vox--2020-12-30--Fires, floods, hurricanes, and locusts: 2020 was an epic year for disasters

The Covid-19 pandemic was unfortunately not the only natural disaster of 2020 .
There were so many that it ’ s easy to forget everything that happened this year .
Here is a brief sampling of 2020 ’ s weather-related events : • The year began with a series of bushfires in Australia that forced thousands to flee , killed at least 29 people and more than a billion animals .
The fires that sent smoke around the world had ignited amid weeks of record-breaking heat and drought .
• Swarms of locusts descended on East Africa , the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food supplies for millions of people in the spring .
The swarms were triggered in part by torrential rainfall in East Africa .
• This summer , California experienced its worst fire season on record in terms of area burned , as well as its largest single wildfire on record .
Colorado also had its largest wildfire in history , and blazes in Washington and Oregon created an unprecedented disaster .
• A record number of wildfires this summer swept through the Pantanal , the world ’ s largest tropical wetlands , spanning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many of these blazes were illegally ignited to clear land for agriculture , and spread because of hot and dry conditions in an area that ’ s usually wet .
• A powerful storm known as a derecho swept through South Dakota , Nebraska , Illinois , and Iowa in October and became the most costly thunderstorm in US history , causing an estimated $ 7.5 billion in damages .
• Typhoon Goni became the largest tropical storm to ever make landfall when it struck the Philippines in October , whipping the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• More than 100 people died in Vietnam in October amid the worst flooding in decades , triggered by tropical storms and typhoons .
• The Atlantic Ocean experienced its most active hurricane season on record , with 30 named storms as the season closed in November .
The hurricanes wrought destruction across the Caribbean and Central America , while forcing thousands to flee in the United States .
More than 400 people were killed by Atlantic tropical storms this season .
• In the waning days of 2020 , Tropical Storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing heavy rains and 75 mph winds to a region that is still recovering from the devastating strike by Cyclone Idai last year .
These disasters were deadly and destructive , and several of them nudged records even higher .
But while their origins are in nature , humanity ’ s actions are what made these events truly devastating .
From continuing to build in high-risk areas , to failing to evacuate people at risk , to changing the climate , disasters often end up with a far higher toll than they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas and with climate change pushing weather toward greater extremes , the risks are poised to grow .
2020 was the year of the compound disaster Covid-19 was lurking in the background of most natural disasters this year .
Since the pandemic began , efforts to contain it complicated everything from locust control pesticide spraying to organizing camps for wildland firefighters .
And people fleeing disasters faced extra challenges as they tried to maintain social distance in shelters that tend to force people into close proximity .
“ The threat of Covid-19 transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in protecting both our emergency response teams and the people they are helping , ” said Oxfam Philippines ’ Country Director Lot Felizco , in a statement about Typhoon Goni in November .
“ The loss of critical facilities , vulnerabilities from lack of adequate food and shelter , poor conditions in evacuation centers , and ongoing displacement means we have to ensure response actions do not increase Covid-19 risks on top of other disease outbreaks.
” At the same time , disasters made it harder to contain the spread of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.79 million people around the world .
The pandemic also devastated the global economy , and many local disaster responders saw budget cuts and layoffs just as they needed support the most .
“ Yes , it ’ s a health crisis , ” said Aaron Clark-Ginsberg , a social scientist who studies disasters at the RAND Corporation .
“ It ’ s also an economic crisis , and it ’ s a social crisis.
” Disasters in 2020 also compounded when extreme weather struck repeatedly .
Louisiana , for instance , saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , including Hurricane Laura , the strongest storm to strike the region in 150 years .
Meanwhile , back-to-back wildfires across the Western United States not only destroyed homes and businesses , but cast smoke over huge swaths of the country , turning skies orange and making breathing the air as bad as smoking a pack of cigarettes in a day .
That dirty air in turn worsened risks for Covid-19 , a disease that afflicts the airways .
“ Exposure to air pollutants in wildfire smoke can irritate the lungs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections , likely including COVID-19 , ” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The events this year showed that disasters aren ’ t singular events , but overlapping and intersecting phenomena .
In the future , disaster planners will have to better account for how many things can go wrong at once , and that areas may not have time to fully recover from one catastrophe before the next one strikes .
Disasters in 2020 were expensive , and that ’ s partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 40 disasters led to at least a billion dollars in damages each .
