{"id":346943,"date":"2024-10-16T09:07:34","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T07:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=346943"},"modified":"2024-10-16T09:07:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T07:07:36","slug":"hurricanes-dont-move-republicans-on-climate-politico-bemoans-they-shouldnt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=346943","title":{"rendered":"Hurricanes Don\u2019t Move Republicans on Climate, Politico Bemoans; They Shouldn\u2019t"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From ClimateRealism<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By H. Sterling Burnett<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent article in Politico bemoans the fact that Republicans representing districts which recently suffered deaths, injuries, and severe damage from back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton, have not blamed climate change for the dual event and embraced sharp restrictions on fossil fuels to prevent climate change and future hurricanes. The Republicans cited in the story are right to not blame climate change for the suffering their constituents are undergoing, since data show hurricanes have neither increased in strength or number during the recent modest warming. Limiting fossil fuel use would hinder, not improve the situation in Florida and elsewhere where hurricanes have been common throughout history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma Dumain, the author of the Politico story, \u201cHurricanes do little to move Republicans on climate<\/a>,\u201d writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two major hurricanes hitting the same region of the country just weeks apart are not moving the needle for most congressional Republicans when it comes to endorsing tougher action against climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated huge swaths of the Southwest [she must mean Southeast] and continue to stress the limits of federal disaster relief coffers, Republicans are by and large still not ready to change the way they react and respond to natural disasters, which studies show to be growing in both intensity and frequency as global warming persists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs Governor [Ron] DeSantis noted \u2026 major hurricanes are a natural phenomenon that have been a part of Florida life dating back to the 1800s,\u201d said Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), whose district was affected by both storms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Webster was one of 42 GOP members of the House and Senate contacted by POLITICO\u2019s E&E News this week, asking if they believed the severity of the storms were exacerbated by global warming and if those storms would motivate lawmakers to endorse reducing greenhouse gas emissions \u2014 many of them from burning fossil fuels \u2014 that scientists call the major cause of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politico is flat wrong concerning changes in hurricanes in response to climate change. As discussed at Climate at a Glance<\/a>, measured data show that neither Atlantic Hurricanes<\/a> nor Tropical Cyclones<\/a> have increased in frequency or in strength. (See the Figures, below) In fact, multiple studies suggest that over the past century, the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones have declined, with one report finding a 13 percent decrease in tropical cyclones between 1850 and 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
This figure shows that global hurricane and tropical cyclone activity is not increasing. Even with the slight uptick in the number of tropical storms in 2021, it is still below the peak recorded in 1971. Source: Ryan N. Maue, \u201cGlobal Tropical Cyclone Activity,\u201d Climate Atlas, accessed April 20, 2023, http:\/\/climatlas.com\/tropical\/frequency_12months.png<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Globally, the U.N.\u2019s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) observes there is, \u201conly low confidence for the attribution of any detectable changes in tropical cyclone activity to anthropogenic influences.\u201d In fact, looking forward, the IPCC forecast no detectable impact of climate change on hurricanes\/tropical cyclones under even the most extreme emissions scenario by 2050 or even 2100. (See the chart, below)<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In the United States hurricane impacts have recently been at an all-time low. The United States recently went more than a decade (2005 through 2017) without a major hurricane measuring Category 3 or higher, which is the longest such period in recorded history. The United States also recently experienced the fewest number of hurricane strikes in any eight-year period (2009 through 2017) in recorded history, data from the National Hurricane Center shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorry, Politico, these are facts, not false assertions that hurricanes are getting worse from a left-wing media outlet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concerning the damage caused by the recent hurricanes, yes, it is high, but that\u2019s not because the timing or the severity of the storms was in any way unusual, but rather because of the expanding bullseye effect. More people, with more, and more expensive, property and infrastructure live in hurricane prone areas than ever before. As more and more people move to, and communities and cities expand in, areas that are historically disaster prone, building ever more expensive homes, retail developments, and infrastructure, when natural disasters strike, naturally more people and structures are putting themselves in harm\u2019s way. Thus, the higher costs aren\u2019t due to climate change but simply because more, more valuable, assets are at risk from demographic shifts in where people live and the lifestyles they pursue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rep. Mario D\u00edaz-Balart (R-FL) told Politico as much in responding to a request for comments for its story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have all these false narratives,\u201d D\u00edaz-Balart told Politico. \u201cIt is true that disaster costs have been rising, but when you\u2019re talking about economic losses \u2014 that\u2019s not the increase of hurricane strength over time \u2026 Even the United Nations admits there is no evidence that human activity is increasing the strength and frequency of the hurricanes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorry, Politico, Diaz-Balart is right, and you are wrong when you write the evidence is \u201cfar from ambiguous.