A third of the world now faces deadly heatwaves as result of climate change

[JanetF]

I mentioned this before in this or some other thread, but I spent a summer in St. Louis years ago. I was astonished that it’s no cooler in the shade there than it is out in the sun. Humidity from the rivers, I guess, and radiation from all the masonry. Here, the difference is very significant, and at night it’s almost never hot. Just after dusk, the cool air would start pouring down the hills into the valleys, and if there was a stream in the valley, a thick fog just over the water would come rolling down stream in a wave, and pretty quickly. Beautiful to watch, particularly with fireflies everywhere.

When I was a kid visiting my grandmother in town, she didn’t have AC. We would sit out in the yard until the house cooled down enough to go indoors. It got cool right away outside, but the house took awhile. She had one of those old-style houses with lots of big windows, transoms and all that. Even then, it took awhile.

Living in St. Louis for the past 30 years, It’s always hotter downtown than out in the burbs. Humidity in MO makes August awful! I’d rather have snow and cold than Missouri in August.

 

[JanetF]

I said binding, not infallible. We’re not only bound by infallibly defined dogmas. The opening paragraphs state that the encyclical is to be considered Magisterial.

We can be responsible citizens of the earth while still being somewhat skeptical of the new climate change science IMHO. I recycle, I reuse, and I am careful about my energy consumption, but do I believe that all climate change in man-made…Nope. Climate of the earth has been changing since the very beginning. Is some of the change accelerated by man’s choices, undoubtedly. Just like evolution is a theory, so is climate change. I’m not going to go over-the-top crazy in how I respond to the ever-changing theories. I’d love to have solar panels on my house so that I wouldn’t have to pay for electricity, but they are cost-prohibitive, so I can’t do it.

I don’t believe that withdrawing from the Paris accord was necessarily a bad thing simply because the non-binding aspect of it makes it irrelevant, and I would rather see China make some drastic changes before being asked to cough up more money to help solve the global issue.

 

[frobert]

The US has been reducing CO2 emissions, significantly, but apparently, that’s not good enough because the reductions have benefited consumers rather than punishing them. By switching from coal to natural gas, the US has both reduced carbon emissions, and made electricity cheaper for the consumer. This should be cause for celebration, but instead we get nothing but weeping and gnashing. This is why I call “climate change” religion, not science. It’s more concerned with repentance and wearing hair shirts than actually doing anything meaningful.

Has burning natural gas instead of coal helped the U.S. economy decarbonize? It’s complicated

Coal’s share of electricity generation in the U.S. has been dropping since 2009 and more than 180 gigawatts of power plants that burn natural gas have been built since 1990.

…But natural gas hasn’t just killed coal. From Florida to Wisconsin, gas-fired power plants are replacing nuclear ones. That fuel switch actually increases CO2 pollution, however. And, in the absence of mandates like renewable portfolio standards—mandates for a certain percentage of electricity to derive from renewable resources—natural gas could also prevent the building of wind and solar farms or geothermal power plants.

Source Scientific America

 

[twf]

We can be responsible citizens of the earth while still being somewhat skeptical of the new climate change science IMHO. I recycle, I reuse, and I am careful about my energy consumption, but do I believe that all climate change in man-made…Nope. Climate of the earth has been changing since the very beginning. Is some of the change accelerated by man’s choices, undoubtedly. Just like evolution is a theory, so is climate change. I’m not going to go over-the-top crazy in how I respond to the ever-changing theories. I’d love to have solar panels on my house so that I wouldn’t have to pay for electricity, but they are cost-prohibitive, so I can’t do it.

I don’t believe that withdrawing from the Paris accord was necessarily a bad thing simply because the non-binding aspect of it makes it irrelevant, and I would rather see China make some drastic changes before being asked to cough up more money to help solve the global issue.

Fair enough. Interpretation of the science, itself, is not binding…its not a matter of faith…but the teaching that we must do our part to care for the environment, to reduce pollution, etc. is binding.

