Heatwave

[Jacob]

Well it’s hot and I’m tired after a long day, so it was tempting to reply to your condescending and sarcastic dig with an equally rude reply. However, I won’t. But I will have one last go at explaining what I mean. First of all, remember that I’m not disagreeing that climate change is real. I just think that using bad examples to prove a point is counterproductive. I also think that calling people who you think disagree with you stupid (as you clearly infer I am) is a bad thing to do, so I’ll treat you with respect and try to explain what I mean in a different way.

The infographic is generated from an applet on the NASA web site. Anyone can use it. It uses a set of data from 1951 to 1980. The developers have identified places on the earth with reliable temperature records for that time period, for example London. It takes an average of the temperatures over those years for that place by month. The applet then allows anyone to enter a year and month and generates an infographic that compares that month to the AVERAGE temperature for the same month, averaged between 1951 to 1980. A colour is used to show how much hotter or colder the ACTUAL temperature was compared to the average of the same month 1951 to 1980.

So the first infographic shows that in June 1976, in the UK it was hotter than the average temperature in all the Junes between 1951 and 1980. No dung Sherlock, I think we knew that. What relevance does that have to climate change? GIGO.

The SECOND infographic is relevant. It shows that in June 2022 there were widespread anomalies, i.e. based on AVERAGE temperatures in June between 1951 and 1980 the ACTUAL temperatures recorded were significantly different over a very widespread area. It could be argued that the data set that this is based on is too small to have any statistical relevance, but not by me.

No you have missed the point - which was to compare two notable UK heatwave months in the global context. It's simpler than you think.

 

[Scruples]

What infuriates me so much about the whole situation is that we could change our habits in a very short period of time, but we don't, because that affects profits.

- Why can't we completely remove cheap meat? why do we think we have the right to eat meat every single day? meat should cost as much as it needs to, to be sustainable and humane, this would rapidly drive down meat consumption, and what are the negatives? I don't see any. Sure there might be a transition period where businesses will have to adapt, but that's a relatively small cost considering.

- Why when we knew things were going downhill didn't we put a limit on the amount of air travel instead of just allowing it to rise and rise?

- Why when plastics were being brought into production wasn't there a plan of action in how to deal with the waste *before* they were allowed to be produced at mass scale?

- Why is it still allowed to produce non recyclable packaging? we've know about the issues they cause for a LONG time. Why wasn't there a deadline set for their banning a LONG time ago?

- Why aren't the companies that make the biggest contribution to Climate Change taxed through the roof encouraging them to find alternative methods?

- Why is there so little foresight????

Humans can be so amazingly clever yet amazingly stupid at the same time.

By the way, I know the answer to all the above questions, greed and corruption, but I still need to vent.

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, and it's a hot one. The real answer to all of your questions is just two words - Human nature.

 

[Oldnut]

I've done my best over the years to conserve resources since I learned of CC back in the 70s when I was at school.
At the request of my water supplier to save water I haven't watered my lawn at all this year, my choice of course.
My neighbours however on either side both have paddling pools full of water and are playing outside in 40c heat with the hose running all day and they're having a great time laughing and playing.
The neighbor next to them waters his garden twice a day with his water hose.

Why do I even bother to make a difference when all around me people couldn't care less.
I may as well sell my EV and buy a thumping great V8 and enjoy my final years and join the ranks of the "Don't care" folks.

And this is the problem, we all have to make an effort to make a difference or sadly just give up trying.
We're staring right in the face of the point of no return, this current heatwave is a stark warning to us all but who's seeing it for what it is.

So, might as well give up trying to save the planet for future generations and party 'til the end.

Anyone looking to buy a KIA e-Niro?

1976 was way longer heatwave than this, every bit as hot if not hotter, remember it well! How on earth we survived without all these dire warnings is beyond me!

 

[Oldnut]

Phew that's a relief! So everything is OK then?
https://climate.nasa.gov/ask-nasa-c...l-cycles-cant-explain-earths-current-warming/

I don't think I said everything is ok, the point is that there is nothing we can do about it, we would be better focussing on things we can do, and yes we need to reduce pollution in cities, but until we have completely 'green' energy production you are moving the pollution elsewhere, lets instead deal with things like removing plastic from the oceans, or not even having plastic apackaging at all, educating third world folk, reducing corruption, providing drinking water in third world countries, ensuring an electricity supply to everyone. These things are acheivable but 'we' do not bang on about them but we could actually mend these, instead we bang on about stuff 'we' are not able to influence, it is not in our gift.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The record temperature here is still 1976. I worked twenty one consecutive nights in the middle of that summer - I went to bed in those three weeks only for purposes other than sleep, I slept every day on the beach.

 

[Jacob]

I don't think I said everything is ok, the point is that there is nothing we can do about it, we would be better focussing on things we can do, and yes we need to reduce pollution in cities, but until we have completely 'green' energy production you are moving the pollution elsewhere, lets instead deal with things like removing plastic from the oceans, or not even having plastic apackaging at all, educating third world folk, reducing corruption, providing drinking water in third world countries, ensuring an electricity supply to everyone. These things are acheivable but 'we' do not bang on about them but we could actually mend these, instead we bang on about stuff 'we' are not able to influence, it is not in our gift.

