The scorching summer of 2024 is setting records in all of the wrong ways.
As The Washington Post reported, the world likely just endured the most humid summer on record. The overwhelming humidity pushed certain areas to nearly unlivable conditions as well as supercharged extreme rainfall and flash flooding in others.
What's happening?
Scientists believe that a warming planet like ours facilitates more evaporation of water. That leads to higher humidity across much of the world, as the air can hold more moisture.
The record-setting humidity continues a troubling trend that mirrors rising global temperatures. As the Post noted, extreme humid heat has more than doubled in frequency since 1979, according to a 2020 study led by UCLA climate scientist Colin Raymond.
This year's sky-high humidity goes a step further, with climate scientist Brian Brettschneider anticipating that each summer month will set a record for humidity in its respective month, per the Post.
Why is the record humidity important?
Record humidity has a number of negative impacts.
For one thing, high humidity is very uncomfortable, especially at night. That can raise the demand for air conditioning to levels that threaten the limits of our electricity grid.
In areas with extreme levels of humidity and heat stress, like in India, being outside pushes residents "close to the limits of survivability," as reported by the Post.
Additionally, humidity plays a role in producing torrential rainfall and subsequently causing floods, according to a Climate Central study. An August flash flood in New York and New England killed two and was just one of 10 major floods nationwide this summer alone.
What can we do about record humidity?
While extreme humidity and weather events have always existed, the scientific consensus is that the pace and record of these occurrences are accelerating because of human activities.
Journalist and climate tech investor Molly Wood characterizes rising global temperatures as "basically steroids for weather."
Transitioning to clean energy is one step corporations and governments can take to slow down the rising of global temperatures, as dirty energy, like oil, gas, and coal, generate the bulk of the pollution that is overheating our planet. Another action that can help reduce pollution is constructing buildings and homes out of more sustainable materials.
Individuals can do their part by adopting more energy-efficient and less polluting technologies. These have the benefit of also slashing bills and/or maintenance costs.
For example, swapping a gas-powered car for an electric vehicle would remove more than 10,000 pounds of carbon pollution every year and result in up to $1,500 in savings.
Other ideas include weatherizing your home, installing an energy-efficient HVAC system like a heat pump, or putting up solar panels. The Inflation Reduction Act incentivizes all of these steps to lower buy-in costs and facilitate savings for consumers in the long run.
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