Wack Weather
Source: http://weather.gov
It is HOT almost everywhere in the US. According to Axios, “nearly 130 million” people have been affected by this heat wave, with hot, often much-higher-than-normal temperatures so far this week.
In Ohio, more than 50,000 people lost power with temperatures in the 90s and heat indexes well above 100°F.
It was so hot in Minneapolis that students in non-air-conditioned schools were told to stay home and connect to class virtually (according to AccuWeather).
It was 99°F here in Memphis, TN and could reach 100 tomorrow, with the heat index in the 110°s. And all-time heat records have been broken in nearby Nashville. This week we definitely had a Wack Weather Wednesday — and the climate as a whole is out-of-whack.
One small glimmer of hope is that this year, I’m finally starting to see more and more mentions of climate change in the media when extreme events like this happen. For example, Axios said:
“Climate change is causing heat waves such as this one to be more severe, frequent and longer-lasting than just a few decades ago.”
Even The Hill published a piece stressing the need for climate legislation. It was an opinion piece, but it’s still indicative that it’s becoming “acceptable” to talk about this in corporate media.
Headline from The Hill
We need this type of journalism now, and needed it decades ago. Let’s hope this trend continues, and that it helps to move the needle of public opinion. It’s time to demand our elected officials stop catering to the fossil fuel industry and take urgent climate action so that these extreme weather events don’t get even more dangerous and frequent.
