In 2015, a historic 1 in 100-year flood — meaning the probability of occurring in any future year is 1% — severely impacted Columbia and South Carolina. More recently, in the fall of 2024, hot ocean temperatures made storms 400 times more likely to develop, creating Hurricane Helene, which devastated not only Columbia, but the upstate and Appalachian region as well.
As the weather becomes more extreme and unpredictable, Earth Day brings us an annual reminder of the importance of the environment, though conservation efforts occur throughout the year. In particular, many cities and countries are taking action against global warming.
Environmental concerns often feel overwhelming for an individual to respond to and understand their severity, so it’s important to understand the science behind it. Global warming occurs when excessive human-generated pollutants in the atmosphere trap sunlight from the greenhouse effect. This causes problems such as excessive heat, additional flooding, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events…