Brazil Declares State of Calamity Over Deadly Floods
The Spin
Narrative A
Increasingly, severe rainstorms and flooding are being linked to global warming and climate change. Warmer weather allows air to retain more water vapor, which is why policies to cool the global temperature, to save lives and avoid billions of dollars in damage should be implemented. Regrettably, the state government of Minas Gerais did just the opposite, meaning that this tragedy is no accident.
Narrative B
It's easy to dismiss extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two. In this case, for example, this disaster stems from exceptional rainfall on steep areas, in short and densely urbanized river basins.
