While climate-change deniers may scoff at the notion of man-made global warming, this has undoubtedly been one hellishly hot year so far. Scorching hot. Miserable hot. Record-breaking hot.
Even some noted global-warming skeptics are changing their tune. Chief among them is UC-Berkeley scientist Richard Muller who, after an exhaustive study, now is firmly convinced that global warming is indeed real and caused by humans and greenhouse gases. However, Muller added that he's unconvinced that this year's record heat is directly tied to global warming, but rather just another symptom of climate change that has been building over the past couple of centuries.
Regardless, the rest of us non-scientists need only look at our thermometers to know that something is out of whack.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C:
"The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during July was 77.6 degrees fahrenheit, 3.3 degrees above the 20th-century average, marking the hottest July and the hottest month on record for the nation.
"The previous warmest July for the nation was July 1936 when the average U.S. temperature was 77.4 degrees fahrenheit. The warm July temperatures contributed to a record-warm first seven months of the year and the warmest 12-month period the nation has experienced since recordkeeping began in 1895."
On top of it all, a majority of the nation is in the midst of a pernicious drought. Drought conditions — from incipient to severe — currently exist in each of South Carolina's 46 counties.
Further, in addition to drought, this has been a year of wild weather extremes that have precipitated raging wildfires, worsening storms, sudden downpours and deluges, and a freak windstorm called a derecho.
So far this year, more than 2.1 million acres have burned in wildfires, more than 113 million people in the U.S. were in areas under extreme heat advisories at the beginning of July, two-thirds of the country is experiencing drought, and earlier in June, deluges flooded Minnesota and Florida.
"This is what global warming looks like at the regional or personal level," Jonathan Overpeck, professor of geosciences and atmospheric sciences at the University of Arizona, said in a Huffington Post article. "The extra heat increases the odds of worse heat waves, droughts, storms and wildfire. This is certainly what I and many other climate scientists have been warning about."
So is this year's record temperatures and wild weather proof of global warming or not? Take our poll below and give us your comments.
Editor Hal Millard hal.millard@patch.com
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SDR
4:30 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012
Perhaps. The entire climate change debate is confusing to me.
We have record cold temperatures in the winter and thats a sign of global warming.
We have record forecast of huricanes, only they dont happen and thats a sign of global warming.
Polar bears are stranded on ice floes. Thats a sign of global warming
Polar bears populations increase, that's a sign of global warming
Since evrything is a sign of global warming, it must be true.
Let's stop all the research and end the grants to study it. We will need the money for air conditioners.
JoSCh
11:23 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012
The only people that believe that the polar bear population is increasing are climate change deniers.
The reason the debate is confusing to you is because you are getting bad information from unreliable and unscientific sources.
jimspice
4:53 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
I won't provide links. You'll be more likely to believe it if you do the research yourself. Find the research of scientists who actually study polar bears, not climatologists or meteorologists or economists, and see what is happening to their numbers. If you find out they are NOT in fact increasing, what would this say about the sources you've been relying on. How can you trust ANYTHING they've told you.
JoSCh
5:40 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
jimspice, you won't provide links because real biologists KNOW that the reason there is increased polar bear sightings/interaction is because there is MUCH less ice, the bears are being forced closer to settlements and food sources. The bears were in the middle of making a comeback because of hunting regulations but are again in trouble. You denying it so oil companies can make record profits again says a lot about you. At least we'll always have Tahoes, amirite?
Robert Kelly
9:10 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012
Look at the globe. The USA covers a very small part, so a heat wave in the US is not proof of global warming. However, look at global evidence, and there is overwhelming evidence of global warming. That is the proof. The global climate change is not a argument among the science community; scientists agree they have their proof. It is only an argument among political types who don't want to have to do anything about it. Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly are not knowledgeable scientists; they are political opinion ranters who have an agenda.
Of course I am just another blathering atmospheric scientist who worked for the government for 42 years (under both GOP and DEM administrations); why would you believe me when Ditto-heads are so absolutely convinced and better yet, they don't want you to give up your carbon emissions?
stanley seigler
12:24 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012
@JoSCh: '...The science on climate change appears [is] irrefutable...'
the common sense on climate change is also irrefutable...big oil-etal (gen bullmoose)cant continue to pour carbon emissions into the atmosphere w/o critical negative effects...
unbelievable gen bullmoose puts short term profits over possible of destruction of the planet...sigh...
irony: clean air will improve profits long term...
is this over the top hype...maybe not.
JoSCh
11:24 pm on Friday, August 10, 2012
Yes. The science on climate change appears irrefutable. This years heat wave in the US isn't "proof" of anything.
Richard E Barsom
3:19 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
WTF who says no (are they retarded)
Nee43
10:04 am on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Let's see. Thousands - even millions of years ago, there were several volcano eruptions every year. These eruptions were much larger than we see today. Just one eruption can put more gases, pollution in the air than man does in today's industrial world. Question: How did the Earth survive? Bottomline, the Earthy did survive these catastrophic events -- and continues to do so. Once again, man's ego would like to think man can do more damage than Mother Nature. The Earth goes through cycles -- and this summer was a heat wave. Last winter, it was a major cold wave. We've had all kinds of reports that scientists have falsified data, etc. to prove climate change. One needs to look more closely at the motives behind this. Could it be money? Think of all the investments made in this new "green" energy industry. Lots of money to be made -- and also, lots of money to be lost if all this climate change is baloney. I remember when Mount St. Helens erupted, it was going to cause all sorts of horrible climate problems. Let's see we seem to have made it through this catastrophy, just like Earth has been doing for years.
JoSCh
10:48 am on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Once again, man's ego would like to think man can do more damage than Mother Nature.
The Great Plains and the American bison agree with mans ego.
You know less about geology than you do about the climate and mans affect on it. And every report of falsified data you've read regarding global climate change was sponsored by a fossil based energy company. Solar electric power is coming and it's better in every aspect to gas/oil/coal.