A Q&A About Climate Change and Extreme Weather

Why is climate change an important issue for our local and global communities?

Evidence and scientific consensus show that both the Earth’s surface and atmosphere are warming, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense. According to polls, a majority of Americans are concerned about these changes and their growing impact on daily life. Whether you reside in the southeast tropics of Florida, the plains of Kansas, the forests of Washington, or anywhere in between, you live with and witness the effects of the Earth’s changing climate in your community.

What is the relationship between climate change and extreme weather?

"Weather” refers to a short-term state of the atmosphere at a place and time. It can change from hour to hour and day to day. "Climate," on the other hand, is the long-term pattern of weather, typically averaged over 30 years. So while some regions experience cold weather, and even record cold temperatures, evidence shows that the overall global climate has been warming at the rate of 0.14 degrees Fahrenheit (0.08 degrees Celsius) per decade since 1880. This rate of warming has been twice as fast since 1981. The global temperature has risen about 2 degrees Farenheit in total.

It's important to understand that the Arctic has warmed 3-4 times faster than the globe as a whole. This decreases the temperature difference between the Arctic and lower latitudes and creates changes in the jet stream and the polar vortex. Combined with warmer oceans due to arctic ice melt and the added moisture in the air from increased evaporation, these changes can lead to extreme weather events.

What are some examples of extreme weather that have occurred due to Earth’s rising temperature?

Extreme weather events connected to rising temperatures include more severe hurricanes, heavy rains, flooding, prolonged heat waves, drought, wildfires, and even winter cold spells. Global temperatures in June 2025 hit the third warmest on record. Texas, together with North Carolina, New Mexico, and Illinois, experienced a sobering number of casualties due to intense flooding. Wildfires continue to burn throughout Western states. Coastal communities across the Atlantic and gulf states face threats from more intense hurricanes and coastal storms.

How is an increase in extreme weather affecting physical health?

Climate change is a threat-multiplier in that it makes existing health conditions worse and creates new problems on a large scale. The incidence of heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and dehydration has increased along with record-setting heat-related deaths in the U.S. Heat also exacerbates underlying conditions like cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes and can increase transmission of some infectious diseases. Floods, storms, and wildfires directly cause injuries, premature deaths, and displacement. Hurricanes and other severe storms contaminate water and food sources and disrupt or strain utility services. 

How is an increase in extreme weather affecting mental health?

Extreme weather events put already vulnerable people in crisis. In addition to causing immediate shock, these events also lead to long-term conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and grief. Heatwaves disrupt sleep patterns, leading to fatigue, cognitive impairments, and increased mental health emergencies. Climate anxiety is a term representing emotional responses of fear, worry, stress, helplessness, and unease of the perceived threats of climate change and can affect mood, behavior, and overall well-being. 

How does misinformation or skepticism affect national and community preparedness for the effects of climate change?

Because of the growing impact of these climate disruptions in the U.S., strategies for preparedness and protection have become increasingly politicized. Research supports transitioning from fossil fuels to alternative energy and investing in infrastructure designed to withstand extreme weather and reduce carbon emissions. These are critical steps for the U.S. to contribute to global climate solutions and protect future generations, and they continue to be debated politically. Notably, a majority of Americans want the government to do more about climate change.

Can we mitigate the impacts of further warming?

The most recent U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) report, "Our Changing Planet (2025)," warned that without immediate, steep emissions reductions and investment in infrastructure, climate impacts would continue to worsen. However, many effective options still exist to reduce emissions, and the report emphasized the benefits of every avoided ton of carbon released into the atmosphere. 

Science-based, financially viable solutions and strategies already exist and can dramatically reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. In addition to using renewable energy sources and utility-scale energy storage, we can use energy more efficiently, decarbonize transportation, improve community walkability, reduce greenhouse gases in construction and maintenance of buildings, conserve natural spaces that absorb and sequester carbon (forests, basins, and peatlands), protect the sea floor, use sustainable agricultural practices and fisheries, manage waste sustainably, and distribute water efficiently.

Can we adapt to the current and future effects of climate change?

In addition to reducing the amount of warming, it is essential that we adapt to the effects that are already occurring by making our communities safer, more prepared, and more resilient. Climate change is already causing deaths, but strong action now can prevent more. Adaptation strategies will look different for every community and region and will range from individual to local, national, and global efforts. The challenge will be especially difficult for those living in areas that are facing the extremes and/or are economically disadvantaged. Often and unfairly, these communities contribute the least amount of emissions but will face the greatest climate risks. 

