It Blows Both Ways
Man has always been affected by the wind, mainly because the presence or absence of the wind determines the weather. Air is known as “wind” as it moves in and around the Earth’s surface, oceans and oceans, and various terrains. It is sometimes hot or cold, sometimes weak or still, sometimes violent or intense. It transports moisture from one place to another in the form of rain or snow, and temperature depending on whether the air is hot or cold. For this reason, the feeling of a sudden cold wind blowing on a sunny day portends an approaching shower or storm.
The temperature difference between the cold North and South Poles and the hot, humid equator determines how winds flow around the globe. Today, however, climate change is altering wind patterns and triggering extreme weather events as Earth continues to heat up. As a result, storm systems and hurricanes around the world are getting stronger and hotter in the summer, damaging larger areas and affecting populations in surprising ways.
More weather hazards occur in Europe each year, largely due to climate change, which is slowly altering the jet stream, or wind belt, that runs across the globe from west to east. The temperature difference between the poles and the equator is shrinking, the jet stream is weakening and slowing down, and the Arctic is getting hotter and melting.
The increasing winds associated with the winter storm are causing massive damage to German forests, with trees being downed and uprooted. When extreme summer arrives, trees become vulnerable to insects attracted by the heat. On France’s southwest coast, Atlantic winds are now so strong that they are blowing sand inland, where they must be manually carried back to the beach to protect themselves from huge waves during winter storms. Rising sea levels are threatening people and their homes, and scientists believe strong winds are only getting stronger.
Changes in wind patterns can also affect animals such as albatrosses in Antarctica. They begin to increase in number, fly faster and gain weight. Scientists discovered what caused the changes in 2012 by analyzing weather data for the region going back to 1992. A cooler westerly wind is moving further towards the South Pole due to global warming. Higher wind speeds allow them to fly faster and spend less time foraging for food, which leads to weight gain.
Farmers are also feeling the negative effects of changes in the wind system. Droughts are common, as are severe floods. Growing our food is becoming increasingly difficult and crops are often destroyed. It’s forcing some farmers like Jan Wittenberg to rethink their strategy and only grow crops that can withstand unpredictable weather, especially those with strong roots.
But despite this, there is still time to act. It is hoped that vigilance, adaptability and innovation will help address the problems posed by changing winds.
Directed by: Torsten Mehltretter