The United States in particular set a record for the number of billion-dollar disasters this year , with at least 18 such events .
These include not just hurricanes and wildfires , but droughts and heat waves .
Hurricane Laura was one of the costliest events of the year for the US , with upward of $ 12 billion in damages .
The dollar amounts , however , don ’ t tell the whole story .
Poorer people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floods , and fires .
But because their property is valued lower , the price tag can understate the scope of the destruction .
Damage to facilities like offices and factories also often show up as more costly than damage to people ’ s homes .
So the places with the costliest disasters aren ’ t necessarily the places that are suffering the most .
At the same time , the economic harms of disasters are mounting in part because more people and property are in harm ’ s way .
For example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s population lives within 100 kilometers of a coastline .
About 40 percent of the US population lives in a coastal county .
The number of people in these areas is growing , bringing with them more homes , offices , and industries .
That means that when storm surges and hurricanes arrive , they ’ ll extract a higher toll .
Similarly , people in the Western United States are continuing to build in fire-prone regions .
That not only raises the destructiveness of wildfires when they burn , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires in the first place , since the vast majority of wildfires are ignited by human activity .
One study found that 645,000 homes in California will be in “ very high ” wildfire severity zones by 2050 , based on current trends .
At the same time , people are changing the climate .
The emissions of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels is amplifying the raw ingredients of many of these disasters — air temperature , ocean temperature , and rainfall — and pushing them to be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ cause ” disasters , but it makes it likelier for them to reach greater extremes .
Scientists in recent years have gained a better understanding of how to attribute extreme events to climate change caused by humans .
For example , a study from the World Weather Attribution research consortium investigating Australia ’ s bushfires found that climate change increased the likelihood of the conditions that fueled the blazes by at least 30 percent .
Climate change is also shaping how these disasters unfold .
One climate change signal that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensification , which NOAA defines as a gain of 35 mph or more in wind speed over 24 hours .
That was visible this year in Hurricane Laura , which surged from Category 2 to Category 4 strength over several hours .
Between 1982 and 2009 , the number of Atlantic tropical storms that have rapidly intensified increased significantly in part due to human-caused climate change , according to a 2019 study in the journal Nature Communications .
Climate models also show that rapid intensification will increase as average temperatures rise .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disasters stem from forces of nature as well as humanity ’ s decisions .
However , because people are driving many of the factors that make extreme weather so devastating , people can also take steps to reduce these impacts .
That can take the form of relocating away from high-risk areas , building seawalls and protective infrastructure , and investing more in disaster management so communities can recover faster .
And over the long term , reducing greenhouse gas emissions will help avert the most extreme disaster scenarios .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linger for a long time as people look to rebuild their lives and cope with the trauma .
“ Disasters change people , they change communities , and they change societies , ” said Clark-Ginsberg .
That means the shadow of 2020 will likely stretch well into 2021 — and beyond .

The Covid-19 pandemic was unfortunately not the only natural disaster of 2020. There were so many that it’s easy to forget everything that happened this year. Here is a brief sampling of 2020’s weather-related events:
The year began with a series of bushfires in Australia that forced thousands to flee, and killed at least 29 people and more than a billion animals. The fires that sent smoke around the world had ignited amid weeks of record-breaking heat and drought.
Swarms of locusts descended on East Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, threatening food supplies for millions of people in the spring. The swarms were triggered in part by torrential rainfall in East Africa.
This summer, California experienced its worst fire season on record in terms of area burned, as well as its largest single wildfire on record. Colorado also had its largest wildfire in history, and blazes in Washington and Oregon created an unprecedented disaster.
A record number of wildfires this summer swept through the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetlands, spanning Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Many of these blazes were illegally ignited to clear land for agriculture, and spread because of hot and dry conditions in an area that’s usually wet.
A powerful storm known as a derecho swept through South Dakota, Nebraska, Illinois, and Iowa in October and became the most costly thunderstorm in US history, causing an estimated $7.5 billion in damages.
Typhoon Goni became the largest tropical storm to ever make landfall when it struck the Philippines in October, whipping the country with winds reaching 195 miles per hour.
More than 100 people died in Vietnam in October amid the worst flooding in decades, triggered by tropical storms and typhoons.
