The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😉
Heatwave Conoco…Brought to You by Big Oil
Dear Diary. Other people besides yours truly are getting in on rather clever blame games for current heatwaves, and no we are not just pointing fingers at Mother Nature.
As a reminder, here is more on my efforts to sarcastically finger oil companies for climate change:
Billboards are going up across hot U.S. cities, blaming big oil for exacerbating a heatwave I’ve dubbed Heatwave Conoco (Phillips):
Here is more on this effort from Common Dreams:
US Billboard Campaign Blasts Fossil Fuel Giants for Causing Extreme Heat (commondreams.org)
A billboard in Austin, Texas shows a U.S. map with high temperatures across the nation.
(Photo: Fossil Free Media)
US Billboard Campaign Blasts Fossil Fuel Giants for Causing Extreme Heat
“From Alaska to Maui, our communities are struggling to survive the rapidly worsening impacts of the climate crisis, all the while, Big Oil is raking in billions at our expense.”
By JULIA CONLEY
Aug 24, 2023
As about 111 million people in nearly two dozen states continued to face heat advisories, with temperatures reaching as high at 115°F in some cities, the nonprofit media lab Fossil Free Media unveiled a multicity campaign with one simple goal: ensuring that all Americans understand that the intense heatwaves across much of the country this summer have not been a natural phenomenon, but the result of continued fossil fuel extraction.
Starting Thursday drivers along stretches of highway in Phoenix, Arizona; Austin, Texas; and Fresno, California will pass by prominent billboards displaying a map of record-breaking temperatures that have been recorded across the U.S. this summer.
Fresno drivers will be reminded of a 109°F day in their city while those in Phoenix will see 117°F plastered over their hometown on the map, accompanied by the words, “Brought to you by Big Oil” and ThankYouBigOil.com.
That website redirects to Fossil Free Media’s (FFM) Stop the Oil Profiteering (STOP) project, where visitors can read about the estimated cost of climate-related disasters such as hurricanes, extreme heat, and wildfires—over $600 billion from 2016-20 alone—and the 5,000 people killed by such events in that same time period.
“The fossil fuel industry has known for decades that their products are fueling climate change and extreme weather, yet they have failed to act,” reads the website. “Instead, major oil and gas companies continue to invest billions into new projects that lock in decades more fossil fuel extraction while our communities take the heat… literally.”
Jamie Henn, director of the organization, said on social media that the public “needs to understand that this summer’s brutal heatwave was brought to you by Big Oil.”
The World Weather Attribution said last month that the heatwaves experienced by people across the U.S. and Europe in July would have been “virtually impossible” without the climate crisis, which scientists have for years said is being fueled by heat-trapping emissions from oil, gas, and coal extraction.
The organization also reported this week that wildfires in eastern Canada in recent weeks were made twice as likely by the climate emergency, which as STOP said, has created “tinderbox conditions” by making droughts longer and more intense.
“From Alaska to Maui, our communities are struggling to survive the rapidly worsening impacts of the climate crisis, all the while, Big Oil is raking in billions at our expense,” said Cassidy DiPaola, spokesperson for FFM and STOP. “There’s no denying that this summer’s brutal heatwaves are being fueled by the same Big Oil companies who are spreading climate disinformation and blocking much needed climate progress.”
More than 100 people in the U.S. have died of heat-related causes so far this year, and weather experts have continued to report high temperatures throughout August after July set a world record for the hottest month in recorded history.
Jennifer Falcon, a resident of Austin, told FFM that the climate crisis has emerged as an economic justice issue in her community as Texas broke its all-time record for power consumption last month, with people across the state struggling to stay cool.
“Texans are paying 800% more to cool their homes during the extreme heat that blankets our state,” she said. “This means choosing between food on the table or cooling your home to mitigate health impacts from the sweltering heat while Big Oil profits.”
As millions of people in the U.S. faced sweltering temperatures this summer—raising the risk of heat-related illness and even severe contact burns—ExxonMobil reported $7.9 billion in profits, its second-highest profit margin for a second quarter in over a decade.
Along with the billboards, STOP unveiled an ad showcasing the Big Oil’s link to the climate extremes Americans are increasingly at risk of facing.
“Record heatwaves? You can thank Big Oil for that,” said STOP. “Deadly wildfires? Yep, that’s Big Oil. Catastrophic storms? Smog-covered cities? You guessed it—Big Oil.”
The group is one of several scheduled to lead a March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City on September 17, with the rally being held as the United Nations holds a Climate Ambition Summit.
Aimed at pressuring U.S. President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency, Fossil Free Media said the march is expected to be “the largest climate action since before the pandemic.”
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Julia Conley is a staff writer for Common Dreams.
