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Earth

118 All-Time Heat Records Set Around the Globe (miamiherald.com) 503

"It's so hot, even parts of the Arctic are on fire," reports Vox, citing wildfires in Sweden, while Greece "has declared a state of emergency as raging forest fires have killed at least 81 people and injured more than 190."

But heat-related disasters are happening around the world. In Japan 86 people have been killed by heatstroke, while another 23,000 people have been hospitalized -- about half of them over the age of 65 -- in a heat wave forecast to continue for another two weeks. "Japan hit 106 degrees on Monday, its hottest temperature ever," reports the Associated Press, adding that "So far this month, at least 118 of these all-time heat records have been set or tied across the globe." An anonymous reader quotes their report. "We now have very strong evidence that global warming has already put a thumb on the scales, upping the odds of extremes like severe heat and heavy rainfall," Stanford University climate scientist Noah Diffenbaugh said. "We find that global warming has increased the odds of record-setting hot events over more than 80 percent of the planet, and has increased the odds of record-setting wet events at around half of the planet..."

"The world is becoming warmer and so heat waves like this are becoming more common," said Friederike Otto, deputy director of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.

"Death Valley, California, has set three consecutive daily record-high temperatures of 127 degrees," reports the Washington Post, adding that "Sometimes, like right now in the Western U.S., it's too hot for airplanes to fly" because of heat-related changes in air density at high-altitude airports. In Europe, nuclear power plants in Finland, Sweden, and German were forced to cut electricity production because high temperatures heated the seawater needed to cool reactors.

In northern California 38,000 people fled their homes as an 80,900-acre wildfire spread through the Shasta-Trinity area. Reuters reports the wildfire was caused "by hot, dry weather and high winds" -- and that it's one of 89 large wildfires currently burning in 14 U.S. states.
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118 All-Time Heat Records Set Around the Globe

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  • by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 28, 2018 @06:41PM (#57025042)

    People are so fucking stupid it is infuriating.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by greenwow ( 3635575 )

      But the longer you measure, and we haven't been measuring that long, you statistically expect new highs. That's just how the math works. You need wide-spread and decades-long measurements to make a conclusion.

      • So if, like here in Seattle, there's been two record breaking highs the past decade after over a hundred years of measurements that that doesn't mean it proves global warming? But shouldn't two record highs in a hundred years prove we're in run-away/hockey stick global warming?

      • by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 28, 2018 @07:41PM (#57025284)

        Luckily, we have that data [nytimes.com], and it shows that not only is this year setting records for high temperatures, so did the previous three years in a row. And the longer term data shows a clear trend.

        • that data does no good when the far right simply ignores it, while the far left ignores making all nations drop their emissions.
          • When you can drop your levels to the world average, maybe then other people will take you seriously. Until then you are just an entitled asshole who thinks polluting the most is your God given right just for being American.
      • by Namarrgon ( 105036 ) on Saturday July 28, 2018 @07:54PM (#57025346) Homepage

        If the system was static, with constant average temperatures, then random events would produce an ever-decreasing number of new records each year, both high and low. The regular smashing of numerous high records (with the occasional low as well) is characteristic of a system with increased variability on top of a rising trend.

        But we already know that, not through statistics but because the science has been hammering it home since the 80s, with analysis of not only new measurements but 200 years of temperature records from all over the globe, and proxy records for the last few millennia.

        • Long term data seems to show an increase, it is true, and logically we would expect some kind of increase after adding so much CO2 to the atmosphere, but this particular story is pure propaganda, and no attempt is made to calculate the likelihood of these temperatures being a result of AGW. No attempt is made to compare them with the thousands of cold temperature records made earlier this year. The purpose of this story is to hit people on an emotional level.
      • by sjames ( 1099 ) on Saturday July 28, 2018 @08:45PM (#57025520) Homepage Journal

        If the average is constant, you will record fewer new extremes as time goes on. We are recording more extremes suggesting that we have a real problem here.

        In other words, you should expect regression to the mean, not divergence.

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        But the longer you measure, and we haven't been measuring that long, you statistically expect new highs. That's just how the math works. You need wide-spread and decades-long measurements to make a conclusion.

        You know jack shit about "how the math works". The easiest way to tell is that you obviously don't also expect new lows - funny, because the only new lows come from the likes of you, not from temperature.

      • by aliquis ( 678370 )

        But we know CO2 and other things are green-houses gases and we know that more of those should heat the world up and we know we let a lot more of them into the atmosphere and we know temperatures has been rising.

        So as far as science go we've got the theory, we've got the variables and we've got the result and so far it's performing in line with the theory.

      • We've been measuring temperatures since at least the 1800's. And you expect the records to actually fall off fairly quickly. For instance, you would expect a d20 to max out after 14 rolls.

        I could go on, but these numbers indicate rising temperatures.

      • But the longer you measure, and we haven't been measuring that long, you statistically expect new highs. That's just how the math works. You need wide-spread and decades-long measurements to make a conclusion.

        If there were no long term temperature trend you would expect to get as many new record lows as new record highs. Instead what we see is record highs outnumbering record lows by close to 2 to 1 since the year 2000.