The Atlantic Ocean experienced its most active hurricane season on record, with 30 named storms as the season closed in November. The hurricanes wrought destruction across the Caribbean and Central America, while forcing thousands to evacuate in the United States. More than 400 people were killed by Atlantic tropical storms this season.
In the waning days of 2020, Tropical Storm Chalane struck the coast of Mozambique, bringing heavy rains and 75 mph winds to a region that is still recovering from the devastating strike by Cyclone Idai last year.
These disasters were deadly and destructive, and several of them nudged records even higher. But while their origins are in nature, humanity’s actions are what made these events truly devastating. From continuing to build in high-risk areas, to failing to evacuate people at risk, to changing the climate, disasters often end up with a far higher toll than they would otherwise. As populations increase in vulnerable areas and with climate change pushing weather toward greater extremes, the risks are poised to grow.
2020 was the year of the compound disaster
Covid-19 was lurking in the background of most natural disasters this year. Since the pandemic began, efforts to contain it complicated everything from locust control pesticide spraying to organizing camps for wildland firefighters.
And people fleeing disasters faced extra challenges as they tried to maintain social distance in shelters that tend to force people into close proximity.
“The threat of Covid-19 transmission means we need to be additionally vigilant in protecting both our emergency response teams and the people they are helping,” said Oxfam Philippines’ Country Director Lot Felizco, in a statement about Typhoon Goni in November. “The loss of critical facilities, vulnerabilities from lack of adequate food and shelter, poor conditions in evacuation centers, and ongoing displacement means we have to ensure response actions do not increase Covid-19 risks on top of other disease outbreaks.”
At the same time, disasters made it harder to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which has already killed more than 1.8 million people around the world. The pandemic also devastated the global economy, and many local disaster responders saw budget cuts and layoffs just as their communities needed support the most.
“Yes, it’s a health crisis,” said Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, a social scientist who studies disasters at the RAND Corporation. “It’s also an economic crisis, and it’s a social crisis.”
Disasters in 2020 also compounded when extreme weather struck repeatedly. Louisiana, for instance, saw a record five major storms make landfall this year, including Hurricane Laura, the strongest storm to strike the region in 150 years.
Meanwhile, back-to-back wildfires across the western United States not only destroyed homes and businesses, but cast smoke over huge swaths of the country, turning skies orange and making breathing the air as bad as smoking a pack of cigarettes in a day. That dirty air in turn worsened risks for Covid-19, a disease that afflicts the airways. “Exposure to air pollutants in wildfire smoke can irritate the lungs, cause inflammation, alter immune function, and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, likely including COVID-19,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The events this year showed that disasters aren’t singular events, but overlapping and intersecting phenomena. In the future, disaster planners will have to better account for how many things can go wrong at once, and that areas may not have time to fully recover from one catastrophe before the next one strikes.
Disasters in 2020 were expensive, and that’s partly our fault
Around the world, more than 40 disasters led to at least a billion dollars in damages each. The United States in particular set a record for the number of billion-dollar disasters this year, with at least 18 such events. These include not just hurricanes and wildfires, but droughts and heat waves. Hurricane Laura was one of the costliest events of the year for the US, with upward of $12 billion in damages.
The dollar amounts, however, don’t tell the whole story. Poorer people are often more seriously harmed by storms, floods, and fires. But because their property is valued lower, the price tag can understate the scope of the destruction. Damage to facilities like offices and factories also often show up as more costly than damage to people’s homes. So the places with the costliest disasters aren’t necessarily the places that are suffering the most.
At the same time, the economic harms of disasters are mounting in part because more people and property are in harm’s way. For example, about 40 percent of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers of a coastline. About 40 percent of the US population lives in a coastal county. The number of people in these areas is growing, bringing with them more homes, offices, and industries. That means that when storm surges and hurricanes arrive, they’ll extract a higher toll.
Similarly, people in the western United States are continuing to build in fire-prone regions. That not only raises the destructiveness of wildfires when they burn, but it also increases the likelihood of igniting those fires in the first place, since the vast majority of wildfires are ignited by human activity. One study found that 645,000 homes in California will be in “very high” wildfire severity zones by 2050, based on current trends.
All the while, people are changing the climate. Emission of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels is amplifying the raw ingredients of many of these disasters — air temperature, ocean temperature, and rainfall — and pushing them to be more destructive. Climate change doesn’t “cause” disasters, but it makes it likelier for them to reach greater extremes.