 

[Memaw]

Tomorrow will be the first day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s going to be hatter than it’s been – **all year long. **

What a surprise!!

 

[Memaw]

“A third of the world now faces deadly heatwaves as result of climate change: Study shows risks have climbed steadily since 1980, and the number of people in danger will grow to 48% by 2100 even if emissions are drastically reduced” at theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/19/a-third-of-the-world-now-faces-deadly-heatwaves-as-result-of-climate-change

“Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words.”
– St. Francis of Assisi"

I would LOVE for someone to prove to me that St. Francis of Assisi actually said that!! Fr. Mitch Pacwa said he did NOT say that. It just popped up out of nowhere and spread like wildfire, and St. Francis used plenty of words!! Seems today many things “spread like wildfire”. Including heat waves! God Bless, Memaw

 

[meltzerboy]

In St. Louis, before A/C, people used to sleep outside along Highway 66.

stltoday.com/news/local/metro/a-look-back-relentless-withering-heat-wave-of-killed-in/article_3821b7be-14c4-5fef-b0c9-bc383d50aafd.html

I guarantee you that I spend a lot less time outdoors during heat waves now, than I did as a kid with no A/C.

I remember my father telling me that in New York City before A/C, people used to sleep on the fire escapes of apartment buildings in the summer months. There was much less fear, I guess, in those days.

 

[meltzerboy]

Ha-ha-ha, y’all.

What I was thinking is they may have missed an important point – that the minimum diurnal (night) temps are warming faster than the maximum diurnal (day) temps, which is a clear signal of global warming. This has an even more harmful affect on people, other animals, and plants. It seems many people (and plants) can stand the extreme heat of the day during heatwaves, but need some cool time at night to recuperate. For instance, I read an article that mentioned how it was the high night temps that contributed more to the high level of deaths in Europe during the 2003 heatwave.

So, yes, we have always had heatwaves, but these are different now and more deadly. Plus CC has increased the frequency and length of heatwaves – which is a well known fact.

Of course we all can afford ACs and won’t be affected much. It will mainly affect the poor.

This sounds to me like an important point.

 

[ProdigalSun]

Considering the following:

foxnews.com/us/2015/01/19/pope-statement-on-climate-change-following-john-paul-ii-benedict-xvi-tackling.html

catholicclimatemovement.global/statements-on-climate-change-from-the-popes/

So you have two Popes acknowledging climate change and the need to reduce CO2, especially in the name of social justice. One that’s pretty conservative too. We also have a saint imploring us to reduce the damage caused by the burning fossil fuels, which I’m sure would include climate change had it been well understood then.

Besides what other teachings of the Church do you follow that are not ex Cathedra? This is a basic, though possibly not an exact list of the few times Papal pronouncements have been considered ex Cathedra. ** Note that they essentially center on defining Christ, Counter Reformation, or Mary.**

Tome to Flavian, Pope Leo I, 449, on the two natures in Christ, received by the Council of Chalcedon
Letter of Pope Agatho, 680, on the two wills of Christ, received by the Third Council of Constantinople
Benedictus Deus, Pope Benedict XII, 1336, on the beatific vision of the just after death rather than only just prior to final judgment;
Cum occasione, Pope Innocent X, 1653, condemning five propositions of Jansen as heretical
Auctorem fidei, Pope Pius VI, 1794, condemning seven Jansenist propositions of the Synod of Pistoia as heretical
Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX, 1854, defining the Immaculate Conception
Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII, 1950, defining the Assumption of Mary.

So what is enough for you; or is this just an inconvenient truth?

Yes the bolded speaks volumes because ex cathedra will only apply to the faith and Morals. NOT SCIENCE. Morally speaking it is our duty to look after the earth. It is the science that is up for debate!

