Following
California’s historic action on global warming two weeks ago, a new report
released today by the Environment California Research and Policy Center shows
that this year’s unprecedented heat wave is part of a broader trend of rising
temperatures. In California, July 2006 was the third warmest July
on record, with the average temperature 3.7°F above the historical average.
“Global
warming is happening, and Californians are feeling the heat,” said Environment
California Field Organizer Moira Chapin.
“California is taking the lead on solving global warming, and
now it’s time for the rest of the country to be held to the same standard,”
continued Chapin.
In the
continental United States, the first seven months of 2006
were the warmest January-July of any year on record, according to the National Climatic Data Center.
The average temperature was 3.2° F above the 20th century average,
making it the warmest January-July on record.
To
examine how these recent temperature patterns compare with temperatures over
the last 30 years, Environment California researchers analyzed temperature data
from 255 major weather stations in all 50 states and Washington, DC for the years 2000-2005 and the
first six months of 2006. This recent
data was compared to “normal” temperatures for the three decades spanning
1971-2000.
Nationally,
between 2000 and 2005, the average temperature was above normal at 95% of the
locations, indicating widespread warming.
In addition, nights are getting warmer; the average minimum (nighttime
low) temperature was above normal at 92% of the locations examined.
During
the first six months of 2006, the average temperatures in San Diego, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Stockton, ranged from .2 to 1.2° F above
normal.
In California, unchecked global warming
threatens to:
- cause a massive rise in sea
levels, inundating California’s coast.
- cause serious future water
shortages, as California’s snowpack-fed
rivers and streams dry up.
- cause more frequent and severe
heat waves, which will increase deaths and illnesses from extreme heat and smog.
With the
world waiting for the United States to take action on global warming,
the California Legislature passed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB
32) on August 31, poising California to be the national leader in the
effort to solve global warming. However,
to avoid the worst consequences of global warming, the entire country must
stabilize global warming emissions within the next decade, begin reducing them
soon thereafter, and cut emissions by 80% by the middle of this century.
“The good
news is that we already have the tools to substantially reduce global warming
pollution. California has been putting these solutions
to work, and with AB 32 we are planning to go even further. Now the rest of the country needs to do the
same,” said Chapin.
In
August, Environment California released a report showing how the U.S. could cut
global warming pollution by nearly 20% by 2020 by making our homes, cars, and
businesses more efficient, switching to renewable energy sources, and giving
Americans more alternatives to driving, paired with strong, mandatory limits on
global warming emissions.
“These
are win-win solutions because they also will improve America’s long-term economy and energy
security by reducing U.S. dependence on oil and other
fossil fuels,” stated Chapin.
This
summer Rep. Henry Waxman of California introduced legislation, called
the Safe Climate Act (H.R. 5642), to harness clean energy solutions and reduce U.S. global warming emissions by 15
percent by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050.
“While our
leaders in Sacramento are working to solve global
warming, Washington has failed to take action. Congress needs to get serious about global
warming, and the first step for California’s congressional delegation is to
cosponsor the Safe Climate Act,” concluded Chapin.