Scientists in recent years have gained a better understanding of how to attribute extreme events to climate change caused by humans. For example, a study from the World Weather Attribution research consortium investigating Australia’s bushfires found that climate change increased the likelihood of the conditions that fueled the blazes by at least 30 percent.
Climate change is also shaping how these disasters unfold. One climate change signal that’s been emerging in recent hurricanes is rapid intensification, which NOAA defines as a gain of 35 mph or more in wind speed over 24 hours. That was visible this year in Hurricane Laura, which surged from Category 2 to Category 4 strength over several hours.
Between 1982 and 2009, the number of Atlantic tropical storms that have rapidly intensified increased significantly, in part due to human-caused climate change, according to a 2019 study in the journal Nature Communications. Climate models also show that rapid intensification will increase as average temperatures rise.
It’s clear, then, that the impacts of disasters stem from forces of nature as well as humanity’s decisions. However, because people are driving many of the factors that make extreme weather so devastating, people can also take steps to reduce these impacts. That can take the form of relocating away from high-risk areas, building seawalls and protective infrastructure, and investing more in disaster management so communities can recover faster. And over the long term, reducing greenhouse gas emissions will help avert the most extreme disaster scenarios.
But the impacts of the disasters this year will linger for a long time as people look to rebuild their lives and cope with the trauma. “Disasters change people, they change communities, and they change societies,” said Clark-Ginsberg. That means the shadow of 2020 will likely stretch well into 2021 — and beyond.


vox--2020-12-30--Argentina becomes the first large Latin American country to legalize abortion

Argentina became the biggest country in Latin America to legalize elective abortion on Wednesday after an overnight vote .
The measure passed the Senate 38-29 — slightly more than two years after a bill to legalize abortion failed in the upper house 38-31 .
Declining support for religion ’ s role in governance , as well as the growing power of women ’ s rights activists , contributed to this shift .
And now women in Argentina who would have gone through with abortions regardless of legality will no longer face unnecessary medical complications or fear of prosecution .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries like Colombia and Chile to reduce restrictions on the procedure , the Wall Street Journal reports .
According to the BBC , a minimum of 350,000 illegal abortions occur annually in Argentina , a figure that some activist groups feel is undercounting the real number .
Illegal abortions can lead to health complications and even death for the people who experience them — the World Health Organization estimates that up to 13.2 percent of maternal deaths worldwide can be attributed to unsafe abortions .
Argentina has seen adherence to Catholicism decline in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council ( CONICET ) .
The Buenos Aires Times reports that in 2019 , 62.9 percent of the population identified as Catholic , a 13.6 percentage point drop since 2008 .
Simultaneously , while evangelicals gained new adherents , the share of people identifying with no religion grew the most , reaching nearly 20 percent of the population .
The survey also found decreased support for the government to finance and support religion : 46.2 percent agreed that religion shouldn ’ t be a part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point increase since 2008 .
While Argentina is still a largely Catholic country , this decline could explain why Pope Francis ’ s comments opposing legalizing abortion did not have an overwhelming effect on the outcome of this vote .
Francis , who was born and worked in Argentina for much of his life , has referred to abortion as being part of a “ throwaway culture ” and has rooted his opposition to the medical procedure as being based in science , according to Crux , a Catholic online newspaper .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t alone in opposing the measure ; they joined forces with the country ’ s growing evangelical wing to mobilize against abortion .
They will likely fight to overturn this measure , especially as this change exposes Argentina ’ s religious fault lines .
But the victorious activists are the abortion rights feminists who have spent years fighting for abortion legalization .
The “ Ni Una Menos ” movement is a sign of increasing social liberalism in Argentina In 2015 , mobilizing against violence against women in response to widespread murder and rape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slogan “ Ni Una Menos ” or “ Not One Less.
” According to the Buenos Aires Times , “ more than 300,000 are estimated to have attended ” the first march .
The first major story that catalyzed the movement was one of a pregnant 14-year-old who was killed by her boyfriend — her mother asserted that the boyfriend ’ s family was opposed to her having the child , according to the New York Times .
The burgeoning movement pointed to statistics arguing that in addition to male violence against women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsafe procedures and lack of access to medical care .
A report by Human Rights Watch cites research that estimates up to 522,000 abortions are performed every year in Argentina , though it ’ s not clear how many of those are performed outside of the preexisting legal exceptions for rape and the health of the mother .
