James Cross
Environmental disasters have been causing massive havoc in various countries all over the world for the last several decades. While disasters are not unheard of, global climate change has been making them more and more common in recent years, in some cases with devastating consequences.
Blowing the Climate Change Whistle
Environmental activists have been blowing the whistle on the impending effects of climate change for decades. The 70’s was the first time that data was released showing that the planet was warming at unprecedented levels in the span of recorded history, and it slowly became clear that humans were to blame.
Since then, our understanding of climate change and the factors that affect it has expanded and deepened. The environment has changed drastically in the years since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, with many of the changes not necessarily for the better.
Beginning with the Industrial Revolution
The discovery of oil in the ground, and the subsequent creation of internal combustion engine cars was only the early beginnings of events that have culminated in what could kindly be called a climate change disaster.
Burning coal and other dirty fuels have worked in tandem to release massive amounts of climate-changing emissions into the atmosphere. That, in combination with movements such as deforestation and excessive use of natural resources like water, has come together to create an environment where the planet is warming rapidly, without anyone to put the brakes on.
Little Has Been Done
Especially in America, the nature of capitalism has meant that, unfortunately, little has been done about the data suggesting that the planet is warming due to human intervention. OPEC and Big Oil have both lobbied strongly against any sort of green energy reform, choosing to preserve profits over advocating for the planet.
This means that, unfortunately, many measures that would have stopped the planet from warming as rapidly as it has, were slowed until just recently. The Biden administration ran on a platform of green energy and climate awareness, and since Biden came into office, he and his administration have worked diligently towards creating an environment where green energy investments are profitable and help push the planet to a better place.
Climate Change Causing Natural Disasters
Of course, that’s all good and well for the future. For the present, though, damage control is imperative, and for a good reason. Preventing the planet from warming further is priority number one, but managing the effects of the climate change that has already occurred is a close second.
One of the insidious and horrifying effects of climate change, one that climate change activists have seen and been warning about, are increasingly intense natural disasters. Floods, wildfires, blizzards, hurricanes, and earthquakes have all been on the rise across the globe, with massive damages sustained to cities and towns that are struck by Mother Nature’s whim.
Damage from Climate Change
Locally, some of the effects of climate change have been revealed in the aridification of the Southwest United States, the fires that wrack California every year, and the hurricanes that have hit the East coast and the South with increasing intensity in the last several years.
Internationally, the issues have been, in some cases, worse. Natural disasters in low-income countries often cause more casualties, and result in greater damage to be repaired for the people affected. A recent example is Storm Daniel, a storm that has become the deadliest tropical cyclone in history, which killed more than 10,000 people and caused more than $20 billion US dollars of damage across Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Libya, and Turkey.
Some Disasters…Are Inconvenient
Natural disasters don’t always cause massive deaths, though. At times, while they affect a significant number of people, the effects are more inconvenient, as opposed to devastating.
This can be seen in the recent flooding in Dubai. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) received more than 10 inches of rainfall in some places last Tuesday – roughly half of that in Dubai itself – which is an amount that equals the annual rainfall averages in the UAE.
The Largest Storm in UAE Recorded History
Last week’s rainfall was the largest amount of precipitation recorded since the country began keeping tabs in 1949, and the country was not prepared for the amount of water such a storm would bring.
Massive flooding hit the city, grinding everyday life to a halt. The floodwaters rose quickly and were slow to recede, and it took multiple days for the country to get back on its feet and begin operations again at normal levels.
A Massive Travel Delay
This, unfortunately, had a significant effect on travel and out of the country. Notably, the Dubai airport and Emirates Airline had to cancel the flights of more than 200,000 passengers, and delayed the flights of many, many more.
While this is far from the massive destruction that was seen from Storm Daniel, it’s still a massive inconvenience for the people who were ultimately stuck at the airport, waiting for their newly rescheduled flights.
A Statement from the Airlines’ President
In response to the discontent that came out of the disaster and the ultimate travel issues, Emirates Airlines’ president, Sir Tim Clark, released an open letter to passengers of his fights, saying, “We know our response has been far from perfect.”
“We acknowledge and understand the frustration of our customers due to the congestion, lack of information, and confusion in the terminals. We acknowledge that the long queues and wait times have been unacceptable.”
The Statement Continued
Sir Tim, who is the most influential figure in global aviation, went on to write, “Passengers previously stranded in the airport transit area have been rebooked and en route to their destinations. We have put together a taskforce to sort, reconcile, and deliver some 30,000 pieces of left-behind baggage to their owners.”
The statement concluded, “It will take us some more days to clear the backlog of rebooked passengers and bags, and we ask for our customers’ patience and understanding.”
People Stuck Thousands of Miles From Home
The cancellations and delays of flights led to thousands of people being stuck thousands of miles away from home. Dubai is a popular tourist destination for many individuals, and the effects of a disaster of this scale cannot be understated.
In order to limit the crowding at Dubai airport, and give time to clear some of the stranded passengers, Emirates temporarily suspended check in at its hub. Further, passengers booked to fly in from points around the world were also delayed and prevented from checking into their flights.
Flights Into the City Were Canceled, Too
Some flights into the city were even canceled in response to the disaster. A dozen flights on Saturday morning from key locations around the world were taken completely out of the system, and passengers who were heading for the UK were left with few rights in response to this act by the airline.
While there’s nothing that can be done about natural disasters, particularly floods, many of the passengers who were affected were more upset about the lack of communication, than anything else. John Baker, a man traveling from Bangkok to Birmingham, Alabama via Dubai, said, “I know the weather is beyond anyone’s control, but timely information reduces irritation even if it is bad news.”
A Lackluster Response
It’s true that the weather is out of any one person’s, or company’s control, but it cannot be denied that Emirates Airline let their customers down with their response to the flood. The letter released by the president acknowledges the harm that they caused, but that doesn’t change the fact that tens of thousands of people’s travel plans were altered or canceled altogether.
This event was likely a wake up call for Emirates, and the other airlines who were also affected by the flood. In the future, they’ll hopefully have a better response to emergencies such as this one, for the wellbeing of both their company and their customers.
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