(Des Moines) Iowans can expect more extreme weather like the 2012 drought thanks to changes in the climate caused by greenhouse gases. That’s according to a statewide group of Iowa scientists who believe that Iowans should act now to reduce economic costs due to climate change
“In a warmer climate, wet years get wetter and dry years get dryer. And dry years get hotter — that is precisely what happened in Iowa this year, “ said Chris Anderson, Research Assistant Professor, Climate Science Program at Iowa State University.
The IOWA CLIMATE STATEMENT: The Drought of 2012 was released by one hundred and thirty-eight science faculty and research staff from 27 Iowa colleges and universities. This year’s statement focuses on the prospects for future Iowa extreme weather events like the 2012 drought and the extreme flooding that preceded it.
“Iowans are living with climate change now and it is already costing us money,” Dave Courard-Hauri, Chair, Environmental Science and Policy Program at Drake University. “Iowans can be a part of the solution, creating jobs and growing our economy in the process.”
The strong support for the statement represents the growing consensus among Iowa science faculty and research staff that action is needed now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement mitigation strategies.
“We have confidence in recent findings that climate change is real and having an impact on the Iowa economy and on our natural resources,” said Jerry Schnoor, Co-Director, Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research at the University of Iowa.
“The climate likely will continue to warm due to increasing global emissions and accumulation of greenhouse gases. There is solid evidence that extreme high temperatures are occurring disproportionately more than extreme low temperatures.”
The complete statement and supporting information can be found at http://www.cgrer.uiowa.edu/
The lead authors of the Updated: Iowa Climate Statement: The Drought of 2012 include:
Gene Takle, Director, Climate Science Program, Professor of Agronomy, Professor of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University.
Jerald Schnoor, Co-Director, Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, University of Iowa.
Christopher J. Anderson, Research Assistant Professor, Climate Science Program, Iowa State University.
Greg Carmichael, Co-Director, Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, University of Iowa.
Neil Bernstein, Chair, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Mount Mercy University.
David Courard-Hauri, Chair, Environmental Science and Policy Program, Drake University.
One of the smartest people I know is a biometeroligist and he says we are definetly in a climate change and I believe him. Is it due to greenhouse gasses? Probably not. The earth goes through changes period. Are we changing, you bet. I can remember the weather in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70,s, and so on and we definitely are warmer now with less snow but I think it is a natural cycle. Get used to it and learn to live with it.
Lets see now -climate control officer MC schools makes 100 grand a year plus bennies – save schools 100 grand last year – The woodchuck said it was the warmest winter in 50 years – who saved the 100 grand the climate control officer or the woodchuck ?
must be time for more grant funding so we put out a report
This is nothing but another scare tactic. There has been climate changes even before humans were on earth. How do these “experts” explain the dust bowl years in the 20’s and 30’s? Was that horse and cow farts?
Humans didn’t create our earth and we can’t destroy it.
Yes climate change is a natural thing but it is changing at a much faster rate than ever before. But I’m sure you know much more than the thousands of scientists that have been studying this for a couple decades. Yes we can destroy this planet and we will if big business gets to pollute without restrictions. Even some of the most stubborn Republicans like Tom Coburn are changing their views on climate change.