This Week on Earth: Oct 9-15

The northern lights over Lake Michigan on the night of Oct 10. (Josuke Takashima)

Florida

Hurricane Milton ravaged the west coast of Florida in the last week, becoming the second most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico. The tropical storm has caused at least eight deaths and left approximately 3 million Floridians without power as of October 11th. 

Florida governor Ron DeSantis is capitalizing on Florida's state of emergency, declared by President Joe Biden, to address damages, which will allow the state to be reimbursed for 100% of the costs of hurricane-related debris removal for up to 90 days. 

“We want to utilize the resources we have to get this debris done and help our local communities as much as possible,” Desantis said.

Climate change is worsening the intensity of hurricanes in the U.S. and decreasing their speed. Resultantly, the storms will linger over affected regions for longer periods of time. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an increase in the number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes over the coming decades, coupled with increased hurricane wind speeds. 

Worldwide

Big oil is becoming more and more impactful in the world of sports. Fossil fuel companies have invested over $4 billion in sports sponsorship as of 2024 “in an attempt to divert attention from their role in fueling the climate crisis and harming human health.”

Few major global sports remain untouched by major fossil fuel corporations, according to research by the National Weather Institute. This phenomenon, known as sportswashing, is responsible for increased influence on fossil fuels and creates greater difficulty in weaning off of them. 

The National Weather Institute’s report urges organizations such as FIFA and the International Olympic Committee to introduce bans on fossil fuels advertising similar to those on the tobacco industry. “If sport is used as a billboard to promote the very companies, products and lifestyles that fuel climate breakdown, it becomes at best an obstacle to climate action, and at worst fans the flames of a heating planet,” the report stressed.

Illinois

This past week has finally seen sustained lower temperatures in Chicagoland, with highs mostly in the 60s. These cooler conditions mark the end to an especially muggy summer, and the reason behind the humidity isn’t what many would expect. 

Corn sweat is a natural phenomenon where corn crops draw in water from the ground then release it into the air through evaporation. This process adds extra moisture to the air, increasing dew points and heat indices in areas with a lot of agricultural land. 

Illinois ranks number two in the nation in corn production, having produced 2.27 billion bushels in 2023. This puts the state at risk of feeling the effects of more intense heat waves, which are predicted to increase in the coming years as climate change worsens.