Friederike Otto

There is evidence that climate change is causing more frequent and severe weather events, but it is still difficult to determine if these two storms or any other extreme weather event is directly caused by climate change. Understanding the link between climate change and these events is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate their impacts. One scientist at the forefront of this research is Friederike Otto, whose work in attribution science has shed light on the extent to which human-induced climate change contributes to extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods.

In Angry Weather, Otto introduces attribution science, a field of study that aims to assess the extent to which human-caused climate change contributes to extreme weather events. Using statistical methods and computer models, scientists compare observed climate data with global climate simulations that include and exclude human influence.
In the book, Otto argues that attribution science can help us understand the role of climate change in extreme weather events and develop strategies to mitigate their impacts in the future. She discusses several significant weather disasters that have occurred in recent years. Some of the most notable ones are Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas in 2017 and caused widespread flooding and damage, and the European heatwave of 2019, which broke temperature records across the continent and caused numerous deaths. These weather disasters are just a few examples of the many extreme weather events that have occurred in recent years and are consistent with the predictions of climate change models.

Attribution science plays a vital role in our response to climate change. By understanding the extent to which human-induced climate change affects specific extreme weather events, governments can formulate effective climate policies. This knowledge also helps in the development of climate-resilient infrastructure and planning for climate adaptation. When policymakers are aware of the increased likelihood of specific extreme weather events due to climate change, they can take proactive measures to reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience within communities.

Attribution science has significant legal and financial implications. Establishing liability for climate-related damages and providing evidence for causal claims can be crucial in holding major greenhouse gas emitters accountable. If specific weather events can be linked to human-induced climate change, it could lead to increased litigation against those responsible. This aspect of attribution science serves as a powerful tool for seeking justice and driving change.

Attribution science is still a young field, and scientists are still trying to improve and standardize the methods that they use to conduct attribution studies. However, through ongoing research and advancements in technology, it is rapidly evolving. The attention it receives in the media raises public awareness of the impacts of climate change on extreme weather events, ultimately garnering greater support for actions to mitigate climate change.

Angry Weather is a well-researched and accessible book that provides a comprehensive overview of attribution science and its role in understanding climate change. It is timely and relevant, given the increasing frequency of extreme weather events around the world, and it highlights the urgency of addressing climate change and the need for immediate action.… (plus d'informations)

Living in a region that has been battered by unprecedented extreme weather events over the last few years, I found Angry Weather to be a welcome exploration of attribution science and the critical role it plays in assessing climate devastation in real time. To be blunt, this isn't going to be the most important book on climate change you ever read, nor does it claim to be. That honor would certainly go to a text that focuses on how we can organize together to move beyond the unrelenting and cancerous capitalist system which has brought us to this breaking point, in favor of a sustainable and socialist planned economy that puts people and our global ecosystem first. That being said, understanding how rapidly climate scientists can move, and how their research can change the various ways in which we look at specific extreme weather events, is extremely useful and worth understanding in greater detail. I would recommend Angry Weather to anyone that wants to learn more about this aspect of climate science, and also to people who simply want to strengthen their ability to engage peers who still fail to understand or accept the real scope of the crisis we face.… (plus d'informations)

3.5 stars

Scientists are now able to study (some? most?) weather events and be able to determine how much more likely that event was made by climate change (or if climate change even made it more likely at all)! That is, they do it quickly, before the event fades from people’s memories and other events have happened in the meantime. This is unusual, since for scientists, peer review is important before publishing results of studies, but this can take months to do.

This book explains how they do that, primarily using models. There is a very small group of scientists worldwide who are currently doing this; the author is one of those scientists. She also looks at a few specific weather events and explains how they came up with their findings.

I thought this was good. There’s more to it than I’ve mentioned in my summary, and I can’t explain it well, but I did find it interesting. It may have been particularly interesting because about a month ago, there was an extreme heat wave where I am in Alberta, as well as in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. I had actually heard a couple of weeks ago that they had determined that this heat wave WAS more likely due to climate change and that it was 2C warmer than it would otherwise have been without climate change; when I heard that, I had no idea that a book I’d planned to pick up this month was going to look at that very thing! And, checking online, it was this group of scientists who came up with that.… (plus d'informations)

Im Buch wird wirklich gut erklärt, wie Frau Otto und andere Wissenschaftlerinnen arbeiten und welche Ergebnisse sie erzielen. Das lässt an Deutlichkeit nichts zu wünschen übrig, leider, denn man würde sich ja immer wünschen, nicht schuld zu sein und somit auch nichts ändern zu müssen.
Ich habe das Hörbuch gehört und der Sprecher ist nicht gut - zumindest bei englischen Wörtern. Für einen professionellen Sprecher ist das wirklich schwach, wie man z.B. das häufig vorkommende Wort "Peer Review" wirklich ausspricht, hätte ihm doch jemand sagen können!… (plus d'informations)