absolutely incredible article, and why HEATED is so great. Even knowing that climate change, caused by fossil fuels, is making weather events worse. It is still really useful to know the specific hows, like this piece does.
With increasing frequency and intensity, it won't be long before Florida becomes uninhabitable (or at least wildly expensive). The population will decline and businesses will leave
I think there should be a class action suit against oil companies. We, the taxpayers, support FEMA and the costs of clean up, while the costs should be passed on to the source of the problem...the oil companies. Shortly, homeowners in Florida will be unable to get insurance. What mayhem!
Thanks for continuing to point out that increase frequency of rapid intensification is not due to climate change, it's due to fossil fuel based emissions. Climate change is caused by increased greenhouse gas content of the atmosphere, which is caused by fossil fuel use. Right now the media is full of articles saying that climate change is causing more frequent rapid intensification of hurricanes, and some even say "human caused climate change" but almost nobody is using the phrase "fossil fuel caused climate change." Until that pops into everyone's head, our work is cut out. I have confidence in you all to continue to beat that drum: folks get that steroid use increases sports performance, so they can make the same connection between fossil fuels and climate change.
As a nerd, that graph of Gulf heat really grabbed me yesterday. But the NY Times (and others in the "mainstream media") have been messing with folks heads by simultaneously downplaying the GHG reduction success and benefits of renewable power and electrification. Spreading FUD, cognitive dissonance, whatever you want to call it.
They've published 3 or 4 pieces dissing the UK's GHG reduction plans or successes, even to the point of providing Op-Ed space for some goon from Sky News UK to prattle on with "concerns" about the power supply after the UK recently closed their last coal plant. They just reported uncritically on a recent non-peer-reviewed study which showed minimal environmental benefit from EVs, but the study used an ultra-high estimate for GHGs and other pollution from EV charging. The method (short run marginal emissions) is one of many and yields the highest CO2e/kWh. The study also assumed higher crash danger ($ damages) from EVs because of increased weight, but it's been debated whether weight is really the major cause of crash danger in heavier vehicles, that it's size and bumper/grill height (insert pic of front of GMC pickup) which is the greater hazard, but ignored because it's harder to calculate.
Great. Now hears my question. Could you explain sometime how a hurricane gets its power from the evaporation of seawater? I believe that is true but I can’t remember how to explain it. It seems important and linked closely with water temperature. Thanks.
It is linked to warmer water temperatures, and here goes my attempt!
A hurricane forms over water that's about 80 degrees F—it has to be warm, because the warm, moist air acts fuel for the hurricane. When a storm passes over warm ocean water, some of the water on the surface evaporates—transforming into water vapor (for a visual, imagine how a hot shower creates steam).
As that warm, moist air rises, it leaves a pocket of low pressure near the sea surface. More warm, moist air rushes in to fill the gap, which then also is drawn upward through the center of the storm. Once that rising warm water vapor hits cooler air temperatures, the water vapor cools and condenses back into a liquid, forming clouds and rain.
As it cools from a gas into a liquid, the storm releases enormous energy (that's because the molecules in gas move much more quickly than they do in a liquid). And the warmer the ocean, the more energy the hurricane sucks up.
In fact, hurricanes are crazy generators of energy. A fully-formed hurricane can release the equivalent of a 10-megaton nuclear bomb every 20 minutes, more than all the energy used at a given time by humanity, according to the National Hurricane Center's Chris Landsea.
That's incredible. This may sound crazy but is there anything even theoretically that could capture some of that energy? Like some sort of wind turbine? Which I assume would also lessen the intensity, which would be a plus too?
And as we well know by now, the fossil fuel industry won't change its ways until they get wiped out by some of these storms. Imagine if the refineries in Houston were to get flattened by one of these cat 5-6 storms. The U.S. economy would shatter with the meteoric rise in gas prices. Would that change anything? Only if the people finally said enough and started boycotting the fossil fuel industry. I know, that is a climate activists fantasy but it's a start.
I’d rather see a Cat 6 storm wipe out Mar-a-lago :)
You wrote that oceans are carbon sinks, then cite the percentage of excess heat that they absorb. This may confuse readers. The oceans are both a heat sink and a carbon sink, but these are two separate processes. Something could be a heat sink without being a carbon sink and vice versa. Oceans are both.
