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Earth United States

North America Has Its Hottest June on Record (nytimes.com) 104

Last month was the warmest June on record in North America, researchers said Wednesday, confirming the suspicions of millions of people who endured some of the hottest temperatures ever experienced on the continent. The New York Times reports: The Copernicus Climate Change Service, an agency supported by the European Union, said that average surface temperatures for June in North America were about one-quarter of a degree Fahrenheit (0.15 of a degree Celsius) higher than the average for June 2012, the previous record-holder. Last month's average temperature was more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average from 1991-2020, providing more evidence that human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases are warming the planet.

The June heat was relentless across most of the United States and Canada. Only parts of the Southern Plains and the Southeast in the United States, and Northern Canada east and west of Hudson Bay, were a little cooler than normal. The most brutal conditions were experienced in the Western United States and Southwestern Canada. In the West, the heat prolonged and intensified a severe drought that has shriveled crops, threatened water supplies and contributed to what is shaping up to be a severe wildfire season. The month culminated in a hellish heat wave that crippled much of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
"Europe suffered through its second-warmest June ever, with only June 2019 being warmer," the report notes. "Globally, last month was the fourth hottest June ever. Only 2016, 2019 and 2020 were hotter."

Overall, according to the analysis, 2021 is virtually certain to be among the 10 warmest years ever recorded. But thanks to slightly cooler conditions earlier this year related to cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, there is little likelihood that 2021 will make it into the Top 5."
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North America Has Its Hottest June on Record

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  • Then maybe something will happen.
    • by Joce640k ( 829181 ) on Saturday July 10, 2021 @06:17AM (#61569007) Homepage

      Obligatory XKCD: https://xkcd.com/2278/ [xkcd.com]

      • Re:Keep em coming (Score:4, Insightful)

        by gweihir ( 88907 ) on Saturday July 10, 2021 @08:51AM (#61569237)

        Obligatory XKCD: https://xkcd.com/2278/ [xkcd.com]

        Pretty much. Unless the house is already on fire, most people do not get it. It seems to be some widespread mental disability. I guess the move to farming (where you have to plan a whole year ahead and sometimes more!) took rather extreme effort and was essentially done by the minority that can actually plan ahead and see what is going to come.

        Well, the currently observable effects are only some rather benign (compared to what is to come) early warning signs and even if we take the most drastic action now, things will get massively worse over the next few decades. That can already not be avoided anymore. Had we taken the Science seriously (and lined all those evil Big-Oil people against a wall and shot them as they deserve) in the 1980's, we might have been able to stop things at about where they presently are. Not anymore.

        • I guess the move to farming (where you have to plan a whole year ahead and sometimes more!) took rather extreme effort and was essentially done by the minority that can actually plan ahead and see what is going to come.

          Farmers are among the most skeptical as a group when it comes to AGW. For them a constantly changing climate has always been a fact of life.

          • by Jzanu ( 668651 )
            That is one of the most disappointing aspects of this problem. Global warming creates changes in the intensity of seasons over time. That is directly imperative for real farmers to understand because it impacts yield and profitability by increases losses. Crops that previously thrived in some plots now require more pesticide and fertilizer to fight the new insect populations driven to migration. Crops in soil that previously excelled now can not obtain enough moisture to remain viable. That is global warmin
            • Farmers routinely rotate crops so they have the skills, licenses (yes, farmers need a license for things too), machinery, and so on to manage multiple crops. There is also continuous development in crops that handle different conditions better, such as corn for drier areas or shorter growing seasons, or with greater natural pest resistance. If a farmer that grows soybeans, corn, oats, and alfalfa believes that there will be a problem with one of those crops because of changing conditions then they may mak

          • by gweihir ( 88907 )

            Farmers are among the most skeptical as a group when it comes to AGW. For them a constantly changing climate has always been a fact of life.

            Not in Europe. I guess it is a question of education-level.

            • by MrL0G1C ( 867445 )

              No, I think it's more of a political polarity in the US whilst in Europe there is less scepticism and less political divide about climate change. Note: I'm not saying there isn't any divide but just that it is much less of a divisive political issue here. My impression is that there is strong Republican support rurally.

          • For them a constantly changing climate has always been a fact of life.
            The climate is not changing constantly.

            There were no "climate changes" farmers hat to adapt too in recent 500 years ... and there certainly never really was a farmer who had to adapt during his own life time. It was always one or two generations of farmers if it was a really quick change, like that on the south tip of Greenland.

            And definitely no one during last two generations, except recent 10 years.

            • I'm sure you believe that. More likely they just notice the innate variability more than you do.
              • ... the innate variability ...
                That is not climate, that is weather ...

                • More likely it is both.
                  • If it changes from year to year: it is weather, not climate.
                    Climate is a gradually change that simply completely alters the weather patterns.

