[00:10] Hurricanes, flooding, drought, heatwaves, cold snaps; these extreme weather events claim thousands of lives, cause tremendous economic damage and have a profound impact on the natural environment.

[00:25] In the next 100 years, scientists project the Earth's temperature will warm by five to ten degrees as greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in the atmosphere. Those gases trap more energy from the sun the energy that drives the heat engine for our planet's weather.

[00:43] As this energy is released the frequency of extreme weather events is expected to rise. Some changes in extreme events have already been observed, such as increases in hotter days, warmer nights, and heavier short term rainfall.

[00:57] Improved warning systems, restrictions on development in risk prone areas and added protection for buildings, roads and water supplies will be required to prepare for the expected increase in extreme weather events.

[01:10] To learn more about Our Changing Planet visit us on the web at www.umac.org/ocp.

[01:18] Our Changing Planet is a production of UMAC, the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium at the University of North Dakota.