Great point, thank you! Changed now.
Absolutely incredible article, and why HEATED is so great. Even knowing that climate change, caused by fossil fuels, is making weather events worse. It is still really useful to know the specific hows, like this piece does.
With increasing frequency and intensity, it won't be long before Florida becomes uninhabitable (or at least wildly expensive). The population will decline and businesses will leave
I loved your article. It's very informative and timely. Thank you for digging deep on this very important topic.
I think there should be a class action suit against oil companies. We, the taxpayers, support FEMA and the costs of clean up, while the costs should be passed on to the source of the problem...the oil companies. Shortly, homeowners in Florida will be unable to get insurance. What mayhem!
I think hurricane Milton is going to be bigger and stronger than expected as it rips across Florida.
Thanks for continuing to point out that increase frequency of rapid intensification is not due to climate change, it's due to fossil fuel based emissions. Climate change is caused by increased greenhouse gas content of the atmosphere, which is caused by fossil fuel use. Right now the media is full of articles saying that climate change is causing more frequent rapid intensification of hurricanes, and some even say "human caused climate change" but almost nobody is using the phrase "fossil fuel caused climate change." Until that pops into everyone's head, our work is cut out. I have confidence in you all to continue to beat that drum: folks get that steroid use increases sports performance, so they can make the same connection between fossil fuels and climate change.
As a nerd, that graph of Gulf heat really grabbed me yesterday. But the NY Times (and others in the "mainstream media") have been messing with folks heads by simultaneously downplaying the GHG reduction success and benefits of renewable power and electrification. Spreading FUD, cognitive dissonance, whatever you want to call it.
They've published 3 or 4 pieces dissing the UK's GHG reduction plans or successes, even to the point of providing Op-Ed space for some goon from Sky News UK to prattle on with "concerns" about the power supply after the UK recently closed their last coal plant. They just reported uncritically on a recent non-peer-reviewed study which showed minimal environmental benefit from EVs, but the study used an ultra-high estimate for GHGs and other pollution from EV charging. The method (short run marginal emissions) is one of many and yields the highest CO2e/kWh. The study also assumed higher crash danger ($ damages) from EVs because of increased weight, but it's been debated whether weight is really the major cause of crash danger in heavier vehicles, that it's size and bumper/grill height (insert pic of front of GMC pickup) which is the greater hazard, but ignored because it's harder to calculate.
Great. Now hears my question. Could you explain sometime how a hurricane gets its power from the evaporation of seawater? I believe that is true but I can’t remember how to explain it. It seems important and linked closely with water temperature. Thanks.
It is linked to warmer water temperatures, and here goes my attempt!
A hurricane forms over water that's about 80 degrees F—it has to be warm, because the warm, moist air acts fuel for the hurricane. When a storm passes over warm ocean water, some of the water on the surface evaporates—transforming into water vapor (for a visual, imagine how a hot shower creates steam).
As that warm, moist air rises, it leaves a pocket of low pressure near the sea surface. More warm, moist air rushes in to fill the gap, which then also is drawn upward through the center of the storm. Once that rising warm water vapor hits cooler air temperatures, the water vapor cools and condenses back into a liquid, forming clouds and rain.
As it cools from a gas into a liquid, the storm releases enormous energy (that's because the molecules in gas move much more quickly than they do in a liquid). And the warmer the ocean, the more energy the hurricane sucks up.
In fact, hurricanes are crazy generators of energy. A fully-formed hurricane can release the equivalent of a 10-megaton nuclear bomb every 20 minutes, more than all the energy used at a given time by humanity, according to the National Hurricane Center's Chris Landsea.
That's incredible. This may sound crazy but is there anything even theoretically that could capture some of that energy? Like some sort of wind turbine? Which I assume would also lessen the intensity, which would be a plus too?
harnessing a hurricane sounds like pure scifi, but I would totally watch that disaster movie
lmao
No I just mean it seems even like a fraction of a percent would still be a substantial amount of energy for something like wind turbines.