                    E.g. rain season in Thailand starts mid April. Traditionally. If it one year starts May, or mid May: it is weather.

                    When it reliably changes to start _always_ mid May or even later: it is climate.

                    Same for Europe, we used to have winters with snow. Now it hardly snows anymore. That is climate, not weather.

        • There's also an attitude, not really conservative but can be strong there, that nothing shall ever change. It if was good enough for great granddad then it's good enough for me. Nothing new is allowed. Thus the instinct is to always do nothing and stick with the status quo. Combine that with some religious beliefs that the end of the world is known in a high amount of detail, and anything that contradicts that is just a distraction by the forces of darkness.

          • There's also an attitude, not really conservative but can be strong there, that nothing shall ever change. It if was good enough for great granddad then it's good enough for me.

            Always applied selectively of course.

            They want all the things grandad never had when it suits them. The "grandad" excuse only gets pulled out when it doesn't.

          • by rtb61 ( 674572 )

            That is not reality in this case. The psychopathic few who profit from this insanity do not care, all they see is greed, their genitals and their ego. They could and would kill most of us in the vain attempt to satiate the insatiable, genetically socially insane.

            You have a concerted effort to corrupt efforts to change driven by greed, lust and ego. The corruption in the system is allowing this occur ie being able to cheat or buy elections.

            It is the rich few causing problems and they should be legally, kick

  • by bobstreo ( 1320787 ) on Saturday July 10, 2021 @06:13AM (#61568999)

    90's with 100% humidity during the day was pretty tough with no AC.

    July has been much better so far, I actually needed blankets when it went under 60F at night.

    • Thats a pretty typical temp/humidity in the Ohio Valley that time of year. Ironically, this year, the Northwest got our summer weather and we mostly stayed around 88F. Its the humidity that makes it rough. I visited a friend in phoenix, August 1995, and their 105F felt less suppressing than our 90s with 85+% humidity. When your air feels like you are swimming in it, it zaps all the energy out of you.
      • Thats a pretty typical temp/humidity in the Ohio Valley that time of year.

        So... move house?

        Shrug.

        • To quote Hudson in Aliens, its not the heat its the humidity.
          • by rtb61 ( 674572 )

            In this case, it will not be the heat or the humidity that freak people out, it will be the insects. You are going to be in for some weird insect problems and regional climates change and insect populations shift. Some species will explode in population gaining access to new regions and become real pests. The ecology unbalanced, plant die off, quite a bit, over stressed plants with the wrong leaves and roots and even bark for that weather, new insects moving in. Dying plants leads to mudslides and changes i

        • What I really need is a droid that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators
    • by PPH ( 736903 )

      90's with 100% humidity

      Where? Near Seattle, we had around 40% RH when it hit 110F. It was hot, but a dry heat.

  • ... congratulations?
  • Lorax (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Joce640k ( 829181 ) on Saturday July 10, 2021 @06:35AM (#61569035) Homepage

    The human race is finally getting the climate it deserves.

    • Re:Lorax (Score:4, Informative)

      by gweihir ( 88907 ) on Saturday July 10, 2021 @08:53AM (#61569243)

      The human race is finally getting the climate it deserves.

      Naa, those are just some very early minor effects.

    • Re:Lorax (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Ichijo ( 607641 ) on Saturday July 10, 2021 @09:46AM (#61569357) Journal

      We need a War on Climate, because it seems declaring war is the only way big things get done anymore.

      We'll start by rationing gas and tires like we did back in WWII.

      Maybe we'll even build cities the way we used to before parking lots hollowed them out [reddit.com] and made driving the only practical way to get around.

      • We need a War on Climate, because it seems declaring war is the only way big things get done anymore.

        You mean like the war on drugs?

      • By we I guess you mean humanity, unfortunately most of humanity will simply ignore you. The West could "go to war" as you say on climate change and crash our economies. India, China, Russia, and all of Africa will simply find that oil is cheaper and more available. Now if we actually go to war we can of course blow up all the oil fields and pipelines depriving them of oil but do you really want to cause the deaths of hundreds of millions of people?
    • Buy stock in suntan lotion! You'll get rich!

  • by Viol8 ( 599362 ) on Saturday July 10, 2021 @06:57AM (#61569063) Homepage

    Though because of the cloud and rain I doubt many people noticed including myself if it hadn't been mentioned on BBC News. What I did notice though was the rather stifling humidity on a number of days even when cloudy which is very unusual for this country.

  • by twosat ( 1414337 ) on Saturday July 10, 2021 @08:33AM (#61569203)

    We had the warmest June on record in New Zealand too, but it's Winter here. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/nat... [rnz.co.nz]

    • by gweihir ( 88907 )

      Enjoy that Winter while you still get one. May not bee too many left.

