Climate change makes heat waves, storms and droughts worse, climate report confirms
NPR Online NewsJan 10, 2023
The Facts
First responders are searching for any trapped survivors and any additional victims after a massive storm system hit the southern US on Thursday, killing at least seven people in Alabama and two people in Georgia, including a 5-year-old boy.
Nationwide, there were 33 separate tornado reports on Thursday from the National Weather Service as tornado warnings blared in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina through Thursday evening.
The Spin
Narrative A
Human-caused climate change is causing the weather around the world to become more extreme and more deadly. Climate change is driving unprecedented heat waves, floods, storms, and droughts. The "weather weirding" of these unusual tornadoes is another sign that Earth's thermostat must be turned down immediately.
Narrative B
It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with it. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.