With the recent occurrence of numerous devastating natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria, many are wondering if climate change is responsible for these relentless tragedies. September of 2017 has been the strongest hurricane month ever recorded. The number of recent hurricanes in such a short amount of time remains unprecedented. Although climate change is not the only direct cause of these hurricanes, it has definitely magnified their effects.

Climate change is the term used to describe the change in weather patterns accredited mainly to the rising levels of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere in fossil fuels and greenhouse gases. This phenomenon has undoubtedly made the recent hurricanes significantly worse. Because of climate change, sea levels have elevated more than half a foot in recent years causing worse storm surges, which can be the most deadly part of a hurricane. In addition, water temperatures have risen, causing greater rates of evaporation and consequently heavier rainfall and weak, prevailing winds. Furthermore, these hurricanes have each remained in one location. Climate scientist, Michael Mann, agrees that climate change increases the frequency of this type of near-stationary hurricane season weather. All of these components of climate change influenced the magnitude and intensity of the hurricanes, making them last much longer than they otherwise would.

Too often, politicians and the media treat natural disasters like unfortunate, unavoidable incidents instead of preventable disasters that we can lessen the effects of if we change our environmental behaviors. According to Vox news reporter Carlos Maza, “Demonizing ‘Mother Nature’ makes [people] overlook the human, political decisions that often contribute to the damage caused by disasters.” When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on September 20th, it left the entire region without electricity and majority of its residents without food or water. Puerto Rico’s mayor grew furious as she could not believe the lack of aid and statements from federal officials. As she stood in front of boxes of food locked in what she has referred to as a “bureaucratic bottleneck,” Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz said, “we are dying and you are killing us with the inefficiency.”

Collectively, these hurricanes have produced a massive death toll of over 200 people so far, and it is still climbing. For many U.S. citizens, it is incredibly disheartening to see the President of their country refuse to even acknowledge the existence of climate change, which has caused so much suffering to countless innocent people (most of them U.S. citizens). However, if our government refuses to do anything, we must take action ourselves. Both nationally and globally, we need to take effective steps to reduce the emission of fossil fuels into the atmosphere before the consequences of climate change make an irreversible negative impact on the health of the world’s people, animals, and ecosystems.