Typhoon Haiyan Affects UN Climate Talks
By Andrea Belaval 11-22-13
Photo: Typhoon Haiyan
Credit: Trocaire via Creative Commons
Did climate change intensify Super Typhoon Haiyan? Some blame it for the storm’s immense impact. Haiyan was a category five storm that killed thousands in the Philippines earlier this month. Many believe global warming increased the typhoon’s destructiveness and that it will continue to super-charge future storms.
Discussions at a recent United Nations climate change conference in Warsaw addressed the effects of global warming. The UN has had similar climate talks before, with no comprehensive legal outcomes to walk away with. Haiyan may be the catalyst for a legal agreement in six years that would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Members at the conference have asked for more aid to be given to poorer countries from those historically held accountable for the rise of global warming.