Southern states are enduring more of the negative impacts of a warming world than the rest of the country. Researchers reveal that the region is particularly vulnerable to hazards fueled by our overheating planet.
What's happening?
The "Sun Belt" region is sought after by retirees for its warm climate. One estimate claims over 50% of all "purpose-built senior housing" is in warmer climates located in southern states. The housing boom in the south means even more people are putting themselves at risk of the impacts of our warming world.
A new report reveals that the southern half of the country holds many counties in the U.S. that contain large populations of socially vulnerable people exposed to the hazards caused by rising global temperatures.
"Americans see wildfire as a Western problem, and that's becoming less true," Morgan Varner said, per Inside Climate News. Varner is the director of research at Tall Timbers, a group that studies fire ecology.
Why is the rising risk of weather hazards in the south concerning?
The researchers behind the report forecast how and where hazard exposure might shift over the next 50 years, breaking down these shifts into components driven by climate change and population growth — both have significant impacts. The hazards they considered included droughts, extreme heat, and wildfires.
"Water shortage projections show little change in spatial distribution but strong growth in the intensity of anticipated droughts," according to the report. "Wildfire projections show a structural change in pattern, with emergent growth in wildfire extent in the southeastern United States coincident with higher population densities and social vulnerability. High-heat areas expand toward the North and East from the Southwest. Projections also show substantial growth in areas affected by two or more hazards and highlight where hazards correspond with high exposure or high vulnerability."
Many counties identified as at risk for rising heat stress and drought are home to large, vulnerable populations. The report also says that the total population exposed to high wildfire hazards will nearly double based on the scientists' projections.
What's being done about climate-driven threats putting more people at risk?
One of the report's suggestions is to target government aid to help the areas where heat stress and water shortages overlap since this would address nearly all high-exposure regions and most high-vulnerability areas.
The researchers stress in their report that adapting to a warming world and managing hazards "requires an understanding of social vulnerability and the interaction of hazard and vulnerability in determining overall human costs."
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Definitely 👍 A concerted effort by our country to employ clean, safe forms of renewable energy is vital. There have been many encouraging moves in that direction recently. A report released last fall predicted some U.S. states are on track to reach 100% renewable energy.
Game-changing technology developed by researchers to integrate more affordable, less polluting renewable energy sources is promising. A team of Penn State University scientists has developed a groundbreaking approach that uses solar energy and the frigid temperatures of space to produce both sustainable energy and cooling capacity.
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