Facing the storms, demanding real climate action

The younger generations --Gen Alpha, Gen Z and Millennials-- may view the ‘new normal’ of our changing climate and emerging weather patterns as just that: normal. However, for those of us in Gen X, born in the 1970s, who have witnessed a gradual, then increasingly rapid shift from relatively pleasant, sunny summers to hot and humid conditions even outside of summer, the changes we observe today are anything but normal.

Just this November, four tropical cyclones simultaneously swirling near the Philippines raised concerns at NASA, which called the event 'unusual.' Previously, in October, the string of storms began with Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) on October 20, ABS-CBN.com reports.

Barely a day after Kristine exited, another storm entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) with the local name Leon, later classified as a super typhoon by October 30. On November 4, Marce entered PAR, and, like the recent storms, Marce intensified rapidly, reaching typhoon category before making landfall in Luzon on November 7, according to ABS-CBN. Shortly after Marce exited PAR, another storm, Nika, entered on November 9. Then there was Ofel, which made landfall in Cagayan on Thursday, followed by Pepito, now approaching Eastern Visayas.

Is this series of storms a coincidence or part of an alarming new normal? Not to prematurely raise alarm bells, but climate scientists have long warned us that storms in the near future --if it is not already happening now-- will not only be more frequent but also more intense.

The science behind it is simple. Tropical storms form in the Pacific Ocean, drawing warm, moist air from the sea. With ocean waters warming due to climate change, storms have more fuel to develop with intense force. In other words, warm waters lead to stronger winds, heavier rainfall, and, in the Philippines --where households and coastal communities are particularly vulnerable-- more destruction.

Here in Cebu, we are rarely visited by super typhoons, thanks to our central location, where larger islands usually absorb the brunt and full force of storms coming from the ocean. However, from time to time, we do get hit when storms take a 'right hook' and strike us directly, passing through the narrow open sea from Surigao and between the islands of Leyte and Bohol.

Yet, somehow, we are still affected by the emerging unusual weather patterns. The other day, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau of Central Visayas (DENR-EMB 7) warned the public about the light haze that enveloped Cebu and other areas in the region. “The ‘fair’ status falls within a range of 51 to 100 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), when air is still safe to breathe, except for ‘vulnerable groups’,” DENR-EMB 7 Regional Director Ma. Victoria V. Abrera told the media.

Abrera said the weather bureau explained that the haze was caused by the cold front or cooler weather conditions resulting from the series of typhoons that have entered PAR. These weather conditions create a phenomenon known as 'temperature inversion,' where warm air above traps cool air near the ground, preventing small particles and dust from dispersing quickly, The FREEMAN reports Abrera as saying.

With these developments --and with weather patterns likely to become even more challenging in the coming years-- we should make climate change an election issue both locally and nationally. At the local level, for example, we must ask candidates what their plans are for disaster preparedness, environmental protection, and sustainability. In Cebu City, I believe Councilor Nestor Archival, an engineer and environmental advocate, stands out as the only mayoralty candidate with a firm grasp of sustainability and pro-environment issues. Other candidates should also step up and address the environmental crisis we are facing, offering practical and concrete solutions.

How will they ensure that our cities and communities are resilient to floods, typhoons, and other climate-related disasters? What are their plans for waste management, renewable energy, reforestation, and reducing carbon footprints? These should be campaign issues.

Specific policies, backed by science, are the only way to effectively mitigate the impact of climate change on our vulnerable communities. Let us seek candidates and officials with the credentials and track record to address solutions like green infrastructure, smart city technology, renewable energy, sustainable transportation, waste management, and water conservation --not just empty rhetoric and vague promises of a “first-world-city-like” Cebu.