Here comes the rain again
How climate change has altered our view of precipitation.
I live in a part of the world (Canada’s southwest coast) that is often referred to as a rain forest. Complaining about the rain is common, along with seasonal affective disorder and winter getaways to sunny southern destinations.
But the events of the last few summers are changing our perspectives on climate and environment. This year, the rate of change seems to have accelerated, and in particular, rain is either absent or far too abundant.
My country is facing at least two major crises this week related to climate change. On the east coast, in Nova Scotia, people have died and many more lives are disrupted due to flash flooding. More than 250 millimeters of rain came down in one day (okay non-metric readers, that’s almost 10 inches — or the normal rainfall over three months).
At the same time, in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, wildfires are burning unprecedented acreages of precious forest. Untold tons of captured carbon are being released in the far-reaching, choking smoke, and firefighters have died trying to limit the damage.
