Climate change catastrophes not in some distant future . . . NOW

• Kiss the Earth goodbye, the late, great Planet Earth
• Scorching temperatures and wildfires
• Massive hurricanes and flooded cities
• Climate change realities hitting the world “HARD”
• In midst of climate catastrophe, Trump curbs regulations

Weather anomalies are intensifying and on the increase, to the point where they can no longer be denied. Climate change, once considered an issue of concern for the distant future, has moved firmly into the NOW.

Scorching temperatures, flooded cities, wildfires, massive hurricanes, and much more are some of the hard realities of a changing climate that is hitting the entire world “HARD.”

Even though proof of climate change is all around us and in the spite of increasing and intensifying weather anomalies, Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order at the EPA, which curbs the federal government’s enforcement of climate regulations, dramatically altering the government’s approach to rising sea levels and temperatures — two impacts of climate change.

But wait, there’s more . . .

As you might image, Trump’s pick to head NASA, Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla), a climate change denier, met with opposition from scientists, as well as politicians on both sides of the aisle, as he lacks scientific credentials and denies climate change science.

In scenarios reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey, heavy rain storms slam transportation networks, flood tunnels, wash out rail lines and overwhelm drainage systems for streets and tunnels. Add shrinking glaciers to the mix and the competition for scarce water resources for people and ecosystems increases.

Question: Do you think the Texas Republicans and fossil fuel champions who cheered an executive order signed by Trump aimed at curtailing several major Obama-era climate regulations, calling it a major win for the Texas economy, are cheering now, after the Hurricane Harvey disaster?

Summers are indeed longer and hotter with extended periods of unusual heat lasting longer than ever-before experienced. For example, this summer, Greeks bore the brunt of a weather phenomenon called “Medusa,” whose main features are heavy rains that turn streets and fields into lakes, hailstorms, and strong winds that rip roofs off houses.  Medusa came after a series of heatwaves that marked this summer in Greece among the hottest summers on record.

READ:  “Sun scald” – No protection from sunburns or wild fires anymore

Hot summer days fuel and ignite wildfires perhaps by something as natural as the heat of the sun (sun scald). More examples:

• Wildfires forced thousands to flee their homes across the U.S. West during a sweltering, smoke-shrouded holiday weekend of record heat.
• In Europe, Portugal, Croatia, and Italy (to name only a few) were in the grip of infernos that spread dramatically, forcing people to flee and saw hundreds of firefighters battling multiple blazes.
• In Russia, more than 300,000 acres burned after a record heat wave and severe drought. July was the hottest month in Moscow in 130 years of recorded history.

So who should we believe: concerned scientists, people with no scientific credentials, those who say climate change is a hoax, or our own lying eyes. You be the choice of that.