 

[ucfengr]

Has burning natural gas instead of coal helped the U.S. economy decarbonize? It’s complicated

Coal’s share of electricity generation in the U.S. has been dropping since 2009 and more than 180 gigawatts of power plants that burn natural gas have been built since 1990.

…But natural gas hasn’t just killed coal. From Florida to Wisconsin, gas-fired power plants are replacing nuclear ones. That fuel switch actually increases CO2 pollution, however. And, in the absence of mandates like renewable portfolio standards—mandates for a certain percentage of electricity to derive from renewable resources—natural gas could also prevent the building of wind and solar farms or geothermal power plants.

Source Scientific America

I think you’re proving my point, it’s not enough to reduce emissions, we must also pay penance for our sins by switching from reliable sources of energy like natural gas and nuclear to unreliable sources like wind and solar. People are enjoying their lives too much and we can’t have that.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Summer and its hot in Phoenix!!! Quick somebody do something? If only science could tell us what to do? Sometime before fall would be best for the political lobby…

 

[Expatreprocedit]

Ha-ha-ha, y’all.

What I was thinking is they may have missed an important point – that the minimum diurnal (night) temps are warming faster than the maximum diurnal (day) temps, which is a clear signal of global warming. This has an even more harmful affect on people, other animals, and plants. It seems many people (and plants) can stand the extreme heat of the day during heatwaves, but need some cool time at night to recuperate. For instance, I read an article that mentioned how it was the high night temps that contributed more to the high level of deaths in Europe during the 2003 heatwave.

So, yes, we have always had heatwaves, but these are different now and more deadly. Plus CC has increased the frequency and length of heatwaves – which is a well known fact.

Of course we all can afford ACs and won’t be affected much. It will mainly affect the poor.

If I were you I wouldn’t waste my time. Nothing is going to make the deniers here care.

 

[ucfengr]

If I were you I wouldn’t waste my time. Nothing is going to make the deniers here care.

That’s the kind of thinking that leads to Scalise. “Deniers” won’t listen to reason, which only our side has, so we have to get rid of them…

 

[Ridgerunner]

Living in St. Louis for the past 30 years, It’s always hotter downtown than out in the burbs. Humidity in MO makes August awful! I’d rather have snow and cold than Missouri in August.

I don’t know what part of the state you’re in, but August in the southern Ozarks isn’t bad at all, to my thinking. Usually really dry during the day, cool at night. Strangely, September seems hotter to me because it often rains more in September, bringing the humidity up.

Not that the MMGW people will accept it, but the 1950s were far hotter here than any time since then, for five years in a row. My grandfather told me there was a similar period in the 1930s.

 

[mikekle]

I havent noticed much difference in summer heat versus 30 yrs ago when I was a child, but I have noticed around here the humidity/ dew point seem to be much higher than in years past, and I live in KY, nowhere even close to the tropics!

I recall back in April when it started warming up, even then the humidity made it very uncomfortable to be outside, it felt like it was mid august. I have also started keeping track of days where I have no need to run the AC or heat, so far its only a handful of days, we get cold fronts that come thru, cool things down for maybe a day or two and then the humidity creeps back up very quickly.

Our local weather stations do not talk about humidity/ dew points that often either. A few years back our family planned a family reunion in late Sept, thinking the weather would be nice for all the older people, the morning of the reunion, the weather man said it was going to be a beautiful day with temps in the upper 70s, we all thought it was going to be great, but the humidity was so high, it was hard for many of the older people to be outside for long, even though the temps were upper 70s, it was extremely uncomfortable to be outside, hard to breath, sticky, nasty, etc. My sister was so upset she emailed the tv station weather dept, asking why they called this type of day ‘beautiful’ and why they didnt mention how bad the humidity was going to be.

