Severe air turbulence is the newest addition to the growing list of phenomena caused by climate change, according to a segment aired Wednesday on NBC's Today Show.
NBC News correspondent Tom Costello introduced a number of experts during the segment who said an uptick in severe turbulence and onboard injuries is the result of carbon emissions warming the planet.
"Turbulence is increasing and it’s because of climate change," said Paul Williams, an atmospheric science professor. "We know that the amount of wind shear in the jet stream is now 15 percent stronger than it was when satellites first began observing it in the 1970s."
Costello said Williams predicts turbulence could become "two to three times worse in the years to come." Williams’s recent studies suggest the frequency of air turbulence will triple between 2050 and 2080 due to warmer air.
It’s the latest addition to the media's list of crises caused by climate change. Outlets have blamed climate change for a host of issues, including ADHD, obesity, and the Taliban. A study released last week blamed the climate for an increase in baseball home runs. It concluded that 1 percent of home runs in Major League Baseball from 2010 to 2019 are attributable to warmer air.
The Biden administration has made climate change a major focus of its agenda, paying for climate czar John Kerry to travel the world on private jets and stay at five star resorts in the Bahamas to attend climate conferences. Kerry has flown hundreds of thousands of miles and emitted millions of pounds of carbon in his role, the Washington Free Beacon reported.