Climate change is a major problem today, and to many people, these are just two words that convey a sinister message. The message is that the world is in danger and needs protection to prevent a catastrophe. The effects of climate change on the United States are outlined in a federally funded study of 2014, and it cautions that infrastructure like roads, bridges, and tunnels will be pushed to breaking point, but President Donald Trump does not appear to be convinced.
Adverse effects on infrastructure
According to CNN, climate change could result in excessive heat leading to cracks in pipes and melting of asphalt.
Airports located below sea level could face floods and disrupt its smooth functioning. There could also be a mass migration of people because of drought, and this would, in turn, put pressure on the transport systems. Extreme weather could also give rise to floods of interior roads, apart from storms and floods that could play havoc in the coastal regions.
An example is Hurricane Sandy that resulted in flooding of the New York City subway system and damage to infrastructure to the extent of nearly $4.75 billion as estimated by the Metropolitan Transport Authority of New York.
Mikhail Chester, the assistant professor of civil, environmental, and sustainable engineering at Arizona State University, has explained that the available infrastructure is designed based on known parameters of weather and the climate of the past.
However, climate change is still an unknown factor, and its potential impact could make the existing systems unreliable. Scientists predict more bouts of extreme weather with larger variation in temperature and a combination of these would throw all calculations haywire.
Donald Trump’s vision of climate change
President Donald Trump has rescinded President Obama’s 2013 Action Plan on climate change that had drawn up broad plans to prepare infrastructure to cater to global warming.
However, a similar enthusiasm is not noticed in the actions of Trump, and he has to realize that if he disregards climate change, it could lead to problems.
Engineers want to design infrastructure that will operate reliably but if challenges posed by the environment are ignored the final result will not be satisfactory. Problems would also be encountered during upgradations of existing infrastructure and plan new bridges, roads, and tunnels.
Rising of sea levels is one of the effects of climate change, and it must be taken into account while designing a bridge that would last a century.
Climate change and global warming are issues that are interlinked and very much relevant in today’s world. To design infrastructure that would stand the tests of time, it is necessary to incorporate suitable safety factors to ensure the best performance. The world must pay heed to the climate around us and keep the environment healthy so that our survival is not at stake.
