Advocacy group’s extreme weather map brings climate change home
By Dean Kuipers, Los Angeles Times
Climate change much? A new map published today by the Natural Resources Defense Council makes it plain that extreme weather attributable to climate change isn’t something that only happens in other parts of the world. Chances are you’ve had your own Hurricane Irene, or drought, or something like it in your own backyard.
The interactive map lays out 2,941 monthly weather records broken in communities throughout the U.S. from January thru October of this year, and traces an onslaught of severe storms, drought, flooding and calamity. The point is to show how climate change is affecting your community every day.
“We did this analysis because we wanted to aggregate state-by-state what had happened for people, so they could see it on the map,” said Kim Knowlton, senior scientist in the Health and Environment program at the NRDC. “I think it’s pretty stunning: One can see in the Northeast how much record-breaking rainfall; in the South, in particular, how much record-breaking heat. We have icons, too, for drought and wildfire. For snowfall, all over the Midwest and the Northeast.”
An interesting interactive element plays the entire year like a video, showing rain, flood and storms surging across the country.
Take a very special interest group, add a dose of half-truths, and voila you have a c–p casserole to serve up to the masses.
Climate change, climate change, the buzz words to scare the brains out of you.
I predict within the next 60 days heavy snowstorms, ice cold temperatures, and ice on the roads. Such a incredible change from just a few months ago when we experienced temperatures in the 80’s and no precipatation. The world is in dire climate straits say your goodbyes.