Here is one story which I meant to share last week, but somehow, never quite got around to doing.
Last week, we collectively experienced the hottest temperatures around the world, setting records for a single day. Then, we did it again the next day. And again the next day.
Indeed, we have experienced Earth’s hottest weather in 120,000 years. This should be a source of concern to anyone and everyone who recognizes that climate change is actually a thing. That what we are experiencing with extreme and unusual weather patterns, and generally more severe natural disasters than ever before, appears to be linked to our own activities here on our planet.
The headlines recently have been quite scary. Record hot temperatures across much of the western and southern United States, and this front is moving eastward. Record hot temperatures recorded in various places in northern Canada, from the Yukon and Northwest Territories to northern Quebec province. meanwhile, record Canadian wildfires continue to ravage much of eastern Canada, affecting air quality in much of the Midwest and Northeast. Record flooding in New England, and particularly in Vermont. California neighborhoods effectively being destroyed because of a fissure which opened up. In Europe, London experienced yet another seemingly uncharacteristically hot month of June. I say uncharacteristically, although it should be noted that there record hot temperatures were experienced all across Europe last summer, and that those records overtook record hot temperatures set just a the few years before, with similar record heat waves in 2021. Indeed, each years seems to pass the previous one's records in terms of excessive, record heat. Similar record heat has been experienced across much of Asia - particularly the Arabian peninsula - and Australia, as well as in China. In Japan, they decided to go ahead and release excess radiation into the ocean.
Again, not good news. Still, we get people who deny that there is any problem. It's as if they see all of this, and like police officers trying to keep people moving, they are saying, "C'mon folks, keep it moving! Nothing to see here."
Except, it feels like maybe we should be examining this. Maybe, in fact, it would be the height of irresponsibility not to look at all of this and, most importantly, to try and actually take some action and do something about this, while there still may be an opportunity to do so.
Below are some links to news articles which I have used in writing this particular blog entry. But I also urge anyone interested to do their own research with all of these news stories, because there surely seems to be an abundance of them:
For the third time this week, Earth sets an unofficial heat record. What’s behind those big numbers? by BY SETH BORENSTEIN Published 12:52 AM EDT, July 7, 2023:
https://apnews.com/article/global-heat-record-hottest-climate-change-july-7d55e351fc97f5cd6368bda60ed2bf31
Canada's far north under heat warnings amid 'alarming' rise in record-breaking temperatures by Natasha O'Neill CTVNews.ca Writer, July 11, 2023:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/canada-s-far-north-under-heat-warnings-amid-alarming-rise-in-record-breaking-temperatures-1.6475370#:~:text=Temperature%20records%20broken%20in%20July%202023&text=The%20community%20of%20Fort%20Good,in%20Canada%2C%22%20Wagar%20said.
UK's record-breaking June heat bears 'fingerprint of climate change', Met Office says By Farouq Suleiman July 4, 2023:
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-record-breaking-june-heat-bears-fingerprint-climate-change-met-office-2023-07-03/
Europe heat wave 2019: France hits a record temperature as southern Europe sizzles by the Associated Press/CBS News, June 28, 2019:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/europe-heat-wave-2019-france-temperature-record-paris-forecast-spain-italy-100-degrees-today-2019-06-28/
2020 was Europe’s hottest year on record - EU scientists By Kate Abnett April 22, 2021:
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/2020-was-europes-hottest-year-record-eu-scientists-2021-04-22/
Summer of 2021 was Europe’s hottest on record by Tiffany Fillon, Issued on: 23/04/2022:
Europe experienced its hottest summer on record in 2021, while being ravaged by floods, heatwaves and fires, according to a report published Friday by the European Union's Copernicus climate change service, showing that global warming is sharply on the rise.
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220423-summer-of-2021-was-europe-s-hottest-on-record
We’re experiencing Earth’s hottest weather in 120,000 years, and it’s just getting started BY JEFF BERARDELLI - 07/08/23
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4086841-were-experiencing-earths-hottest-weather-in-120000-years-and-its-just-getting-started/
No comments:
Post a Comment