Supercharged hurricanes are our new reality. How can trees help?

Climate change is making storms longer and more intense. 但有一种基于自然的解决方案可以减缓其影响,并治愈社区.

2021年8月,飓风艾达像坦克一样穿过路易斯安那州的拉菲特. Its 150-mile winds were the first strike, 随后是几英尺高的灾难性海水洪水. 就袭击该州的最严重风暴而言,艾达仅次于卡特里娜.

The hurricane settled over Lafitte for 12 hours, 摧毁了该地区的大部分房屋,摧毁了社区的澳门威尼斯人游戏冠.

拉菲特居民凯西·波瓦伊博(Kathy Powajbo)说,破坏使她的小镇变得面目全非. “Our community was devastated. It sort of looks like a war zone.”

为什么像艾达这样的极端风暴会更频繁地发生? It all comes back to climate change.

HURRICANES LOVE HEAT

Much of climate change is happening in the ocean在那里,变暖的海水为飓风提供了额外的热量,就像风暴的喷气燃料一样.

Heat is energy that strengthens wind speeds, sets off larger storm surges, 并使飓风在登陆前迅速加强. Ida graduated from a Category 1 to Category 4 storm in only 24 hours. By the time it hit land, 它已经达到了它的最高强度,其速度让许多人无法做好准备.

Excess heat in the ocean worsens flooding, too. 升温的水释放出更多的水蒸气,这个过程就开始了. As a hurricane travels along the water, 它吸收了额外的水分,并以降雨的形式落在陆地上. 在拉菲特,一些居民报告说他们的房子里有几英尺高的水. 洪水的猛烈程度把一些房屋完全从地基上掀了下来. The day Ida hit, the ocean was 85 degrees, a few degrees hotter than average.

在过去的150年里,大西洋飓风的数量已经 remained about the same. But as climate change worsens, scientists say to expect stronger, longer-lasting storms.

TREES AS A TOOL TO SLOW CLIMATE CHANGE

气候变化加剧了极端天气的热度. 但澳门威尼斯人游戏木是最有效、最经济的自然解决方案.

A major culprit of climate change and global warming is excess carbon dioxide. Trees pull carbon dioxide from the air, 将其转化为无害的化合物,为澳门威尼斯人游戏木提供养分, releasing oxygen. 有趣的事实:随着澳门威尼斯人游戏木的生长,它们干重的一半来自碳的吸收.

As the Foundation has said before, trees are not a silver bullet to climate change. 人类必须减少对化石燃料的依赖,才能对排放产生影响. 即使在这种挑战中,澳门威尼斯人游戏木也伸出了援助之手(或澳门威尼斯人游戏枝)?). Planted in the right place and managed properly, 澳门威尼斯人游戏木可以减少对暖气和空调的需求, reducing even more emissions.

在暴风雨中,澳门威尼斯人游戏木就像雨伞一样,拦截雨水,潜在地防止洪水泛滥. By slowing the water down, 澳门威尼斯人游戏木为蒸发工作争取了时间,将一些水分释放回大气中,并逐渐向土壤中释放更多的水分. 与此同时,澳门威尼斯人游戏木根系结合土壤以防止侵蚀. 根系也会吸收大量的水,否则这些水就会变成有害的径流.

Many public agencies, organizations, 私人利益相关者已经发现了澳门威尼斯人游戏木作为对抗自然灾害和减轻极端天气影响的解决方案的价值. 城市比以往任何时候都更关心如何种澳门威尼斯人游戏, where to plant, 甚至是种植什么物种才能最好地维持和保护免受这些类型的灾害,同时创造更有弹性的物种, healthy, and vibrant communities. 在波多黎各,一群人正在利用他们的恢复期 plant trees native to the island that are better able to withstand hurricane-force winds.

飓风“艾达”一年后,拉菲特的家庭排队领取免费的澳门威尼斯人游戏木,在他们的院子里种植. Partner: Nola Tree Project

REPLANTING AS RECOVERY

飓风过后,食物、水和避难所等基本需求是第一位的. 但当洪水退去,社区准备好重建时, 基金会支持当地的种植组织重建社区的澳门威尼斯人游戏冠.

On top of the tragedy and destruction of major storms, 随着新闻从一个自然灾害转移到另一个自然灾害,它们日益频繁的出现也削弱了公众的支持. The Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery program makes sure communities are never forgotten, 即使澳门威尼斯人游戏木恢复种植在风暴后的十年里进行.

这些是长期的澳门威尼斯人游戏木恢复工作,可能包括多种社区澳门威尼斯人游戏木分配的组合-当居民可以把澳门威尼斯人游戏带回家种在自己的院子里-以及基金会公司合作伙伴赞助的社区种植活动.

Fifteen months after Hurricane Ida made landfall, 凯西·波瓦伊博是350名排队领取免费澳门威尼斯人游戏木的居民之一,这些澳门威尼斯人游戏木有助于重新美化该地区,并有助于未来的雨水管理. 因此,曾经感觉像“战区”的地方开始感觉更像家了.

“These trees will definitely beautify our community,” she says, “But more importantly, the trees give us a sign of life, hope, and recovery.”

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