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Jason Childress and his son Jackson Childress, 4, have different reactions to the heavy rain as they battle rain from tropical storm Andrea before shopping at the Target store in Park Place Shopping Center Friday, June 7, 2013 in Cary, N.C. (AP Photo/The News & Observer, Chris Seward)

By Michael E. Mann & Adam Garber

While it's been a few years since the Harrisburg area has seen massive flooding from tropical storms and hurricanes, the fact that Tropical Storm Andrea drenched much of the Mid-Atlantic this early in the summer may have many wondering what this summer and fall have in store for us as hurricane season continues.

Many Pennsylvanians are aware of the effects of climate change and global warming, but they might not realize how these phenomena actually affect extreme weather events.

A recent report titled "In the Path of the Storm," from PennEnvironment's Research & Policy Center found that nearly 9 out of 10 Pennsylvanians live in counties hit by at least one weather-related disaster since 2007. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused the deaths of seventy-two people in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. This storm was just one of the extreme weather events outlined in the report.

Dauphin County has been hit by five other weather disasters in the last six years in addition to Hurricane Sandy, including Tropical Depression Ivan and Tropical Storm Lee. All of these events have damaged local businesses and personal properties, which in turn requires the spending of thousands of dollars in cleanup and repairs.

The report’s findings are still more alarming when you consider scientists’ predictions that global warming will bring increasingly extreme weather in the future. These predictions include the possibility of an increase in the frequency and severity of heavy rain and snowstorms; record heat, drought, and wildfires. The predictions also include a greater likelihood of more powerful hurricanes and coastal storms. Sea level rise will exacerbate these coastal threats.

The main concern is that extreme weather is happening. It has already caused very serious problems, and global warming increases the likelihood that we will continue to see even more extreme weather in the future. Power plants, cars, and trucks are the highest contributors of carbon pollution, so to solve this problem we must cut emissions directly from these sources.

Made evident in his inaugural and State of the Union addresses, it is clear that President Barack Obama understands the connection between extreme weather and global warming. His administration is developing the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants. Additionally, the administration will soon decide whether to approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline or not, which, if approved, would help open up one of the most carbon-intensive energy sources on the planet.

It is of dire importance that the President follows through on his strong statements about global warming with action that is equally as strong. We encourage President Obama to finish the implementation of strong limits on carbon pollution from power plants, and to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

Michael E. Mann is Distinguished Professor of Meteorology at Penn State University and author of “The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars.” Adam Garber is the Field Director with PennEnvironment.



Adam Garber and Michael Mann will occasionally pop into the comments throughout the day to address your questions and comments. If you have any regarding this op-ed, post them in the comments section below.