Texas was hit by extreme winter in mid-February and left millions without power, which was within scientists’ expectation. The state had been warned for unusual weather event for a long time but didn’t take that for serious and got so unprepared that much of the electricity infrastructure in Texas could not function in the extreme weather.
The failures in Texas signals that the extreme weather of 21st century has escalated and previous preparation will not suffice. Cases have shown electric grids in US could not put up with the extreme weather and the U.S has experienced 22 serious weather and climate events in 2020 except COVID-19.
It is said that these climate-linked disasters and their consequence will be increasingly difficult to manage as global warming intensified. Communities should invest fully in measures that have proved to work, from hardening infrastructure to developing more localized energy production. A new climate requires our new ways of thinking.