Extreme rains will breach to unseen levels, says new science led by Dr. David Neelin from University of California. Our cities and farms are not ready. Arnie Gundersen on his trip to Fukushima Japan, and the risks of Trump with the nuclear codes,
Interviews and music by Alex Smith of Radio Ecoshock
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EXTREME RAIN BECOMES MORE SO
It's hardly a newscast these days without weather porn. In January 2017 it was Houston flooding, mudslides in California, and an Oregon town or two with canoes in the streets. Over 230 Americans have died in flooding since 2015. Many more perished around the world, as extreme precipitation events pop up on every continent.
But what if extreme precipitation gets even worse as the world warms? What if rains beyond our experience swamp the infrastructure of cities, or wipes out crops?
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences predicts that is exactly what will happen.
Our guest is the lead author, Dr. J. David Neelin. He's a Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, at the University of California in Los Angeles. Neelin has published over 150 papers during the past few decades. He leads UCLA's Climate Systems Interaction Group.
NUCLEAR DANGERS
Several Radio Ecoshock supporters suggest I go easy on the nuclear power industry. Maybe we should keep the existing old reactors going as long as we can, to avoid burning more fossil fuels.
Even if one reactor blows in America or Europe, says one of my correspondents, the impact and the number of dead will be far less than the millions of all species who will die in a rapid climate shift.
So there's the question: should we keep old reactors going to reduce our damage to the atmosphere?
My guest is nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen. All through the Fukushima nuclear tragedy, and some close calls in America, Arnie has been our repeat guest on Radio Ecoshock. He's an expert who testifies in court cases connected to nuclear power. He's been in the nuclear industry, and knows how it operates.
Arnie is the chief engineer and scientist for the nuclear education agency Fairewinds.org, founded by his wife Maggie Gundersen.
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