\u201d Concerning hurricanes the evidence is clear. They have not become more powerful or more frequent as the planet has modestly warmed. Politico\u2019s readers would be better able to make informed choices about where to live and who to vote for if Dumain and Politico\u2019s editors checked the facts first before the outlet publishes its next story on hurricanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recent article in Politico bemoans the fact that Republicans representing districts which recently suffered deaths, injuries, and severe damage from back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton, have not blamed climate change for the dual event and embraced sharp restrictions on fossil fuels to prevent climate change and future hurricanes. The Republicans cited in the story are right to not blame climate change for the suffering their constituents are undergoing, since data show hurricanes have neither increased in strength or number during the recent modest warming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":346945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818056,691818542,691818104,691824770],"class_list":{"0":"post-346943","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-climate-change","9":"tag-florida","10":"tag-hurricanes","11":"tag-politico","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0politico-hurricanes.jpg?fit=1082%2C778&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1sfR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":346857,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=346857","url_meta":{"origin":346943,"position":0},"title":"POLITICO: \u2018Hurricanes are doing little to change Republicans\u2019 minds on climate change\u2019 \u2013 GOP still refusing to \u2018endorse tougher action against climate change\u2019","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"15\/10\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Two major hurricanes hitting the same region of the country just weeks apart are not moving the needle for most congressional Republicans when it comes to endorsing tougher action against climate change.","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-15-120112-1.png?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-15-120112-1.png?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-15-120112-1.png?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-15-120112-1.png?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-15-120112-1.png?fit=1200%2C709&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":351284,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=351284","url_meta":{"origin":346943,"position":1},"title":"No, Discover Magazine, the \u201cExistential Terror\u201d of Hurricanes Doesn\u2019t Fuel Climate Denial","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"15\/11\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In a recent article, titled \u201cHow the Existential Terror of Hurricanes Can Fuel Climate Change Denial,\u201d Discover Magazine (DM) posits that the fear induced by hurricanes like Helene and Milton leads individuals to deny climate change. The authors suggest that existential dread drives people to reject the reality of climate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0-Hurricane-123.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0-Hurricane-123.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0-Hurricane-123.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0-Hurricane-123.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0-Hurricane-123.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":353099,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=353099","url_meta":{"origin":346943,"position":2},"title":"Quit Fearmongering, The Nation, Climate Change is Not a National Security Threat","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/12\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A recent post at The Nation titled \u201cClimate Change Is the Real National Security Threat\u201d claims that climate change is the reason hurricanes Helene and Milton were so damaging and that it is the premier national security threat to the United States. 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Not only is there no\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00image2689928x.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00image2689928x.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00image2689928x.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00image2689928x.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/00image2689928x.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":408403,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=408403","url_meta":{"origin":346943,"position":3},"title":"False, Santa Fe New Mexican, Climate Change Isn\u2019t Causing Higher Insurance Rates or Dropped Coverage","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"15\/10\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A recent article posted at the\u00a0Santa Fe New Mexican\u00a0(SFNM), \u201cClimate change and the coming real estate calamity,\u201d claims that climate change is causing an increase in extreme and damaging weather, which then causes homes to be uninsurable. 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DeSantis Schools Media Reporters Hyping Flawed Alarmists Claims of Hurricane Milton was Made Worse by \u201cHuman Caused Global Warming\u201d","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"22\/10\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In the essay below, many of the remarks by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis echo what we have been saying here at Climate Realism about hurricane Milton as well as Helene and hurricanes in general: Hurricane Milton is Historic, but Not Unprecedented, Nor Climate Driven, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Presents Master\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Florida Governor Ron DeSantis\"","block_context":{"text":"Florida Governor Ron DeSantis","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=florida-governor-ron-desantis"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-22-081124.png?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-22-081124.png?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-22-081124.png?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-22-081124.png?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0Screenshot-2024-10-22-081124.png?fit=1200%2C594&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":345748,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=345748","url_meta":{"origin":346943,"position":5},"title":"Hurricane Helene Hype Nonsense","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/10\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The basis of the emotion driven narrative that there is an existential threat of climate change is fueled by endless articles and opinion pieces in the mass media that conflate every extreme weather event with climate change. Remember climate is what you expect, and weather is what you get. This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"climate alarmism\"","block_context":{"text":"climate alarmism","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-alarmism"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-232.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-232.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-232.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-232.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=346943"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":346955,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346943\/revisions\/346955"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/346945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=346943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=346943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=346943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}