 

[meltzerboy]

That’s the kind of thinking that leads to Scalise. “Deniers” won’t listen to reason, which only our side has, so we have to get rid of them…

There is a little more in THAT kind of thought process; in other words, a big distance between " ‘deniers’ won’t listen to reason, which only our side has," and “so we have to get rid of them…” Something further is going on in the disturbed mind that leads the person to take to violence, such as “if they don’t agree with me, they don’t deserve to live,” or “they are making it too hard for the rest of us, so they must be eliminated.” That additional cognitive process makes all the difference.

 

[lynnvinc]

I said binding, not infallible. We’re not only bound by infallibly defined dogmas. The opening paragraphs state that the encyclical is to be considered Magisterial.

And a highly authoritative writing came well before that, written by God Himself, called the 10 Commandments. One of them specifies “Thou shalt not kill.” I think that and others can also support the notion that we should not destroy or harm other people’s property or livelihood.

Since people are dying from GW (from heatwaves, droughts/famines, disease spread, etc.), and people’s property and livelihoods are being harmed from it, and we humans are for the most part causing GW, then that and other commandments apply.

I didn’t need a PhD in Moral theology to understand in the late 1980s, when I became aware that GW may be contributing to droughts and famines in Africa, that I myself had to do what I could to reduce my emissions, and tell others about the issue.

To our astonishment, my husband and I found we could lower our direct and indirect GHG emissions while saving money and without lowering our living standard, down to some 60% below our 1990 emissions. I would have been willing to lower my living standard and spend money with net loss (I was becoming an OCDS Carmelite then and making a promise of “poverty”), but my husband wasn’t so willing, which led us to find these money-saving solutions – and that’s great, since I can honestly tell people now:

“Don’t be afraid, you can mitigate CC without losing anything or lowering your living standard. Don’t be afraid, Jesus is with you a;ways. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all things will be added unto you. Hallelujah!!!.”

 

[Roseeurekacross]

The biggest significant difference in my part of Australia in the last 50 years is in the effect of the heat of the sun.

Yes there is a hole in the ozone layer that contributes to this effect.

So rays of the sun are really intense, no matter the temperature. Famous comments by Africans I had visiting…we get the same temperatures, we have blue sky and sunlight, but the sun here we don’t get.

Btw we are heading into another drought. It’s dry, too dry, winter days are blue sky and sun, early morning frost. It should be wet, cloudy, cold and raining.

Global climate change is just that, Global. It’s real, it’s here, it’s already happening.

Just because you see no change where you are, does that negate its reality?

 

[lynnvinc]

I don’t know what part of the state you’re in, but August in the southern Ozarks isn’t bad at all, to my thinking. Usually really dry during the day, cool at night. Strangely, September seems hotter to me because it often rains more in September, bringing the humidity up.

Not that the MMGW people will accept it, but the 1950s were far hotter here than any time since then, for five years in a row. My grandfather told me there was a similar period in the 1930s.

I don’t think the MMGW people have any problem re the validity of GW with some locales showing a cooling trend or the global average temps getting cooler for a short period, for a year to even a decade.

GW is about the global average temps and over a longer timeframe, at least 20 to 30 years to show significant warming during this lickity-split rapid (in geological time) warming. Past great warmings, even the “rapid” ones took 1000s of year to reach their maximum, so I imagine a 30 year timeframe or even a 100 year timeframe back then would not have shown any significant warming, as it does now.

The issue with rapidity is important and has scientists worried since there is little time for biota to adapt and even for sluggish humanity to react appropriately with mitigation and adaptation measures. Or humans to evolve to deal bodily with increasing humidity (as you pointed out for some people in a previous post).

There was a great warming in the mid-Eocene that took millions of years to reach its height. That gave biota a chance to adapt and/or migrate. So you had alligators, palm trees, and lush tropical plants in the Arctic…which then became the fossil fuels of concern now up there – CH4 escaping into the atmosphere from melting permafrost and ocean clathrates, and oil which Russia, Canada, and the US are eyeing.

 

[Reuben_J]

There seemed to be dramatic climate change in the past. I wonder which irresponsible people caused the ice age and then another caused global warming to defrost those ice?