      • by twosat ( 1414337 )

        I can't say I miss the dangerously frosty roads we often used to get until a few years ago. My impression is that the Summers in Christchurch have become hotter overall but we also get many more cloudy days.

  • Explaining in detail why this heat wave isn't possible without climate change.
    • by gweihir ( 88907 ) on Saturday July 10, 2021 @09:05AM (#61569279)

      Oh, it is possible. Actual experts put the current one at once in 1000 years without climate change.

      The question is not one about "possible". It is one about "how likely". If you have a heat wave like this once every 1000 years, no problem. If you get one every 5...10 years, it becomes a threat to survival.

      Also, do your own research. It is all published. "Convince me and explain everything to me in detail" is intellectually lazy and just means you do not want to find out what is actually going on.

      But here is a _detailed_ explanation anyways (for even more, the full study is for download on the right side):
                https://www.worldweatherattrib... [worldweath...bution.org]

      And before you say this is "propaganda", have a look at the full paper and check who contributed scientifically. These are not tree-huggers or anything.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      High pressure systems over the West in North America tend to get pushed along by low pressure systems generated in the North Pacific. Generated by warm water in the Pacific. Cooler water temps result in less energy in the low pressure systems and stalled high pressure.

      Where are all these increasingly violent storms that GW predicts? We need some storms to push out the hot weather and bring in some rain. Global warming has failed us.

  • Supported by quotes in the report include:
    June Temperatures Down from 2019 & 2020 Highs

    2021 Global Temperatures Will Miss Podium

    ("Globally, last month was the fourth hottest June ever. Only 2016, 2019 and 2020 were hotter.")

    (...thanks to slightly cooler conditions earlier this year related to cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, there is little likelihood that 2021 will make it into the Top 5.")


  • Private jets and Amazon deliveries are exempt from higher energy taxes in the EU.

  • Then we had better hurry up going nuclear and figuring our carbon sequestration. We don't have time to just keep preening and name calling and politicizing.
  • Why America (so many Americans) seem so set against renewable energy when different parts of your country are ideal for solar & wind and you have the technology base to lead the world in it.

    • Re: (Score:2, Troll)

      Why America (so many Americans) seem so set against renewable energy when different parts of your country are ideal for solar & wind and you have the technology base to lead the world in it.

      self-harm. Mostly caused by trauma due to excessive gun violence & impotent politicians.

    • and you [the US] have the technology base to lead the world in it.
      The US does not want to lead the world.
      They want to dominate it and to prevent everyone else to grow.

      They actually have no plan at all how to evolve/develop their country.

      Look here on /. the outcry about Bidens infra structure program: it is not the job of the government to do such thing.

      Seriously, those backyard yahoos: that is exactly the job of a government!! See how the developed world is doing it, e.g. EU, China, the rest of Asia ...

    • Because nuclear fission costs less. Look for the graph about 1/5th the way in (hit page down 6 or 7 times): https://www.iea.org/reports/pr... [iea.org] (I had people comment about the "discount rate" on such estimates before, there's a pull-down to change it here.)

      What hurts the image of solar power is seeing solar panels in Texas covered in snow. Seeing hurricanes in Florida and Puerto Rico smash solar panels to bits. Having desert tortoises displaced by solar thermal power plants, which when operating can set

  • If you want serious discussion of this topic, I recommend this article. [realclimate.org] Real science by scientists for scientists who actually know their field. And anyone can look in for free.

    Why anyone would follow some other media source for this topic on this issue is beyond me.

    Summary: It was almost impossible for the temperatures seen recently in the Pacific North West heatwave to have occurred without global warming. And only improbable with it.

    • Why anyone would follow some other media source for this topic on this issue is beyond me.

      Because realclimate is just a blog.

  • Now that the Keystone XL pipeline is canceled the world is supposedly greener.

    Really? Fact is, it's the opposite. Instead of getting more environmentally friendly, the carbon footprint from that oil will be increased substantially because it will be shipped by trucks and trains above ground instead of through underground pipe. It is also much less safe and efficient: shipping by trucks and trains means more accidents — and an increased human cost.

    ~500M gallons of diesel, with the associated polluti

  • I donâ(TM)t own a car and havenâ(TM)t flown for a decade.

    Yet people that do own cars and fly all the time are always yelling and screaming about climate change.

    When I mention this hypocrisy, they call me a Troll.

    Do they say: Thank you for living the values I espouse but find it too inconvenient to live by? Not a single time. In fact, they seem kind of angry, as if it reminds them that itâ(TM)s possible to live your values, but instead they make endless excuses as to why they just canâ(

  • In other words, over the last ~150 years. Considering that the planet is, according to scientists, several billion years old, this seems a ridiculously insignificant sample size from which to draw conclusions.

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