I’m in Southwest Harbor, Maine tonight. It’s cool enough that I just put on a long sleeve shirt so I can comfortably sit outside. However, nearly everywhere else in the country is scorching, if not actually ablaze. I am not a climate scientist, but I do respect what climate scientists have to say. They say that these high temperatures are going to become the new normal because we’re putting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. I remember when any temperature higher than 101 fahrenheit was unheard of outside of Arizona, parts of California, and maybe in Texas. Certainly temperatures above 110 fahrenheit simply did not happen outside of those locales.
We’ve already abandoned the Outer Banks for New England when we talk about a summer vacation. And I doubt that will change. The only good thing about these high temperatures is that they are so extreme that they are already changing people’s behavior. And if their behavior changes, certainly their opinions must soon follow.
When I left work on Friday from Alexandria, it literally felt like I was in a steam bath. The air was so thick, and it was hard to breathe.
did you lose power?
Last night we did for maybe 5 minutes, but it’s been back all day. 2 million others in the state aren’t so lucky. 80 MPH wind storm last night; I was not amused, being surrounded by trees and all.
You have a touching faith in the power of evidence to change irrational beliefs, and I hope you are correct.
IMO, it takes a lot of hits with the “clue-by-four” to make a dent. And that’s for the one’s that aren’t collecting a paycheck from Exxon/Mobil to feign ignorance.
It’s already happening.
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2012/6/11%20climate%20rabe%20borick/nsapocc_b
elief_spring%20formatted.pdf
I wish I shared your optimism. The first international climate change conference was 20 years ago this month. To mark the occasion, Obama didn’t even bother to send a meaningful delegation to Rio this year. And that’s the political party that actually acknowledges climate change exists.
A substantial portion of Americans would rather believe ideology and/or Biblical literalism than the evidence in front of their eyes. Given that, exactly how long is it going to take before the demand to make meaningful macro-level changes – the kind only the federal government and international action can make – becomes so overwhelming that in even our endemically corrupt system it will override the short-term interests of the world’s biggest corporations? And given that we may well have already reached an irreversible tipping point wherein climate change feeds on itself in an ever-reinforcing loop, how much faster and more extreme will that loop become with all those additional years while we’re still waiting?
The biosphere would really like to know.
`102 in VA-no electricity. Really sucks.
We still have electricity, but the heat does not drop , despite the storms. It’s really miserable in VA.
I think that’s what makes me so angry. It you have to sit through terrifying, house rattling storms that or may not spawn the engine of annihilation and randomness that is a tornado, it should be less hot afterwards.
Crazy hot. From meteorologist Paul Douglas’ blog:
“This is an extraordinary pattern. For a few hours Thursday Norton Dam, Kansas was the hottest spot on Earth (118 F). In a 2-day period – 32 towns from Colorado to Indiana set all-time high temperature records.”
http://www.startribune.com/weather/blogs/Paul_Douglas_on_Weather.html
Climate is a faith based issue for many people. Their house could be burning down but humans can’t alter climate. Plus the climate has been changing forever. Adapt or die. Social darwinism, etc.
If you find yourself on Route 3, in Liberty (you’ll just be driving through Liberty, probably), look for John’s Ice Cream. It’s the best ice cream in Maine, possibly the world. Unbelievably good.
If you stop in Belfast, eat at Chase’s Daily. Worth the wait.
We did stop in Belfast on the way up. Very cool little town; I’d be happy to stop through there again. And i remember seeing john’s along the way too, maybe we’ll hit it on the way back.
For better or worse, our brains are constructed so we place a lot more weight on personal observation. It’s a double-edge sword. If we got a few years of colder weather from say a volcano or just random oscillation people would again begin to fall away.
We need to keep talking about Climate Change all the damn time because it is the greatest threat humanity has ever known.