More all-time heat records broken as California broils

Los Angeles Times

Wildfire in California, July, 2017. Photo by BLM.

California’s history-making heat wave set new all-time records for the second day in a row. Story here.

Human attitudes toward climate change. Smart? Or just plain dumb! (Editorial)

by Larry Powell

Despite historic weather calamities descending upon Earth with breathtaking frequency and ferocity, the root-causes of our planetary crisis continue to be avoided like sacred cows. An analyst interviewed on TV yesterday did make some good (albeit now-familiar) points. 

He pointed out how ordinary people have "stepped up" by helping their neighbours, after the fact. These are true heroes, he pointed out, correctly. 

Then he went on to say, (altho they are rarely recognized as such.), so are policy-makers who come up with practical ways of lessening impacts, like smarter development which uses less concrete, further away from flood plains. He even mentioned "climate change," words rarely uttered in polite society. 

So far, so good. 

But he gave not a word of recognition to the most important part of all - the need to wean ourselves off fossil fuels and make a very rapid transition to a low-carbon society! 

The world's climatologists who've been toiling in labs and in often hostile places, are heroes, too. They've been warning for decades, based on copious evidence they've gathered, we simply cannot carry on with "business-as-usual," burning coal, oil and natural gas without regard to the consequences. 

Yet, even as another climate catastrophe looms - a Category Five hurricane bearing down on Florida, these heroes and their advice (which offers the best hope for future generations), are virtually ignored or are, themselves brushed off as crackpots. 

This flirtation with stupidity rather than wisdom is dooming future (and present) generations to a greatly degraded planet. 

Smarten up, Sheeple!

Harvey is part of a pattern of extreme weather scientists saw coming. They're still shocked.

EcoWatch

“We still get overwhelmed because extreme weather is by its nature peculiar.” Story here.

Port Arthur, Texas as a result of Harvey. SC National Guard

Look Around: The Costs of Not Acting on Climate Are Adding Up Fast

Common Dreams

From major hurricanes and flooding to droughts and fires, the refusal to accept the science of global warming is getting very expensive. Story here.
Ashcroft Reserve wildfire in BC, Canada,

seen across Loon Lake. Shawn Cahill

National day of prayer declared because of Hurricane Harvey

Dallas News

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared a national day of prayer on Sunday as the Gulf Coast reels from Hurricane Harvey, following the lead of Texas, where on Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott declared Sunday a day of prayer. Story here.

RELATED: Texas official declines aid offer from Quebec, asks for prayers instead.

Harvey Won’t Be The Last Thousand-Year Storm

Common Dreams

All our eyes have been glued to the devastation that is Hurricane Harvey. Here in New Jersey, we are still waiting on the help we were promised to fully recover from Superstorm Sandy, so we know the road home will be long and full of challenges. Story here.

Pearland, Texas. Hurricane Harvey. Brant Kelly photo.

Hell Hath No Fury Like Mother Earth Scorned

CommonDreams

Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Harvey unleashed the fury of a warming planet on the Gulf Coast of Texas this week, leaving hundreds of thousands displaced and homeless, thousands languishing in crowded shelters, and killing at least 28 people. Story here.

A rabbi removes a Torah scroll from the synagogue before Hurricane Harvey hit the area. Photo by Chad Lubavitch.