Hello again, climate change
Superstorm Sandy’s hurricane winds and torrential downpours killed at least 106 people, left millions without power, and caused billions of dollars in damage. It also got people — including the mayor of New York — talking again about climate change. While many analysts focused on the storm’s intensity, Daniel P. Schrag, Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, found Hurricane Sandy’s path rather than its power most intriguing. Hurricanes generally go out to sea. Schrag, who is also a professor of environmental science and engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and director of the Harvard University Center for the Environment, pointed out that as Sandy moved north over the Atlantic, two unusual things happened that defy how people view climate change. The storm built up steam over the mid-Atlantic’s water, and then it turned west and drove inland. “Sometimes, people say climate change makes the average...