“Everyone is called upon to do something”

Tips: Mr Dorninger, just a few weeks ago we were still battling extreme heat in Austria, followed by a drop in temperature and days of rain, which caused catastrophic conditions, especially in Lower Austria. How are such extreme weather events related to climate change?

Manfred Dorninger: These two events have something in common that they were able to become extreme events in the first place, and that was the stationarity of the prevailing weather conditions. Only a persistent high pressure area over Central Europe leads to drought and extreme temperatures; conversely, the stationary position of the low pressure area over many days resulted in these enormous amounts of precipitation. The change in the dynamics of the atmosphere as a result of climate change means that weather systems can be expected to move more slowly or even become stationary. This is exactly what we experienced in both of the weather conditions mentioned. Another point is that as a result of climate change, not only is the average air temperature increasing, but sea temperatures are also rising, especially in the Mediterranean, a relatively small sea. The low that formed there was therefore supplied with enormous amounts of water vapor, which then fell as rain here.

Tips: Because the terms are often confused: What is the difference between weather and climate?

Dorninger: Weather describes the current atmospheric conditions at a particular location at a particular time. It includes short-term changes in temperature, precipitation, wind speed, cloud cover, and other meteorological factors. Weather changes from day to day or even hour to hour. Climate refers to the typical or average weather in a particular region over a longer period of time. It describes the long-term pattern of temperature, precipitation, wind conditions, and other weather features in an area. The following quote, attributed to Mark Twain, describes the difference with some irony: “Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.”

Tips: It feels like there are almost no transitional seasons anymore – you basically slip from your winter coat into your swimming trunks and vice versa – will spring and autumn disappear sooner or later?

Dorninger: The transitional seasons have always been characterized by great contrasts in the weather. Who hasn’t heard of the Ice Saints as the last cold air advance of the previous winter or Easter egg hunts in the snow, but on the other hand there have always been days in May with 30 degrees Celsius. The general warming caused by climate change causes warming earlier in the year and long warm periods in late autumn. The core winter (these are phases with very low temperatures and a continuous blanket of snow) is always completely absent at lower altitudes. The transitional seasons remain, but are compressed towards winter. In terms of temperatures, spring begins earlier and autumn begins later.

Tips: What are the specific effects of climate change in Austria?

Dorninger: In general, the future climate in the Alpine region will show many characteristics of today’s Mediterranean climate with dry and hot summers and mild winters. The glaciers will continue to retreat and most of them will disappear. The snow line will rise. Summers will be characterized by permanent dry periods. We are already seeing these effects. This will require adjustments in a wide variety of areas such as agriculture, forestry, tourism and infrastructure.

Tips:What solutions are there to save the climate? Who do you think is particularly challenged here? Politics? Business? Individual citizens? Many people feel powerless in the face of this major issue – you hear it again and again: “I alone will not save the climate just because I switch from the car to the bike twice a week” …

Dorninger: I can understand this feeling of helplessness. Climate change, which is being driven by humans, can only be solved by humans. Everyone is called upon to do their part, from the global dimension down to me as an individual. Solutions are and will have to be as diverse as the problem itself. Climate protection and environmental protection are closely related. To your example above of switching to a bicycle and as motivation. Not only does this save a little CO2, but other pollutants, some of which are carcinogenic, come out of the exhaust pipe and have a direct impact on the local environment.