Here is the latest summary of Heatwave Conoco written by my friend Andrew Friedman writing for Axios via Desdemona Despair:
Heat dome shatters all-time U.S. records as Europe roasts – “Brutal” heat wave brings triple-digit temperatures from Chicago to New Orleans – 110 million people exposed to dangerous heat
Map showing the heat index forecast in the United States on 24 August 2023. 110 million people in the U.S. were exposed to dangerous heat today. Graphic: The Washington Post
By Andrew Freedman
24 August 2023
(Axios) – In a summer featuring countless heat domes and record-high temperatures and heat indices, the season appears to have saved the worst for last.
The big picture: A sweltering, stagnant air mass is draped across the Central U.S., resulting in “dangerous,” “searing” and “brutal” heat. Meanwhile, southern Europe is also seeing another bout of extreme heat.
- Globally, August is headed for another monthly heat record.
- In some areas, the heat dome smothering the region is yielding heat indices of 120°F to 130°F, setting records dating back to 1950 and beyond.
- Historical weather data indicates that the heat dome is stronger than that seen in August 1936 (during the Dust Bowl-era), though land-use and drought helped make for warmer local surface temperatures back then.
State of play: Heat relief will begin to move into portions of the Midwest between Thursday and Friday, as the heat dome begins retreating southward.
- However, relief is expected to be slow in arriving from Missouri southward to the Gulf Coast, including Texas.
- New Orleans, for example, is forecast to see highs in the low-100’s°F through Sunday. The NWS reported Tuesday that about two-thirds of the last 72 days this summer have had heat indices greater than 108°F.
NWS forecast map for daily high temperatures on 24 August 2023. Historical weather data indicates that the heat dome was stronger than that seen in August 1936, during the Dust Bowl-era. Graphic: Pivotal Weather
By the numbers: As of Thursday morning, about 143 million people were under extreme heat alerts, from Chicago to New Orleans — which tied for its all-time hottest day on record on Wednesday.
Eye-popping stat: In the continental U.S., at least 100 heat records are being set or tied per day this week, with that blistering pace expected to continue into the weekend.
Threat level: Extreme heat is the top weather-related killer in the U.S. during a typical year, the National Weather Service has found.
- “This heat wave will pose a greater health risk than usual, and be potentially deadly, due to multiple consecutive days of extreme heat, the intensity of the heat, and lack of overnight cooling associated with record warm overnight lows,” the NWS warns.
Zoom in: In Des Moines this week, city schools moved outdoor activities to the morning and evening hours, and emergency cooling centers are open to help people escape the dangerous conditions, Axios Des Moines’ Linh Ta reported.
- In the Twin Cities, parks departments canceled outdoor fitness classes, and a horse racing track pushed its evening start time back by 90 minutes.
- In Minneapolis, temperatures are expected to hit the high 90s with heat index values soaring above 110. As a result, forecasters have warned that roads could buckle.
- In Indianapolis, where Thursday’s forecast high temp of 98°F would tie the record-high set for Aug. 24 in 1936, residents were told to limit their time outdoors; park facilities have become cooling centers.
Map showing several record high heat index temperatures set in Iowa on 23 August 2023, with record surface temperatures of 100°F in Des Moines, 101°F in Mason City and 105°F in Waterloo. Combining these temperatures with the high humidity, these were the max heat index values today with some areas more than 120°F degrees. Graphic: NWS
For the record: In Oklahoma on Monday, one observing site in the northeastern part of the state recorded a heat index record of 127°F.
- In Sioux Falls, S.D., the overnight minimum temperature of 81°F early Tuesday tied the record for the hottest such temperature on record, per the NWS.
- And in Lawrence, Kansas, the heat index hit 134°F Sunday after the air temperature reached 102°F.
- Chicago O’Hare Airport set a daily record on Aug. 23 when the temperature reached 98°F as heat indices hit 108°F to 120°F across the region.
Zoom out: In France, where red heat alerts are in effect this week, a preliminary record was set for the country’s hottest temperature recorded in August, with 111.5°F (44.2°C) in Siran.
- A staggering count of more than 100 all-time heat records were tied or broken Wednesday, including a high temperature of 103.6 (42.4°C) in Toulouse. This followed other all-time heat records set or tied Monday and Tuesday.
- In the Alps, a record-high freezing level was noted in Switzerland, meaning any snowpack or glaciers in the area were experiencing melting — even at the highest altitudes.
Meanwhile, Greece’s civil protection minister said the country is experiencing “the worst summer for fires since records began” after over 350 wildfires ignited over the past five days amid extreme heat, per the New York Times. [more]
“Brutal” heat wave brings triple-digit temperatures from Chicago to New Orleans
Much More:
Here are some “ET’s” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
Notes on the active tropics:
Here is more climate and weather news from Friday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)
Today’s News on Sustainable and Traditional Polluting Energy from Fossil Fuel:
More on the Environment:
More from the Weather Department:
(From last night):