As this article describes, we are probably going to have the worst El Niño in human history, and this has all kinds of implications, not only for the lifestyle of those in affected states because of weather changes but also for a wide range of economic issues. Since most Republicans in those affected states don’t believe climate change is a priority, it will be interesting to hear their whining and complaining that will come as a result of what the El Niño does. And the economic impact is going to degrade the quality of their lives in ways I don’t think they even comprehend.
The sun sets along 42nd Street as light smoke from wildfires in Canada begins to drift into the northeast on June 15, 2023, in New York City. Credit: Gary Hershorn / Getty
El Niño has arrived — and it will likely be the hottest in human history. It may already have made its presence felt in the April-May heat wave in Asia. The current heat waves in Mexico and the U.S. bear its imprint too.
In El Niño years, warmer seas in the equatorial Pacific raise global temperatures. The upcoming El Niño years will probably breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming limit outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, bringing renewed flurries of weather-related disasters, including floods, drought and wildfires.
Less immediately visible will be its economic effects: El Niño is set to aggravate the failure of the prevailing growth-based economic model, with calamitous results for the world’s poor.
