Global weirding, also called climate weirding, is a term coined by Rocky Mountain Institute co-founder Hunter Lovins. It refers to how warming temperatures can cause all kinds of "weird" phenomena that can at times be contradictory - from hotter heat spells and droughts in some places, to colder cold spells and more violent storms, more intense flooding, forest fires and species loss in other places.
Further, as a part
of global weirding, many places are experiencing climate whiplash, or
extreme opposite weather conditions in the same region. Cities across
the globe have experienced droughts that dry up water sources followed
closely by floods that overwhelm infrastructure, destroying sanitation
systems and contaminating drinking water. Places accustomed to heavy
rainfall are now facing droughts, while historically arid regions now
grapple with unexpected floods.
Global warming, which addresses
changes in average global temperature, does not begin to convey the
range of severe weather-related events and changes in weather patterns
that can occur because of climate change. Depending on the trajectory of
greenhouse gas emissions, average global temperatures could rise
between 2°F and 11°F by the end of the century. But in one city
temperatures can fluctuate more than that in a single day. That is
global weirding.
About seven percent of the intensification of
heavy rainfall globally is a consequence of climate change. While
geographical variability of heat waves is uncertain, the rising trends
in the projected intensity, frequency and duration of heat waves are
unmistakable.
On the other hand, cold snaps may persist well into
the end of this century. Thus, while the overall climate trend is one
of warming, and heat waves are projected to intensify, extreme cold
events on the average may continue to be as severe and long-lasting as
they are currently.
The other aspect of the global weirding
phenomenon is its impact on infrastructure, resources, species diversity
and the economy. The impact of a warmer world and exacerbated extremes
can be severe on both water and food security, especially in the more
vulnerable parts of the world. According to the US Global Change
Research Program, the consequences of climate change for the US will
include stressed water resources, challenges to crop and livestock
production, storm surges in coastal areas, and threats to human health.
(Sources: Northeastern University and The Week magazine)
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