SFU biodiversity expert Arne Mooers is not a climatologist or natural hazard researcher. But the positioning of his discipline at the juncture of a lot of others gives him a unique perspective on the correlation between climate change and flooding. The biology professor writes extensively about how flooding and various other natural disasters are evolving into harbingers of where climate change is taking us. He can comment on this in relation to the never-before-seen flooding in Alberta right now.

“Climate change models have long predicted more severe weather patterns, with more moisture in the air combined with more kinetic energy and shifting circulation patterns,” says Mooers.

“We saw all three of these things with Tropical Storm Sandy, and the crazy weather in Alberta follows the same pattern. These events are items on a long bill in our over-use of fossil fuels. I wish I could be more sanguine about it, but I think we should treat climate change like we should the threat of a world war.”

Arne Mooers, 778.782.3979, 778.782.4649, 604.818.1627 (cell), amooers@sfu.ca, Skype: arnemooers