I agree about your list. Just have to add reduce use of fossil fuels, increase carbon sequestration, with a view to carbon zero by 2050 or sooner,

 

[Oldnut]

I agree about your list. Just have to add reduce use of fossil fuels, increase carbon sequestration, with a view to carbon zero by 2050 or sooner,

Jacob, Co2 is a basic necessity, without it everything dies, as per an earlier post the world had 12% Co2 with largest animals and plants we have ever seen, we could actually burn all the fossil fuel we have and it would not affect rising temperatures, I agree we should reduce it where reasonably possible, but not to beggar ourselves in the process, it is not necesssary. And who suffers most in all this lemming like rush to carbon zero, the poorest people are the ones who suffer the most, is that what you wish? Btw Germany is currently building I think, about 13 new coal fired power plants in Eastern Germany powered by brown coal, they are uprooting whole towns to get at this product.

 

[plum60]

Well I guess folk can chat all they want about climate changes but that time and energy is better spent working out how to live underground in the end. At this rate we will be joining the foxes and making dens not to mention scrabbling about trying to scavenge food. People should really start to grasp all the coming changes and that people with lots of spare cash won't be so badly affected for some time because insurance, food, changes to species ( mosquitos- sharks), and fuel will certainly rocket. If you wait for politicians to guide you you are really stuffed.

 

[Lons]

The record temperature here is still 1976. I worked twenty one consecutive nights in the middle of that summer - I went to bed in those three weeks only for purposes other than sleep, I slept every day on the beach.

We spent 2 weeks out of those 3 on holiday in your area, so that was you we saw bumming it on the beach Phil.
A cracking holiday when the area was much less busy and it was hot.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, it was probably busier the decade before as people didn't tend to fly abroad for holidays.

 

[Jacob]

Jacob, Co2 is a basic necessity, without it everything dies, as per an earlier post the world had 12% Co2 with largest animals and plants we have ever seen, we could actually burn all the fossil fuel we have and it would not affect rising temperatures, I agree we should reduce it where reasonably possible, but not to beggar ourselves in the process, it is not necesssary. And who suffers most in all this lemming like rush to carbon zero, the poorest people are the ones who suffer the most, is that what you wish? Btw Germany is currently building I think, about 13 new coal fired power plants in Eastern Germany powered by brown coal, they are uprooting whole towns to get at this product.

"Carbon zero" doesn't mean no CO2 it means no increase on CO2 over sustainable levels.
All the science says burning fossil fuel is the main cause of current rising temperature world wide. If you know differently you should tell them - they'd be really grateful and could do more useful things instead!
The poor suffer most in the rising temperatures. The rich suffer most in having to cut back - they are the biggest users with USA at top of heap.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Historically rises in CO2 have followed warm periods, not preceded them.

 

[Droogs]

For those arguing about 1976, have a read of this
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-heatwave-1976-2022_uk_62d70d56e4b081f3a8f823cf

 

[Molynoox]

For those arguing about 1976, have a read of this
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-heatwave-1976-2022_uk_62d70d56e4b081f3a8f823cf

Thanks for the article, have to admit I got a little frustrated with it. I actually agree with the outcome it's just that I think they need to present differently. More succinct, more actual data. That's what I respond to anyway

 

[TRITON]

Righto, emergency over. Everyone put away their sunscreen and remember to pack an umbrella instead.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

1976 was way longer heatwave than this, every bit as hot if not hotter, remember it well! How on earth we survived without all these dire warnings is beyond me!

I was wondering that - but the hottest 1976 day was way below this.

The article also states that 9/10 of the hottest days have occurred since the 1990s

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/62212604

As for the heatwave and duration. We have had very little rain this spring and summer. It has been dry for months and months. I walk across a river bridge every day and it has been reduced to a trickle. After heavy rain you can hear the river from 20-30 metres away. Some days I wonder it is still flowing!

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I'm genuinely curious as to WHY people think climate change is not happening / just a natural thing that she shouldn't worry about. I'm curious to know what the thinking and reasoning is behind this.

 

[dzj]

 

[John Brown]

I'm genuinely curious as to WHY people think climate change is not happening / just a natural thing that she shouldn't worry about. I'm curious to know what the thinking and reasoning is behind this.

Conspiracy theory, innit?

 

[Spectric]

I pointed out that plenty of dangerous things had no hysteria attached to them in the 1970s and you've told me that I don't understand and that you will no longer talk to me.

Different world back then and we were allowed to have a childhood and wander free as all the weirdo's and sicko's we did not even know existed were locked up out of the way. The things we did were by todays standards life threatening and the places we played did not have padded soft floors but just hard tarmac or concrete and hence always having grazed knees but our bones rarely broke because we ate real food and did not consume pints of carbonised drinks that leech calcium out of your bones.