Four ways Pa. can prepare for climate change
The best response is preparation and protection before a tragedy strikes.
As the world convenes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for COP28, the annual United Nations climate meeting, most of the focus is on whether the globe is on target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet the goals of the Paris global climate accord, and rightfully so.
Here in the United States, a disaster related to a weather, climate, or water hazard has occurred every day on average from 1970 to 2019, killing 115 people and causing $202 million in losses daily.
In the U.S., much of our attention centers around how investments, tax credits, and direct funding from climate legislation (like the Inflation Reduction Act) can deliver the shift to a clean energy economy through wind farms, solar energy, and energy storage. These actions are critical to limit global temperature increases — but we need a parallel and more urgent statewide effort to protect the most vulnerable communities from climate-fueled emergencies.
Death and damage from flooding have plagued Philadelphia and Bucks County. Extreme heat emergencies and wildfire-driven air-quality emergencies were evident this past year when the skies darkened into an ashy haze. This week at the conference in Dubai, global leaders have highlighted extreme heat-related deaths, our lack of preparedness, and the need to protect the most vulnerable.
Pennsylvania is already seeing the human and economic consequences of climate change, and it’s projected to get worse.
Since 1980, the U.S. has sustained 373 weather and climate disasters. This year, as of Nov. 8, there have been 25 confirmed U.S. weather and climate disaster events, with losses exceeding $1 billion each. These events included a drought, two floods, 19 severe storms, a tropical cyclone, a wildfire, and a winter storm. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 464 people and had significant economic impacts.
As the U.S. Senate-confirmed, assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Preparedness, I led emergency planning and response for the EPA during the Obama administration. I have witnessed some of the worst disasters — and also the amazing work of local responders and the communities that rally relief and resources.
But the increased magnitude and frequency of extreme events cannot rely on a playbook from the past.
We first need to ensure that people can be protected — especially the most vulnerable — by establishing the infrastructure to evacuate residents and plans to limit death and injury. Effective communication mechanisms will ensure that residents know when and how to evacuate. We also must prioritize expedited recovery in the aftermath of climate emergencies.
In order to achieve this, local communities must invest in emergency preparedness. A comprehensive approach must include:
A coordinated effort to identify the most vulnerable communities to extreme weather events.
Understanding how community-based organizations can deliver messages, contribute to disaster preparedness, and provide early responses.
Protecting local businesses and enabling them to participate in emergency responses, such as providing their vehicles for evacuation and delivery of water and equipment.
Preparing medical facilities for increased demand in the aftermath of a climate disaster.
Emergency preparedness and response agencies have a great infrastructure built from generations of addressing emergencies. However, these agencies do not have the resources to comprehensively address the extremes of climate-fueled events.
We cannot take a business-as-usual approach. The most vulnerable communities are asking: When will I know to evacuate? How will the elderly and disabled be identified to ensure evacuation transport? How can I rebuild my home?
Lastly, the government needs to address a major gap in recovery. Insurance companies are reducing their coverage and, in some cases, leaving entire markets — including Florida and California — because of the increasing costs of covering extreme weather events.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s process to provide funding for recovery is both slow and inadequate to meet the magnitude of extreme weather events fueled by the climate crisis.
Universities can be a bridge to emergency response agencies by helping map the communities at greatest risk, contributing to land-use planning, establishing strong risk communication systems, and convening residents to identify critical needs and solutions.
When meeting communities after an emergency, I learned that the best response is preparation and protection before a tragedy strikes. Investment in protecting the most vulnerable communities from climate-fueled extreme emergencies must happen now. The return on investment will be in the number of lives spared.
Mathy Vathanaraj Stanislaus is vice provost and executive director of the Environmental Collaboratory at Drexel University.