Sheryr Sonia
Dr. Martinez
CODES 120
17 September 2024
MC#1
Climate change is increasing the strength of heat waves everywhere, even in cooler climates. St. Louis, MO, experienced about seven days above 96.0ºF in a year. According to the graphs on page 4, by 2050, people in St. Louis are projected to experience an average of about 44 days per year over 96.0ºF (“St. Louis”). Based on this information, the hottest days in St. Louis are on an increasing outlook. This is a problem in the community that is creating multiple issues with varying factors. This problem is so significant that if actions are not taken, it can turn into something severe and life-effecting.
Climate change is a wicked problem and follows the six characteristics of defining a wicked problem. These problems have a vague problem definition because they are multiple and diverse. This means the stakeholders involved are causing you to consider every possible factor. Climate change plays a substantial role in this characteristic because so many factors are involved. One must consider several significant stakeholders in climate change, such as people, animals, and environmental effects. This explains why there is no one solution to climate change; there are multiple factors to consider, and each factor ties in with another. This causes you to elaborate on how one small change to one factor can substantially change the others. Vague problem description plays a huge role in wicked problems, in this problem, some places could get hot while others could get cold.
The second characteristic, undefined solution, ties in with a vague problem description. Undefined solution means that there is no definite solution to the problem. As I mentioned earlier, there is no one solution for climate change, as a wicked problem has multiple factors that all depend on each other. When it comes to climate change, there are so many considerable factors, such as deforestation and energy; the solution has to be thoroughly thought through and usually consists of multiple small solutions.
The third characteristic is no end point; redressing a wicked problem is a recurring process. Even after changes are made to solve the problem, these changes must still be tracked, as these can cause unpredictable events when adapting suddenly to a new environment. Remembering that we can never go back is crucial to any wicked problem.
The fourth characteristic is irreversible, which states that implementing solutions cannot be undone and can result in consequences. Every action you take will have a consequence you likely did not consider. Especially with climate change, small changes can have significant effects, and these effects can take a very long time to return to their normal state or sometimes even be permanent. One example of irreversibility in climate change can be associated with permafrost melting.
The fifth characteristic is unique. This elaborates that the same solution from a previous problem will not always work in all places for a new problem. This clarifies that one must reevaluate the situation and how the solution can affect each factor before finding a solution. Is there a possibility of these factors experiencing significant changes throughout the solution?
The last characteristic is urgency, which describes how the problem can result in permanent harm. In this case, humans, animals, and other environmental factors would pose as stakeholders, and the factors could be affected positively or negatively depending on the solution selected to solve the problem. This repeatedly amplifies the risks if one puts a solution in place without mapping out the effects for each factor. This can cause a domino effect, especially with climate change. When dealing with the problems of climate change, almost every factor depends on one another, so when one factor is affected, the rest will be forced to learn to adapt to the new change.
In Saint Louis, the number of hot days is currently at a projected increase, and so is the annual precipitation (“St. Louis”). About 16.2 inches of rainfall fell over about 11 storms each year. (“St. Louis”). Within the next 25 years, about 18.4 inches of precipitation are projected over about 13 storms each year. (“St. Louis”). Overall, the annual precipitation increases in St. Louis, MO from about 39.2 inches to 41.0 inches (St. Louis”).
Understanding the risks associated with climate change is crucial to devising solutions. The effects of climate change can negatively affect the environment. For example, the air becomes warmer and can hold more water vapor, increasing the risk of severe rainfall or snowfall (“St. Louis”).
Solving the series of problems that climate change brings is challenging. Hence, it is called a wicked problem. Although many things must be considered regarding climate change, we can do several things to help, such as reducing the amount of emissions released and planting more trees. Overall, solving any wicked problem takes time and research. There is no one solution to a problem, but a series of solutions would be required for a practical, positive outlook.
“St. Louis, Missouri Climate Change Risks and Hazards: Heat, Precipitation.” St. Louis, Missouri Climate Change Risks and Hazards: Heat, Precipitation / ClimateCheck, climatecheck.com/missouri/st-louis#:~:text=Heat%20risk%20in%20St.&text=Louis%2C%20MO%20experienced%20about%207,places%20with%20cooler%20average%20temperatures. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.