As a climate scientist in the deep South, I am often asked whether climate change is real. My usual response is to say, “Look out the window.”
As I type this in mid-September, 5.5 inches of rain have inundated our town, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in six hours. Recently, Hurricane Ida — the 13th named storm of this season — ripped through the region, leaving at least 84 dead and an estimated $95 billion in damages in its wake from New Orleans to New England.
Contrary to stereotype, most of the Southerners I meet are interested in learning more about climate change.…