        And even more dramatic is the number of record high daily lows. That is the overnight low temperatures are going up even more comparatively than the daily high temperatures. It's difficult to find data for that but in the first half of 2015 record high daily lows outnumbered record low daily lo

    • by hcs_$reboot ( 1536101 ) on Saturday July 28, 2018 @11:09PM (#57026084)
      Oh you know, the total mass of insects has fallen by nearly 80% in 40 years. Doesn't that figure ring a bell about something exceptional happening? Bet most people didn't even know that.
    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by WindBourne ( 631190 )
      that is not the real problem. The real problem is that extremists on both sides are total idiots.
      Far right screams that AGW is not happening,
      while the far left, wants to give passes for all nations except for the west, esp. America. For some odd reason, they believe that by stopping ~1/4 of the emissions, while allowing other nations, esp China, to add to their emissions by more than what the west was doing, is OK. Add to that, most of the far left, continue to fight Nuke power. Yet, the ONLY nations t
      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Giving developing nations more leeway is a centrist policy. Rather than demand everyone stops emitting CO2 a more realistic plan is to get developing nations on board with targets and low carbon tech.

        China is demonstrating that it's possible. Exceeding its ambitious targets, passed peak coal years ago...

  • by JMJimmy ( 2036122 ) on Saturday July 28, 2018 @06:42PM (#57025052)

    We bicker about every stupid issue under the sun instead of taking the action we know is necessary.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      We bicker about every stupid issue under the sun instead of taking the action we know is necessary.

      The Lone Ranger says to Tonto : "Tonto, we're surrounded by bloodthirsty Indians !"

      Tonto replies : "What do you mean "we", white man ?"

      The point is, some of us ARE taking action on a personal level. But we're not whining on Slashdot like you are, boy.

    • by Kohath ( 38547 )

      We bicker about every stupid issue under the sun instead of taking the action we know is necessary.

      Enacting Net Neutrality?

    • by DanDD ( 1857066 )

      A long term pessimistic approach:

      Practice terraforming Mars and Venus. It's a good way to gain experience that might help in fixing the mess we have here on Earth.

      Direct manipulation of Earth's atmosphere to counter rising CO2 and global warming may seem absurdly expensive, but the migration of approximately 40% of humans who live in coastal areas [un.org] might be far more expensive.

      The current European Migrant Crisis [wikipedia.org] may be just the tip of the iceberg. [nih.gov]

  • by allcoolnameswheretak ( 1102727 ) on Saturday July 28, 2018 @06:46PM (#57025062)

    Hopefully the American public will start to realize that the GOP and their current president are not representing ordinary citizens, but influential corporations, especially the ethically flexible ones, such as those highly invested in military and oil.

    This is why the GOP and their friends at FOX have been climate change deniers, and the current president is calling it a hoax. It's all about protecting profits right up until the point the entire world goes to shit.
    The US is the only country in the world where a large percentage of the population still does not believe in climate change even though 99% of scientists support it. This sick situation thanks to GOP politicians, lobbyists and the media that supports them, especially FOX News.
    Can you please tell them to fuck off before it is too late?

    • by Rick Schumann ( 4662797 ) on Saturday July 28, 2018 @06:48PM (#57025066) Journal
      Go look up 'Dominionism' and 'Dominionists', but don't yell at me when you get sick to your stomach. That's what, in part, is driving this bullshit.
      • by MightyMartian ( 840721 ) on Saturday July 28, 2018 @07:05PM (#57025120) Journal

        The problem is that these Christian supremacist types and the libertarians were for a long time Conservatives' useful idiots. And then the useful idiots took over the party, and every dog whistle slogan Republicans had been using for a couple of generations to get that base to the polls suddenly is political reality. Now they're stuck between the reality they know is happening and a base that took what was a load of bullshit seriously.

        Not that governments that take the reality of AGW seriously are doing that much either, but even acknowledgment is something. But we'll do what we've done before, basically hand it off to our children and grandchildren, make them pay the economic and social price.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Yeah, sure, it is only the fault of Republicans.

      The above is ( of course ) something only a simple-minded fool would either claim or believe.

      Plenty of Democrats have more than two children per family. Plenty of Democrats drive gas-hog vehicles. Plenty of Democrats live in houses which are much bigger than they need. Plenty of Democrats use air conditioning when a fan would suffice.

      The overly consumptive habits of western society would be a more realistic place to lay the blame. Of course if you were not a s

    • America is on track [voanews.com] to meet CO2 reduction goals.

      If you truly want to save the planet, protest to China, India, or even Russia...

      Now you might not live through the experience, unlike protesting in the U.S. But if you don't try you never cared about the planet anyway.

    • by Kohath ( 38547 )

      If you really wanted to solve anything, you'd leave the politics out of it. Making it political is the surest way to tell half the US public not to listen.

    • by sjames ( 1099 )

      Believe me, we're trying. It's a bit hard since some of these idiots are so regressive they'd still be claiming it's cold and fake shivering even if you left them in death valley and set their asses on fire.

    • It's too late.

