Climate Sunday: Fire, Water and Other Things

 The tragedy of Hurricane Harvey is not even beginning to be over, because the nature of water is to go everywhere, and there are many places where it isn't very nice for water to go.  Consider Superfund sites, or active chemical plants or petroleum refineries, where who knows what could get into the water--and, well, that too, will go wherever the water goes. (Rural run-offs are also fairly disgusting and serious.) There will be mold, mildew, mosquitos, and the possibility of cholera and who knows what all else? But added to the natural dangers are those unnatural, chemical additives--asthma? Heart failure? Kidney problems? Cancer?

We don't exactly know, and without regulations explicitly telling us what chemicals are being leeched into the flood water, and deposited in backyards, athletic fields, schoolyards and playgrounds, well, I guess people will have to assume the best--because obviously if these materials were harmful, the multi-million dollar corps involved would feel obliged to make that information transparent?

Sure! (I'm skeptical!) But there is that silly old thing I've noticed about the Trump Administration--they don't give a right rat's ass. And they are doubling down on not caring about science in the least.

But let's not center the problem on the US. Other places on this earth are weather-drenched and suffering.  So let's just get it out there--while floods are natural enough--the extremity of the floods we are seeing might very well be fueled by climate change.

But let's not just talk about wet things--there is a terrible wildfire on the West Coast. That too, can be possibly chalked up to climate change. These types of fires have their own, chemical consequences as well.

We can't afford to have non-scientists at the lead of agencies that rely on science to do their missions, and we can't ignore science just because someone somewhere is making bank on human misery. This is one of the many reasons why I despise this Trump Maladministration.