Climate Change Is Burning America conclude scientists and fire experts at a recent conference reports Tom Kenworthy at Climate Progress. Huge, explosive fires are becoming commonplace, say many experts, because climate change is setting the stage -- bringing higher temperatures, widespread drought, earlier snowmelt and longer fire seasons. It's the biggest BBQ in history, folks, and we're on the grill!
Credit ABC 15 News
Trees That Once Survived Fire Now Die, say scientists, reports Christopher Joyce at NPR. Stressed by drought, literally sucking up air instead of water, weakened trees are being finally demolished by fire, rather than surviving it.
Credit Tom Toles at the Washington Post
A Republican Case for Climate Action was made by 4 GOP former EPA chiefs recently, reports Joe Romm at Climate Progress. All noted that the debate on climate change is over, endorsed Obama's climate action plan, and called on Republicans to do more to address it. Well, at least someone over there in the GOP is waking up...
Unstoppable Sea Level Rise 'Locking In' at 1 Foot/Decade, Threatening Cities reports Ben Strauss at Climate Central. We have two sea levels: the rising sea level of today, and the far higher sea level that is already being locked in for the future. We've already locked in a 4-foot rise by 2100 that will flood cities, but we are guaranteeing our descendents, by that date, an unstoppable further future 9 foot rise, if dramatic action isn't taken. Swimming lessons, anyone?
Keep Saving Energy, America!
Efficiency Drove US Emissions Decline, not natural gas says a recent study, reports Maria Gallucci at InsideClimate News. 2012 US emissions fell 4 percent from 2011 due to aggressive energy efficiency efforts by households, businesses, and motorists - not switching from coal to natural gas. Hail to the leaner, meaner, people power machine! Keep it up, America!
While US Drought Kills Western Crops, Rains Kill Southern Ones reports Kim Severson at the New York Times. Commercial row crops (think tomatoes), fruit and peanuts that need hot sun aren't getting it - and that means shortages on US shelves. Another likely hallmark of human-driven climate change...
Strawberries need sun to ripen. Credit Mary Ellen Harte
Notable Quote:
"Can't make up my mind: should I head to Fairbanks (30 days above 80F and counting, a record) or Greenland to warm up? Tough decision..."
Doug Kruhoeffer, August 1, 2013, via email... Jeff Masters noted that the Greenland warming event had more to do with an unusual meteorological event than climate change...
<<<<< This Week's Grab Bag >>>>>
OO Natural Gas Use Must Peak By 2030 To Meet Key Climate Goals - Report
OO BP Earned $2.7 Billion In Q2 Profits But Still Thinks It's Paying Too Much In Taxes -they pollute our air, spill oil over our land and waters, and suck us for billions ... really, folks, do we need these leeches?
Greenland meltwater sinks into the interior layers below. Credit CIRES
OO Greenland, Antarctica May Lose Ice Rapidly Through Catastrophic Disintegration
OO Midway Into 2013: Extreme Weather As Bad As 2012 - with 37 presidential disasters declarations as of July 30th ; that'a lot of money lost, as the insurance industry will tell you.
OO Alberta Tar Sands Oil Leak 10 Weeks Old; No One Knows How To Stop It
Credit Dennis Schroeder/NREL
OO How Maryland's New Climate Plan Could Actually Lower Energy Costs
OO 'Frack Gag' Bans Children From Talking About Fracking, Forever - while a previous gag on adults strips them of compensation if they talk about how fracking damaged them; ever wonder why you don't hear more outrageous stories about how fracking ruins people's homes?
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OO Obama: Keystone jobs 'a blip', Pipeline Could Raise Midwest Gas Prices
☼☼☼Acting Like You Care: The XL Keystone pipeline will make possible far more climate change, but President Obama might okay it anyway. Credo, 350.org and others are asking people to stand up and be counted as nonviolent resisters or help in other ways. I did. If you ever wanted to do something big for your future, now's your chance - here. 
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And those are just a FEW of the headlines. For more, check out:
☼☼ The Daily Climate
☼☼ Climate Progress
☼☼ InsideClimate News
☼☼ Wunderground's Take on Weather, Climate Change with Jeff Masters
☼☼ Climate Desk
☼☼ Climate Central
Credit Rhett Butler at Mongabay
☼☼ Mongabay, for Climate Change on Rainforests
☼☼ Current Climate Change Articles of Note - Al Gore's team
☼☼ The UK Guardian's Environment Section
Credit Dennis Schroeder/NREL
☼☼ RTCC, Responding to climate change
☼☼ Climate News Network
☼☼ A Free Online Science Library
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@@@ Climate Change in the Media @@@
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Via Climate Nexus
OO @@ WEEKLY CLIMATE CHANGE VIDEO SERIES!! @@ Entitled "In Case You Missed It" via the good folks at Climate Nexus on Vimeo - select headlines delivered in less than 90 seconds with good graphics. Cool watching -- spread the word!!
@@ At Last, a Green Radio Show to counter the Lush Bimbaugh wasteland. Check out On the Green Front with Betsy Rosenberg at Progressive Radio Network to keep updated on climate change, and other green topics.
@@ Video: America's Dangerous Pipelines - the title says it all; compelling ....
To help you understand just what science does and does NOT do, check this out!
Every day is Earth Day, folks, as I was reminded by these late summer wildflowers I photographed a few days ago. Making the U.S. a global clean energy leader will ensure a heck of a lot more jobs, and a clean, safe future. If you'd like to join the increasing numbers of people who want to TELL Congress that they will vote for clean energy candidates you can do so here. It's our way of letting Congress know there's a strong clean energy voting bloc out there. For more detailed summaries of the above and other climate change items, audio podcasts and texts are freely available.