      I'm still in favour of doing what's sensible, but that ship sailed 30 years ago.

      Humans will survive. That's not the issue.

      The issue is that those in warmer or flooded areas will have to migrate.

      Plants will not migrate with them because it's all moving too quickly and they can't take the bus.

      Worms and soil bacteria and chemicals that aid in nutrition for plants don't have bus passes, either.

      Animals other than human will be migrating also, but their food supply will not be there to meet them.

      And

    • First off, the majority of America believe in AGW. We can see it with our eyes and most of the R&D has been done here.
      Secondly, while probably 75% of the GOP fight against dealing with this issue, the GOP is less than 30% of the VOTING population, which means that around 20% of voting population is against dealing with AGW. So, 80% want us to deal with it.
      Thirdly, of the 75% of the GOP that are fighting against dealing with this issues, most simply are opposed to the solutions that are being pushed
  • by Quakeulf ( 2650167 ) on Saturday July 28, 2018 @06:49PM (#57025068)
    With exponential growth in third world country populations as well as rapid industrialisation of China etc. this is only the beginning. What needs to be done is to make a choice: More humans helped into this world through aid and relief efforts for irreversible damage to the environment, or a sustainable future for those that will be left of us.

    Please prove me wrong.
    • by DavenH ( 1065780 ) on Saturday July 28, 2018 @06:57PM (#57025094)
      You aren't using 'direct' correctly. More people are not heating the planet up directly, and hence your call to action about population is unsubstantiated. If you double population but quadruple resource efficiency, you do less environmental damage.
      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward
        In either case, halving the population (lets say by having fewer offspring for a few generations, to avoid the ugly alternatives) would also do less environmental damage... Quadrupling resource efficiency, that is most likely the harder option.
        • We've had these "population outstripping the resources" projection arguments for decades; since the world population was 3 billion... guess what, we keep outperforming the grading curve with technological advances.

          Sure, conservation efforts are necessary, but if humans are able to overcome our own innate shortsightedness, it will be our innovation that wins the day, rather than our ability to sacrifice now for a better future.

    • With exponential growth in third world country populations as well as rapid industrialisation of China etc. this is only the beginning. What needs to be done is to make a choice: More humans helped into this world through aid and relief efforts for irreversible damage to the environment, or a sustainable future for those that will be left of us. Please prove me wrong.

      "Is that you, Thanos?" Perhaps, using your infinite power to multiply resources is preferable to the extinction of a significant portion of the population.

    • What needs to be done is to make a choice: More humans helped into this world through aid and relief efforts for irreversible damage to the environment, or a sustainable future for those that will be left of us.

      How about we provide aid which is sustainable? Help people and nations build sustainable solutions? That seems like a third option to me.

    • > More humans helped into this world through aid and relief efforts for irreversible damage to the environment, or a sustainable future for those that will be left of us.

      We can have both. Just do nothing and wait awhile and most of the humans will die off, leaving a sustainable future for those that will be left of us.

  • How can any organism survive with temperatures that high?
    • My understanding is that summer temperatures like this are quite common in Death Valley. The reason most people aren't aware of this is that the National Weather Service ignores Death Valley because otherwise, they'd have the highest temperature almost every day in summer, and most people want a little more variety in their news.
    • Because they talk game-of-thronian, that's fahrenheit.
    • Some people learned how to do math in elementary school.
    • lots do.
      Basically, you have to adopt to it. There are organisms living on water that is at 98C.
  • It's begun (Score:3, Interesting)

    by AbRASiON ( 589899 ) * on Saturday July 28, 2018 @08:11PM (#57025416) Journal

    The methane is releasing in Siberia now.

    It's on, I believe the runaway effect is going on. It's still going to be slow for us as humans, since the world moves at a slower pace.

    Shit is hitting the fan, now. Little tiny flecks have already hit the blade, but huge lumps coming soon.

    Don't breed, we're going to see some serious shit in the next 20 years. Not 200, the next 20 will be shocking.

  • by WindBourne ( 631190 ) on Sunday July 29, 2018 @12:46AM (#57026340) Journal
    Germany, Japan, China, India, and a number of 3rd world nations keep adding new coal plants, instead of focusing on AE.
    Worse, so many will act like this is OK for all these nations.
    We have trump in America, but in spite of him/GOP, our coal consumption and CO2 continues downward (though not as much).
    • Re:and yet.... (Score:4, Informative)

      by Uecker ( 1842596 ) on Sunday July 29, 2018 @03:00AM (#57026614)

      That Germany is adding coal plants is a myth.

      This is power generation from coal and lignite in Germany from 1990-2017 in TWh.
      coal 140,8 147,1 143,1 138,4 134,6 146,5 140,8 134,1 137,9 142,0 124,6 107,9 117,0 112,4 116,4 127,3 118,6 117,7 112,2 92,6
      lignite 170,9 142,6 148,3 154,8 158,0 158,2 158,0 154,1 151,1 155,1 150,6 145,6 145,9 150,1 160,7 160,9 155,8 154,5 149,5 147,5

      Source: https://www.ag-energiebilanzen... [www.ag-ene...ilanzen...]

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