B.C.’s atmospheric rivers and climate change

November 24, 2021

Pemberton SAR

In light of the recent devastating flooding in the province, professor Simon Donner has been approached by several media outlets to comment on the relationship between these events and climate change.

Tweet from Simon Donner reads: I've been answering a lot of questions about the role of climate change in the record-breaking rainfall here in BC. I do think is important for scientists to explain the causes of the weather, so that people understand and are prepared. However... (1/4)

Tweet from Simon Donner reads: I do have mixed feelings about "using" extreme events as an opportunity to talk about reducing emissions, especially when people in your own region are dealing the moment to moment challenges of missing loved ones and flooded homes. (2/4) Tweet from Simon Donner reads: Why continue? We are thinking right now about how to adapt for next time. We should! Local adaptation actions have clear local benefit! Unlike adaptation, local mitigation (reducing emissions) actions are done for the global good - we won't see the (climate) impacts locally. This leads to an understandable adaptation bias. Unfortunately we also need to reduce emissions to slow the rate of warming and future impacts on society. So need to keep remembering the connection between what we're experiencing and the global collective action problem

Globe & Mail: B.C. floods: What’s an ‘atmospheric river’ and how did it devastate the Lower Mainland (video explainer)

Globe & Mail: How B.C.’s string of natural disasters are connected

Globe & Mail: From fire to ‘atmospheric river’: Why B.C. is trapped in a world of climate extremes

Reuters: From fire to floods, climate change hits Canada’s fragile supply chain

The Construction Record Podcast – SPECIAL: B.C.’s state of emergency 

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