At the end of August, devastating floods and a debris flow triggered by a glacier collapse crashed through the valleys of Nepal, killing more than 1,300 people. Earlier this summer, deadly heat waves plagued much of the United States and Europe. Meanwhile, record-low snow levels and a long-term drought stoked wildfires across the western U.S.
It’s been a relentless summer of extremes—only the latest in a half-decade packed with record-breaking weather events. A growing body of research shows they’re becoming more frequent and severe as human-caused climate change accelerates.
But recent studies show that many people aren’t making this link in the wake of a weather disaster, a disconnect that could affect our ability to combat worsening warming. At the same time, a recent analysis found that fewer journalists are doing the kind of climate reporting that could help to close this gap. And even when hurricanes, wildfires or floods get widespread attention, it’s often not long before another story overwhelms the news cycle.
The good news: Scientific understanding of climate change and its impact on extreme weather is the best it’s ever been. But experts warn if people remain in the dark about these climate connections, it will be more difficult to prepare and adapt.
