ABSTRACT
Muller (2012) maintains that the increased frequency of extreme weather events is linked to global warming, in particular to rising sea temperatures. However, McKenzie (2013) insists Muller has a bee in his bonnet on this topic, caused by using a dysfunctional model, and that there is no real evidence that phenomena such as flooding and hurricanes are becoming more common. He considers that the key issue is the growing population in areas vulnerable to events such as floods. Muller’s principal concern is a rise in the temperature of the north Pacific Ocean of 0.5º C since 1968, which McKenzie regards as being within the normal range of historical fluctuation. But Javez (2009) and Simmonds (2011), inter alia, have argued for an international research programme under the auspices of UNESCO to monitor these events, given the threefold rise in the cost of insurance claims since 2000.
