El Niño: Caribbean Sea

From the cartoon, the big stick in the Caribbean Sea, we can see the main character, the then United States president Theodore Roosevelt making big strides holding his big stick while dragging a long a fleet of steam ships across the Caribbean Sea form Mexico, panama, Venezuela, Santo Domingo and Cuba. We can also see eagles approaching from behind.

Overall El Niño is a world wide phenomenon which affects countries in different ways depending on were they are situated and whether they are a LEDC or MEDC.

The intensity, frequency, and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes, as well as the frequency of category 4 and 5 hurricanes, have all increased since the early 1980s (Bell 2012). The increase in hurricanes can be linked to higher sea surface temperatures caused by multiple outside sources. Human induced emissions of heat-trapping gases and particulate pollution are two of the possible sources that are affecting the sea surface temperature. Humans are the main contributor contributing to climate change and global warming, but most seem not to care. Not only is the amount of hurricanes increasing, but heat waves are increasing and intensifying in some western parts of the country. Heat waves have become more frequent across The United States in recent decades. Western regions are setting records for numbers of heat waves and droughts in the 2000s. Data collected suggests that the droughts over the last decade in the West represent the driest conditions in the last 800 years (Vose 2005). With varying weather all over the country, the real estate market is beginning to be affected as well. Popular ski capitals will no longer have their icy slopes and eventually the popular beaches will be too hot to visit or will not have any beach left, causing drops in vacation rentals and permanent housing

With the upcoming El Niño, Los Angeles is at harm from any effects, such as landslides, mudflows, and flooding. El Niño has severely affected the coastal areas of Los Angeles County three times during the years of 1977-1978, 1982-1983, and 1997-1998 (FEMA, 2011). Los Angeles County has several watersheds such as the Los Angeles River, Santa Monica Bay, and San Gabriel River (LADPW) that serve to reduce flooding, but it may not have the proper infrastructure to prevent commercial or residential areas from flooding. Los Angeles may not have levees that can protect its areas because they might be structurally inferior or are not approved by FEMA (City of Los Angeles, Engineering. 2015). There are many hilly areas in Los Angeles, and residential

According to the map, locations near the Atlantic Ocean have higher air temperatures than locations further inland because water has a higher specific heat than land and therefore would retain its heat for much longer. Specific heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by one degrees Celsius. The process by which solar heat is absorbed by the ocean is much slower than land because water has a higher specific heat capacity but this also means that the ocean loses its heat slower. Since the temperatures on the map are between -8 and 20 degrees fahrenheit, it can be inferred that the season in the United States was winter. This means that the ocean still contained the retained heat that accumulated gradually from

In the 2012-2013 North American drought, many crops such as corn and soybeans were failing, affecting trade, and the people. In places that were already drought like but had heavy rainfall caused flooding. Also, with the increase of rain, it permits the spread of weeds and pests to different areas. People in settlements with changing precipitation patterns have trouble predicting the weather- because the weather is unpredictable! The limited water supply would affect the health of the people, the animals and hydropower plants. If there is too much precipitation, (more than normal) then that would cause widespread flooding. Recreation would also be affected; either too much snow or not enough snow on hills for skiing, snowboarding etc. Not enough water for indoor skating, or flooding which means no outdoor skating. Fishing and canoeing would also be affected. Transportation would be limited because there is either not enough water for boats, too much water for cars, trucks, trains, etc. or the conditions are too harsh for airplanes or helicopters. Since transportation is affected, trade is affected which means there is a whooping decrease in the economy! Also, because warmer air holds more moisture, the amount of rain will increase dramatically, which can cause

For example, EI Nino threatens Peru's anchovy harvest, which could mean higher prices for food. The warm water of Ei Nino keeps the nutrient-rich cold water which procides anchovies with food down at the bottom of the ocean. Anchovies are the primary source of fish meal which is the main ingredient in animal

Easterly trade winds, can filter and transform into westerlies. Thus, allowing great masses of warm water to flow from the western Pacific toward the Americas. This then can reduce the upwelling of cooler, nutrient-rich waters from the ocean and shut down or reverse it completely. Overall, El Nino alters ocean life by reducing the fish populations along the eastern Pacific shores and it does this in a couple distinctive ways. As El Nino weakens upwelling of cool nutrient-rich water to the ocean surface, the amount of phytoplankton decreases.

