How Climate Change Impacted the NSW/QLD Floods

 Climate change is happening now, evidently from the 2022 flooding in NSW and QLD.

 

 

 

Photo: Flooding in Ballina, in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Photograph: Natalie Grono/The Guardian

 

‘’Climate change has happened, it is happening and it will continue to happen. it's not something for us to fear in the future it's already happening.’’

 

 

 

While we all know somewhat what climate change is and how it affects us and our beautiful blue home, we need to know about how it affects extreme weather patterns.

 

For those who don’t, Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle.

 

 

It is increasingly clear that climate change “has detectably influenced” several of the water-related variables that contribute to floods, such as rainfall and snowmelt.

 

I interviewed Jemma Roberts from NSW who experienced the flooding first hand  ‘’We almost had to get evacuated.’’ She said.

 

Jemma and her family were one of the lucky ones that didn’t have to evacuate their home, as over half of the state's residents had to.

 

At least 18 people have died from the flooding and tens of thousands were forced to leave their homes within the affected parts of Queensland and New South Wales.

 

 

Volunteers in tinnies and on jet-skis were going rooftop to rooftop, ferrying residents to higher ground. In some cases they had to cut people out from inside roof spaces. 

 

 

‘’I don’t know if this is affected by climate change… I really don’t know much about it, I just know what I experienced.’’

 

The floods caused a great impact on families, they dealt with losing their homes and businesses, while some believe it was just an unexplained natural disaster, others believe this was caused by our changing climate.

 

Jennie Mortenson an environmental researcher from Adelaide, is one of those people.

 

‘’ ‘’The flooding is likely worsened by climate change. Flooding has been there historically as a regular pattern, but I believe that flooding is more frequent and more severe with climate change.’’ She said. 

 

Prof Melodie Mcgeoch from Latrobe University who specialises in climate change and environmental patterns agrees strongly as well with the evidence shown. 

 

‘’I don’t feel, I'm pretty convinced from the data that has been shown.’’ She said.

 

The reason climate change is something of importance and needs attention is what it means for us as life on Earth.

 

Climate change can affect our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and work. Some of us are already more vulnerable to climate impacts, such as people living in small island nations and other developing countries. 

 

For those of us that already struggle with breathing, Prof Mcgeoch warns of a continued struggle.

‘’Asthama storm events will occur more frequently,’’ Mcgeoch said.

 

One of the major effects of climate change that we've already seen is sea levels rising. Which is an issue for people that live close to the water, which eventually will have to move to inner land due to the risk of flooding.

 

‘’Coastal areas will be affected by sea level rising if they haven’t already,’’ Mcgeoch said.

 

Not only is and will climate change affect us as humans, but it also has fatal repercussions on our beloved wildlife.

 

 ‘’Climate changes can impact breeding, survival, and a whole host of things, which with the fragmented environment that a lot of animals are surviving in, could be quite catastrophic, if you don't think the extinction rate is bad enough already.’’ Mortenson Said.

 

According to Professor Mcgeoch, animals have three options in relation to our changing climate.

 

‘’(Animals) Have three options, one is they can move if they can if they can't move because of humans they can adapt. The third option is they can do nothing and die. Species can climb to upwards climates, however, species that live on top of mountains have a high chance of extinction.’’

 

In relation to the NSW and QLD flooding, evidently, this is a response to climate change as they're becoming more regular and extreme. Which as stated will affect not only the people living there but the environment and the animals that live there.

 

This flooding was a major disaster for Australian history, a once in one-hundred-year flooding that now we should expect more frequently.

 

‘’More regular and extreme weather events..’’ Said Mcgeoch. 

 

 

According to the climate council, The intense rainfall and floods devastating communities in Queensland and New South Wales is taking place in an atmosphere made warmer and wetter by climate change, which is driven by the burning of coal, oil, and gas. 

 

‘’There is no doubt that in the last 70 to 100 years, there has been a large shift in the climate in Australia.’’ Said Mcgeoch.

 

 

The bigger question now for Australians is can we stop climate change, or is it too late or anything to be done.

 

‘’I will say that I don't think it is hopeless to stop climate change. We may not see a reversal of what we have done, but there is so much more that can be done, and we can halt its progress, and the earth, where life is, is ready to bounce back when we as humanity make changes to allow for that.’’ Mortenson said.

 

According to the Australian climate council, there are 5 easy ways for us everyday citizens to help reverse climate change to stop these weather events from occurring.

 

Try to swap your car out and use public transport, walk or bike. Eat less red meat during your week and swap it out for more vegetarian alternatives and save your leftovers. Moving your funds to a more alternative bank and be more efficient with energy use.

70% of global agricultural emissions come directly from livestock farming and

Australia’s big four banks are still investing heavily in the fossil fuel sector. Australians waste a staggering amount of food, throwing out 1 in every 5 bags of groceries. We are responsible for a massive 7 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

 

 ‘’Throwing our hands up the air in defeat will never give us the answers we're looking for, but the human mind, when pressed, has come up with creative solutions a thousand times. We now need to come up with the creative solutions on how to bring humanity together to confront the challenges of climate change.’’ Said Mortenson.