Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Are wildfires and water shortages in the American West steadily worsening? Are Class IV and Class V hurricanes becoming more common? Do scientists expect the number and severity of tornados to increase in a warming world? What states are most at risk from extreme weather events linked to climate change? This accessible resource considers all those questions and more as it explains the relationship between climate change and the growth in extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, and wildfires. The book's layout of the facts regarding historical trends in extreme weather events in the United States and around the world is supplemented with extended discussion of the political and cultural factors shaping policy responses to the issue, both in mitigating the impacts of climate change and adapting to changing environmental realities. In addition, Extreme Weather and Climate Change offers an extensive array of personal and scholarly essays and illuminating primary documents that illuminate the issue from a range of scientific, political, and cultural standpoints.