The six hottest years on record include 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019

The above photo was shown on sfgate.com on September 9. The smoke from the fires has obliterated the sun for the past week in Los Angeles. My eyes sting. So what is the problem?

An Inconvenient Truth presents in film form an illustrated talk on climate by by former Vice President Al Gore, aimed at alerting the public to an increasing “planetary emergency” due to global warming. He may have had the dates wrong but we are having another once in a life time crises almost every year. Available on Amazon.

The temperature in Los Angeles suburb Woodland Hills set a new record on September 6, 2020. 121°F (49.444°C).

Consider an exchange that took place in California at an event focused on the fires. Wade Crowfoot, head of the state’s Natural Resources Agency, called on Trump to recognize the role of climate change in the historic conflagrations.

“We’ve had temperatures explode this summer,” Crowfoot said. “You may have learned that we broke a world record in the Death Valley: 130 degrees. But even in greater L.A., 120-plus degrees. And we’re seeing this warming trend make our summers warmer, but also our winters warmer as well.”

He acknowledged Trump’s that ground cover and fallen trees contribute to fires.

“But I think we want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forest — and actually work together with that science,” he continued. “That science is going to be key, because if we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it’s all about vegetation management, we’re not going to succeed together in protecting Californians.”

“It’ll start getting cooler,” Trump replied. “You just — you just watch.”

“I wish science agreed with you,” Crowfoot said.

“I don’t think science knows, actually,” Trump responded.

As it turns out, science knows quite well. For more than 100 years, it’s been speculated that burning fossil fuels (in particular coal) emits gas that can trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. By now, that effect is well documented and obviously manifested, with atmospheric carbon dioxide hitting levels never before measured and the effects of that saturation felt everywhere from increased droughts to increased severe precipitation events (since warmer air can hold more moisture) to higher temperatures to things such as dissolving shells on marine life.

July 2016 Was Earth’s Warmest Month on Record

Global mean temperatures in July 2016 were the warmest on record not just for July, but for any month dating to the late 1800s, according to four separate newly-released analyses. A state of the climate report issued by NOAA Wednesday said that July 2016 was Earth’s warmest month in records dating to 1880.

The average temperature for the globe was 0.87 degrees Celsius above the 20th century average. This beat the previous warmest month on record set in July 2015 which was 0.81 degrees Celsius above average.

Of course global warming deniers will find a way to explain these facts. The realities of smog will also be denied. Los Angeles has seen major declines in smog thanks to ever increasing smog control regulations. China appears to understand the need to impose regulations.

Look at the map below. Alaska is in the Record Warmest category.

Global Warming Map

Global Warming is Happening

The elevation of Manhattan ranges from 1 to 80 meters (3.3 to 265.5 feet). The highest Natural Point of Elevation on the island of Manhattan – 265.5 feet according to USGS.

An urban planner recently told the Vancouver Sun that the city will need to take steps to protect many of its landmarks. Andrew Yan “estimates the city will have to spend upwards of $510 million to build and upgrade the dikes and seawalls – plus billions more to buy the land to put them on – over the next century.

Look at these pictures of Miami and New York. With such low elevations it should be obvious that any serious storm will mean devastation.

We can all argue about man causing global warming but we cannot argue that it is not happening. CBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Company, posted “Arctic thaw heats up Northwest Passage dreams” on its web site. Polar Cruises is now offering tours into the Northwest passage.

Based on projections that sea levels will rise about 1 meter by the end of the century, the analysis suggests the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts could be particularly hard hit…

Miami, New Orleans, Tampa, Fla., and Virginia Beach, Va. could lose more than 10 percent of their land area by 2100.

The impact of this global warming has been predicted to be unusual weather conditions throughout the world. Is Sandy and Irene just the beginning? I am not a scientist but the frequency of these kinds of storms would support that contention.