By Chuck Baclagon

For those of us working on climate change, every warning of an incoming tropical cyclone comes with the anxiety of trying to find meaningful words to describe yet another potential extreme weather tragedy.

 

WATCH: #TisoyPH brings heavy rains to the municipality of Gamay, Northern Samar on Monday, December 2. Evacuation is advised that will be headed by local government officials. Video courtesy of Dys Castillo Vidal pic.twitter.com/JGlj3OxzvV

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) December 2, 2019

The obvious response for many of us is to explain that global warming doesn’t only mean that the world is getting hotter. The earth’s climate is complex.Even a small increase in average global temperature means big changes with lots of dangerous side effects — including the upward trend of unusual, unpredictable, severe, or unseasonal weather.

Here in the Philippines, this explanation is far less than comforting. We’ve all experienced the enduring impacts of storms, landslides, and flooding that come with the more than 20 typhoons that hit the archipelago every year.

The climate crisis’s adverse effects on agriculture, water, infrastructure, human health, and coastal ecosystems are projected to continue to have devastating damages to the economy and society.

Typhoon Tisoy (International name: Kammuri), is already pulling rains and strong winds to parts of Northern Visayas and Southern Luzon. The storm is forecasted to make landfall over Northern Samar, and later on the whole of Southern Luzon, including Metro Manila, is expected to bear the brunt.

Measuring in at 700 to 800 kilometers in diameter, Tisoy accumulated rainfall could reach 300mm under its present speed of 20 km/h. However, if it slows down, its accumulated rainfall could reach between 400 to 500mm.

One of the indispensable things that have been learned from past experiences is the value of vigilance and staying informed about the latest updates regarding Typhoon Tisoy, while at the same time finding opportunities to support those who have been affected by the typhoon.

Where to find timely information about Typhoon Tisoy

• Get real-time updates on the movement of the typhoon from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
• Follow the hashtags #TisoyPH and #ReliefPH
• Donate to the Citizens’ Disaster Response Center, which focuses its assistance to the most affected, least served and most vulnerable sectors of the population through preparedness and mitigation, emergency relief, and rehabilitation programs.

Climate change science leaves no room for doubt. A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change confirmed what we’ve known for decades — that the increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events is a result of a warming world.

To keep global warming below 1.5°C and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide must fall by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050.

We need rapid and far-reaching transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Coal, oil, and gas needs to stay in the ground.

To make a just transition to 100% locally distributed renewable energy, we must break the hold the fossil fuel industry has on our governments and economy. Tell the government to shift financial flows away from the fossil fuel industry immediately.