http://www.environmentiowa.org/reports/global-warming/global-warming-reports http://www.environmentiowa.org/reports/global-warming/global-warming-reports/feeling-the-heat  Executive SummaryIn 2006, Americans experienced a summer heat wave that broke records from coast tocoast and killed almost 200 people. The year ended and 2007 began with the warmestwinter on record globally. This unseasonably warm weather is part of a long-term trendtoward rising temperatures and extreme weather events resulting from global warming.Global average surface temperatures have increased by more than 1.4°F since the secondhalf of the 19th century. Earlier this year, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC) concluded that the evidence of global warming is “unequivocal”and that human activities are responsible for most of the rise in temperatures.To examine recent temperature patterns in the United States, we compared temperaturedata for the years 2000-2006 from 255 weather stations located in all 50 states andWashington, DC with temperatures averaged over the 30 years spanning 1971-2000.Overall, we found that temperatures were above the 30-year average across the country,indicating pervasive warming.SUMMER 2006: RECORD-BREAKING HEATA long-lasting summer heat wave hit most of the country in 2006, making it the secondwarmest summer on record for the contiguous United States. Heat waves have seriousimplications for human health, causing heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and even death. Ouranalysis of climate data for June-August 2006 showed:• During the summer of 2006, the average temperature was at least 0.5°F above the30-year average at 82% of the locations studied. In Rapid City, South Dakota andHelena, Montana, average summertime temperatures were 5°F above normal.• The average maximum temperature — the peak temperature on any given day — wasat least 0.5°F above the 30-year average at two-thirds (67%) of the locations studied.The Great Plains and Mountain West suffered some of the most above-normal summer temperatures in 2006.• The summer heat wave produced a high number of dangerously hot days at orabove 90°F across the country. Almost three-fourths (71%) of the locationsexamined recorded more frequent (compared with the historical average)days with peak temperatures of at least 90°F. Tupelo, Mississippi experienced 40more 90°F or warmer days than normal in 2006.• The 2006 summer heat wave was marked by above-average minimum temperatures— the lowest temperatures recorded on a given day, usually at night. The averageminimum temperature was at least 0.5°F above the 30-year average at 81% of thelocations studied and 9.7°F above normal in Reno, Nevada, the highest in thecountry. Warmer nighttime temperatures exacerbate the public health effects of heatwaves, since people need cooler nighttime temperatures to recover from excessiveheat exposure during the day.In April 2007, the IPCC warned that North American cities that currently experience heatwaves are expected to face “an increased number, intensity, and duration of heatwaves,” threatening public health, particularly that of elderly Americans and infants.2006: SECOND WARMEST YEAR ON RECORDWith a scorching summer and mild start to winter, the 2006 average temperature for thecontiguous United States was the second warmest on record, according to the NationalClimatic Data Center. Every state in the Lower 48 experienced above normaltemperatures in 2006. Our analysis of 2006 climate data showed:• In 2006, the average temperature was at least 0.5°F above the 30-year average at87% of the locations examined. The Upper Midwest and Mountain West inparticular experienced warmer-than normal average temperatures in 2006.• The average maximum temperature was at least 0.5°F above the 30-year average at81% of the stations examined. Warmer than- average days hit Texas and the GreatPlains the hardest in 2006, with average peak temperatures soaring more than 5°Fabove normal in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.• The average minimum temperature was at least 0.5°F above the 30-year average at80% of the stations examined. Minimum temperatures were particularly mild in theUpper Midwest, where temperatures soared almost 5°F above the 30-yearaverage in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Duluth, and Rochester, Minnesota.2000-2006: TEMPERATURES RISINGThe above-average temperatures of 2006 are part of a broader warming trend since 2000.Our analysis of climate data for 2000-2006 showed:• Between 2000 and 2006, the average temperature was at least 0.5°F above the30-year average at 87% of the locations studied. Average temperatures in Alaskawere the most anomalous, with Talkeetna near Denali National Park averaging morethan 4°F above the 30-year average.• The average maximum temperature was at least 0.5°F above the 30-year average atmore than two-thirds (68%) of the locations studied. Average maximumtemperatures in Pueblo and Alamosa, Colorado were 2.6°F above normal.• Overall, temperatures are not dropping at night as much now as they did in the past.Between 2000 and 2006, the average minimum temperature was at least 0.5°Fabove the 30-year average at 80% of the locations studied. Albuquerque, NewMexico and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan reported average minimum temperaturesof more than 3°F above normal.Even though the IPCC identified significant risks with continued global warming, thepanel also concluded that “many impacts can be avoided, reduced, or delayed” by quicklyand significantly reducing global warming pollution. To protect future generations, theUnited States should:Cap global warming emissions. The United States should establish mandatory, sciencebasedlimits on carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants that reduce totalemissions from today’s levels by the end of the decade, by at least 15-20% by 2020, and by atleast 80% by 2050.Adopt complementary clean energy policies to reduce global warming emissions. Toachieve these reductions, the United States should adopt strong policies and financialincentives to improve energy efficiency and increase the use of clean, renewable energy.   http://www.environmentiowa.org/reports/global-warming/global-warming-reports/feeling-the-heat Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:04:51 -0500 http://www.environmentiowa.org/reports/global-warming/global-warming-reports/when-it-rains-it-pours-global-warming-and-the-rising-frequency-of-extreme-precipitation-in-the-united-states Scientists expect that global warming will cause a variety of http://www.environmentiowa.org/reports/global-warming/global-warming-reports/when-it-rains-it-pours-global-warming-and-the-rising-frequency-of-extreme-precipitation-in-the-united-states Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:07:04 -0600