What are the financial implications of addressing or failing to address climate change?

There are substantial upfront costs to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. The International Monetary Fund estimates that global investments in infrastructure alone will be about $6 trillion per year up to 2030. But from their point of view, “climate change represents for the financial sector as much a source of opportunity as a source of risk.” Investment in renewable energy infrastructure in the U.S. has brought significant economic benefits, including a manufacturing boom, job creation, and economic growth. These investments have led to a decline in the cost of clean energy for consumers. 

Conversely, there are more substantial costs to inaction, which pose a range of financial and economic risks to households, communities, and market sectors across the U.S. and globally. Tens of billions of dollars of property in the U.S. are vulnerable to complete destruction from flooding alone. Storms and wildfires cause higher costs for insurers that are passed on to homeowners. Some insurance companies are dropping customers in high-risk areas. Climate change also leads to higher healthcare costs, increased displacement, migration, and potential conflict. 

What actions has the U.S. taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change?

The history of climate progress in the U.S. is mixed. Awareness, technological advances, policy implementation, and renewable energy production have increased, allowing the U.S. to make some progress in decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Significant challenges due to an increasingly polarized political landscape still exist in further reducing emissions and implementing necessary adaptation measures.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was approved and funded bipartisanly by Congress and signed into law by President Nixon in 1970 with the goal of protecting people and their environment from pollution. Along with many other regulations, the EPA manages the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other federal regulations concerning environmental health and safety.  

The Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) was created by President Carter through an executive order in 1979. It assists in preparing Americans for disasters and responds when disasters occur. Due to recent funding cuts, the agency has reduced staffing and programs.  FEMA's Building Resiliency and Infrastructure and Communities Program (BRIC) was recently canceled, leaving $4.5 billion in grants for state disaster preparedness unspent.  

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has roots that stretch back more than 200 years but was established in its current form by President Nixon in 1970 with the mission to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts — and to share that knowledge and information broadly. The National Weather Service, part of NOAA, provides daily weather forecasts and severe storm warnings. It has experienced funding cuts during the second Trump administration that have significantly reduced its staffing.

In 1987, countries across the globe — including the U.S. — signed the Montreal Protocol, agreeing to ban harmful aerosol substances (CFCs) and take measures toward reducing the hole that had formed in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. This is an environmental success story. The hole has reduced significantly, slowly adding more protection from harmful solar rays, and scientists predict it will close entirely by 2066.

The Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA), more commonly known as the bipartisan infrastructure law, was passed by Congress in 2021 with broad legislative and public support. It contributed toward the progress of updated energy efficient infrastructure and community resilience. For example, it allowed for the harnessing of natural sources like wind, solar, and water to decrease dependence on carbon-emitting energy sources like coal and oil. Unspent and expected funds are paused or discontinued at the time of this publication.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 made the largest investment in climate and energy in U.S. history. It created federal funding for clean energy technologies like solar, wind, and energy storage, fostering a transition away from fossil fuels. The latest changes to the IRA both by executive order and by the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act disrupt or prevent the implementation of many funded projects by the IRA and hamper the nation's future climate progress and adaptation.  

What can individuals and families do to impact the effects of climate change and extreme weather?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints suggests we increase our understanding of why sustainability matters. They’ve provided a useful list of actions we can take, including using less energy at home, recycling and repairing, conserving water, and throwing away less food. Every shorter shower you take, each steak you pass up, and every can or bottle you recycle helps curb overuse and consumption that contributes to the rising temperature of the planet. And because individual choices don’t exist in a vacuum, consider joining with Mormon Women for Ethical Government in advocating for the earth’s protection.

How do we remain cautiously optimistic in continued advocacy?

As citizens committed to principled civic engagement, we are called to look beyond short-term political wins or losses and advocate for policies rooted in long-term stewardship, intergenerational responsibility, and care for the vulnerable. The infrastructure we invest in today will shape the world our children inherit.

Fortunately, we have experienced meaningful cooperation and tangible progress in the past through planting trees, building bridges, and rethinking energy. But to sustain that progress, we need more than funding; we need consistent, evidence-based implementation and support across administrations. Without it, even the most visionary laws risk being diluted by shifting political winds. 

Ultimately, the future will not be defined by laws and politics alone, but by our collective willingness to build communities and systems designed to welcome and sustain the generations that will inherit this climate we are creating.

This article was written by Natasha Rogers with Sherilyn Stevenson, researchers and writers for Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and Paulette Stauffer Henriod, environmental program specialist for Mormon Women for Ethical Government.