If you felt this summer was especially brutal, the data proves you were right. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the continental United States just endured its hottest summer on record, averaging three degrees Fahrenheit above normal. When factoring in historical ice core and lake sediment data, scientists suggest this may be the hottest the planet has been in 125,000 years. This “man-made fever” has manifested in incredibly destructive ways, fueling record wildfires in the Northwest, massive tick populations on hiking trails, and devastating flash floods from Texas to New York City. Looking ahead, a growing El Niño in the Pacific threatens further devastation, bringing the potential for severe erosion and mudslides along the California coast. These grim milestones arrive as the United Nations announces that humanity is on track to break the Paris Accord promise of holding global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, political leaders, including President Trump, continue to draw sharp criticism for denying climate science and protecting major polluters. Experts warn that for the rest of our lives, the question is no longer if more extreme heat is coming, but how much and how fast.
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