The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme 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 record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😉
Main Topic: Last Thoughts Concerning the Most Important Election for Climate to Date
Dear Diary. Today is election day eve for the United States. Soon after November 5th we will know if our country embraces democracy and casts off populist Trump for good, or whether the country goes further down an authoritative fascistic path. Ever since the 2018 midterm elections the U.S. has managed to hold onto rule by the Democrats such that we kept the 2015 Climate Parris Accords intact, first by flipping the House in 2018 holding Trump in check, then ousting Trump himself in 2020. That election led to Biden, who implemented the best pro climate governmental program to date via the Inflation Reduction Act. During the election of 2022 a “red wave” did not materialize such that Democrats kept the Senate but lost enough House seats such that Republicans gained control of that governmental body.
Which brings us to 2024. Despite a record hot summer and two deadly fall hurricanes in Helene and Milton, the climate issue is around the bottom twenty on lists of public priorities. The economy, border issues, and governmental corruption and overreach are top issues. That leaves me thinking, how bad do conditions have to deteriorate before people in mass demand climate action? That question might be answered well before the 2028 election, I fear. In any case, Trump has been such a bad candidate, particularly after last weekend’s misogynistic and racist Madison Square rally, that Kamala Harris should win. But by how many votes and if she does win, will Democrats also carry the House and Senate?
Looking at the state of the race, it is likely that the House flips back to the Democrats while the Senate, because Democrats have to defend so many races, gets into Republican hands. A split Congress will make it difficult for either Harris or Trump to push through agendas.
That said, even Dr. Michael Mann has stated that a second Trump presidency would be the final nail in a livable climate coffin, and I agree. Most climate people, particularly millennials and Generation Z folks who will be affected by a changing climate the most, know this and have already voted. If by the tiniest chance that you have not, get out there and do your civic duty on Tuesday.
Here are more “ETs” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
Here is more brand-new October 2024 climatology (More can be found on each past archived daily November post.):
Here is More Climate News from Monday:
(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.)