It changes atmospheric pressures with consequences for rainfall, wind patterns, sea surface temperatures and can sometimes have a positive, and sometimes a negative effect on those systems. The beginning of the El Niño system will be seen over North America in the preceding winter. They typically include mild winter temperatures over western Canada and north western USA, above average precipitation in the Gulf Coast, including Florida, and a drier than average period in Ohio and Pacific Northwest. The effects of El Niño can sometime be erratic and are not always be predictable.

One of the changes in weather caused by an El Niño is a redistribution and increase of rainfall around the Pacific, especially during the rainy season.

The mid-west of the United States is not effected by El Niño as much as the other portions of North America are. Generally speaking, there are usually above-average temperatures in the Northern Plains and Upper Mid-West leading to a milder Fall and Winter. This also reduces heating/energy bills. While the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys are left with drier and below-average precipitation (NOAA, 2017). Since there is a reduction in moisture

Coastal lands, agriculture, weak permafrost, increase in disease, weather patterns, ocean circulation, and biodiversity are few elements affected by this emergency. There is major concern for coastal flooding. IPCC estimates that 43% of coastal wetlands will be asphyxiated, beaches will wear down 100 to 200 ft., and 5,000 square miles will be overwhelmed with sea water. (Greenpeace) In Chesapeake Bay, beaches have already been lost, resulting from more than an inch increase in sea level. Many islands and low surface level countries will be inundated . Millions of people could be affect in Bangladesh, China, and New York due to flooding. Any country with a small economy can suffer greatly being unable to adapt and replenish resources. Pests that use warm weather will have more time to reproduce and feed on infected species, usually passing on infections. Allergens and viruses will be more persistent. Forest fires will increase. An example for agriculture damage is Kansas’ ability to be 4 degrees warmer during winter which is bad news for the winter wheat grown with cold air usually sent southward from the Artic ice. Also, during summer Kansas can lose valuable cropland from soil losing 10 percent of its moisture. (NRDC) Shrinkage in fresh water supply will result in water stress for people that rely on spring water, such as the Himalayans

Veve and El Niño are two very different, yet similar foreign films that discuss the dealing of drugs in order to progress in society in each of the character’s own individual way. Veve, directed by Simon Mukali, depicts a story that takes place in Kenya and involves the lives of many who are trying to discover themselves in a world of corruption, revenge, and love. This drama packed film illustrates the numerous problems that are occurring within Kenya in regards to the affects and economic importance of ‘veve,’ which is a drug also known as khat. Although the film’s native language is mainly in Swahili, the director’s cinematography and style allows the audience to get a basic understanding of the problems portrayed in this film. El Niño, a Spanish film directed by Daniel Monzón, depicts a thrilling movie of two teenage boys who enter the drug trafficking world to better their lives financially, and two police officers wanting to eradicate a drug trafficking network. This action packed crime film demonstrates the drug problems that are currently happening with Strait of Gibraltar. Although both these films were created in two different places, they share the same underlying plot. However, in order to understand the meanings of these two films, it is important to analyze and dive into the deeper meaning of this film as it relates to the notion of space through the concepts of mobility and gender.

An article in Nature discusses climate modeling as it relates to El Nino events. According to Cai et al in Increasing frequency of extreme El Niño events due to greenhouse warming, global warming from anthropogenic sources may have a compounding effect on the frequency and intensity of ENSO. The article states this could have significant socio-economic impacts. (Cai et al, 2013). Dr. McPhaden with the NOAA uncovered a

Leading scientists advise climate change will cause increases to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Rising sea levels pose a significant risk to coastal communities, while the world’s oceans could become too acidic to support coral reefs and other calcifying marine organisms.