Temperatures in Bloomington will get up to 79 degrees Fahrenheit this week, continuing the recent trend of warm weather during fall and winter-like months.
O’Neill Professor Kimberly Novick said this September marked the hottest September on record, and October has not been much different.
“2023 is on track to be the hottest year in recent history,” she said.
Novick said this is for two reasons. One is the long-term climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions and the second is El Niño.
Read more: Why do some people think that climate change isn't happening?
“El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon that tends to produce warm ocean waters in the eastern Pacific,” she said. “Which can inject more heat into the atmosphere and affects circulation patterns.”
Although the effects of El Niño are more prominent in states like Florida, we are still affected by it in Indiana because the high ocean temperatures cause air to move across the globe differently. However, the impact we’ve seen from El Niño are simply exacerbated climate change effects.
With heat waves still happening in colder months, Novick said we can expect unusual patterns for warmer months as well. For example, extreme precipitation may occur.
“Saturated soil conditions in April and May can make it difficult for them [farmers] to plant their crops,” she said. “And then on the other hand, during the summer months, we can expect warmer temperatures, and more frequent and intense drought events, which are also quite damaging for crops.”
Because of this, Novick said agricultural productivity and water supply could be limited in the future unless carbon dioxide emissions are reduced.
In addition to agricultural yields, people might also notice changes in health outcomes due to the heat.
“The good news is that there is still time to reduce and eventually eliminate our emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses,” Novick said. “Over the past 10 years or so, we've seen that we've been able to begin to bend the curve.”
While Novick said we are on track to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, it will require bold leadership and dedicated commitment to continue bringing down emissions.
Concerned Hoosiers can talk to elected leaders, but also leaders in private sectors and non-governmental organizations to voice the need for rapid reductions in CO2 emissions, she said.