The AP reported that about 38,000 Argentinian women are hospitalized annually due to substandard procedures and that “ several thousand women seeking abortions have died since 1983.
” Ni Una Menos was energized in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeated in the Senate after receiving a nod in the lower chamber .
As Vox ’ s Emily Stewart wrote at the time , the “ new wave of feminism has spurred more women to speak out about a variety of issues , including abortion .
Activists see illegal abortion as another way of keeping women oppressed.
” Stewart also reported that “ abortion legalization supporters plan to continue to build momentum and take advantage of the current media coverage.
” Win or lose , a prominent member of the movement tweeted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whatever the result .
The green wave is unstoppable .
We ’ ve opened consciences .
And there ’ s no turning back .
”

Argentina became the biggest country in Latin America to legalize elective abortion on Wednesday after an overnight vote. The measure passed the Senate 38-29 — slightly more than two years after a bill to legalize abortion failed in the upper house 38-31.
Declining support for religion’s role in governance, as well as the growing power of women’s rights activists, contributed to this shift. And now women in Argentina who would have gone through with abortions regardless of legality will no longer face unnecessary medical complications or fear of prosecution.
This change could be the catalyst for neighboring countries like Colombia and Chile to reduce restrictions on the procedure, the Wall Street Journal reports.
According to the BBC, a minimum of 350,000 illegal abortions occur annually in Argentina, a figure that some activist groups feel is undercounting the real number. Illegal abortions can lead to health complications and even death for the people who experience them — the World Health Organization estimates that up to 13.2 percent of maternal deaths worldwide can be attributed to unsafe abortions.
Argentina has seen adherence to Catholicism decline in recent years, according to a study from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). The Buenos Aires Times reports that in 2019, 62.9 percent of the population identified as Catholic, a 13.6 percentage point drop since 2008. Simultaneously, while evangelicals gained new adherents, the share of people identifying with no religion grew the most, reaching nearly 20 percent of the population.
The survey also found decreased support for the government to finance and support religion: 46.2 percent agreed that religion shouldn’t be a part of public school instruction, a 19 percentage point increase since 2008.
While Argentina is still a largely Catholic country, this decline could explain why Pope Francis’s comments opposing legalizing abortion did not have an overwhelming effect on the outcome of this vote. Francis, who was born and worked in Argentina for much of his life, has referred to abortion as being part of a “throwaway culture” and has rooted his opposition to the medical procedure as being based in science, according to Crux, a Catholic online newspaper.
According to France 24, Catholics weren’t alone in opposing the measure; they joined forces with the country’s growing evangelical wing to mobilize against abortion. They will likely fight to overturn this measure, especially as this change exposes Argentina’s religious fault lines.
But the victorious activists are the abortion rights feminists who have spent years fighting for abortion legalization.
The “Ni Una Menos” movement is a sign of increasing social liberalism in Argentina
In 2015, mobilizing against violence against women in response to widespread murder and rape, a feminist movement grew under the slogan “Ni Una Menos” or “Not One Less.” According to the Buenos Aires Times, “more than 300,000 are estimated to have attended” the first march.
The first major story that catalyzed the movement was one of a pregnant 14-year-old who was killed by her boyfriend — her mother asserted that the boyfriend’s family was opposed to her having the child, according to the New York Times. The burgeoning movement pointed to statistics arguing that in addition to male violence against women, many women were dying due to unsafe procedures and lack of access to medical care.
A report by Human Rights Watch cites research that estimates up to 522,000 abortions are performed every year in Argentina, though it’s not clear how many of those are performed outside of the preexisting legal exceptions for rape and the health of the mother. The AP reported that about 38,000 Argentinian women are hospitalized annually due to substandard procedures and that “several thousand women seeking abortions have died since 1983.”
Ni Una Menos was energized in 2018 when a bill to legalize abortion was defeated in the Senate after receiving a nod in the lower chamber. As Vox’s Emily Stewart wrote at the time, the “new wave of feminism has spurred more women to speak out about a variety of issues, including abortion. Activists see illegal abortion as another way of keeping women oppressed.”
Stewart also reported that “abortion legalization supporters plan to continue to build momentum and take advantage of the current media coverage.”
Win or lose, a prominent member of the movement tweeted in 2018 that: “We won. Whatever the result. The green wave is unstoppable. We’ve opened consciences. And there’s no turning back.”