The destruction in the Philippines from Typhoon Haiyan is unfathomable. Walls of water, winds of fury, mudslides. Desolation. Death count is in the thousands and still rising.

It was the worst storm on record to hit the islands. The cause? Scientists argue that greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming are partly to blame, a by-product of a highly civilized, fossil-fueled world.The worst offenders: the U.S. and China.

These tropical storms can gain strength by drawing heat out of the ocean. As the global waters warm, the storms become ever more destructive on landfall.

The Philippines just paid the dearest price for our greenhouse gas emissions. Do we compensate them for the storm’s destruction? The lives lost? It’s a debate that’s ongoing and particularly relevant at this week’s international climate change talks.

Brad Plummer of the Washington Post’s Wonkblog has a great analysis of the issue in a Nov. 12 post.  Here’s an excerpt:

Plummer: “There are two key questions that always come up at international climate talks like the one now going on in Warsaw. First, how will the world cut its carbon emissions to slow global warming? And second, where will the money come from to help poorer states prepare for its effects? The second question is likely to get more attention in the wake of Haiyan.”

As the earth’s atmosphere warms and the seas rise, these questions will be asked again and again. Our hearts and prayers go to those still digging out from under the rubble, searching for loved ones, struggling to survive.