Hotter Than Hades And Getting Worse: Blame Global Warming, a Report Says
Your face is melting off, we know. (But look on the bright side -- bikinis will soon be all-weather wear)
It's getting hot out here.
And while L.A.'s late-summer heat wave, with basin temps into the 90s and valleys seeing 100s, is a temporary thing, thanks to the imminent return of the Pacific Ocean onshore flow, scientists do believe that, yes, it's getting hotter and hotter each summer.
Now, you Al Gore fans will nod, Ed Begley Jr. will orgasm at the thought of his own eco-omniscience, and Tea Partiers will roll their eyes and say it's still cold in Alaska, but here's what the experts at Climate Communication Science & Outreach claim, according to their latest global warming report (PDF):
Heat waves are longer and hotter ... some types of extreme weather have become more frequent and severe in recent decades, with increases in extreme heat, intense precipitation, and drought.
And if you think its toasty in L.A. today, be glad you're not in Texas. Because God, apparently, has not blessed the Lone Star state with graceful weather. Rather, Texas had the hottest summer on record. Ever. In the United States.
Coincidence?
According to the report record high temps these days are outpacing record low temps by two to one:
... 60 years ago in the continental United States, the number of new record high temperatures recorded around the country each year was roughly equal to the number of new record lows. Now, the number of new record highs recorded each year is twice the number of new record lows, a signature of a warming climate, and a clear example of its impact on extreme weather.
And, yes, " ... human-induced climate change is now one of those factors" contributing to this bake sale.
So invest in some good sunscreen. You're going to need it.
[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]
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