Natalia Welzenbach-Marcu | July 17th, 2018
Near the end of 2017, the University of Iowa, along with multiple other scientists, teachers, and faculty members from Universities across the Midwest, signed and released the Iowa Climate Statement 2017: It’s not just the heat, it’s the humidity!
With a video version narrated by U of I’s Betsy Stone, the report predicts many of the weather patterns and changes that we are currently seeing in the midst of a very hot and humid 2018 summer. The climate report clearly details how humidity, coupled with heat index, makes temperatures soar, and discusses how heat can do everything from damaging physical infrastructure to heightening the chances for sunstroke and heat exhaustion.
Heat and humidity aren’t the only consequences of our mounting global crises: Floods, an all-too-familiar sight for Iowa, are hitting with a vengeance. Iowans in places like Waverly are already being evacuated from their homes because of flood risks, and the likelihood of flooding will only continue to increase unless steps are taken to reduce global warming overall.
The new Iowa Climate Statement, set to be released at the end of 2018, will predict, perhaps, a whole new year of environmental issues.
