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“This Is Just the Beginning”: Forest Fires, Deadly Storms, Record Heat Reveal a Changed Climate

Dandelion Salad

High Park fire

Image by Official U.S. Air Force via Flickr

Jul 3, 2012 by

DemocracyNow.org – The past two weeks have witnessed the worst forest fires in Colorado history, a deadly Mid-Atlantic storm that left 23 dead and four million without power, and a record shattering heatwave across the East Coast and Midwest that has not seen since the Dust Bowl. More than 2,000 heat records have been broken in the past week. As the words extreme weather flash across TV screens, where are the other two words: global warming? We speak to The Guardian’s U.S. environment correspondent Suzanne Goldenberg and Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at the Weather Underground website. “I think it’s important for the public to hear that what we’re seeing now is the future. We’re going to be seeing a lot more weather like this, a lot more impacts like we’re seeing from this series of heat waves, fires and storms,” Masters said. “I think we’re missing a big opportunity here, our TV meteorologists are to educate and tell the population what is likely to happen. This is just the beginning — this kind of summer weather we’re having.”

“This Is The Beginning”: Forest Fires, Deadly Storms, Heatwave Show

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“This Is The Beginning”: Forest Fires, Deadly Storms, Heatwave Show

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DemocracyNow.org – As we discuss the spate of extreme weather in the United States, the author and professor Christian Parenti argues that the Republican-led assault on the public sector will leave states more vulnerable to global warming’s effects. “Another thing missing from these discussions — it’s not just the words ‘climate change,’ but the words ‘public sector,'” Parenti says. “I mean, who’s out there fighting these fires? It’s the public sector. Where do people go when there are these cooling centers? It’s the public sector. … This assault on the public sector must be linked to climate change.” We’re also joined by The Guardian’s U.S. environment correspondent Suzanne Goldenberg and by Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at the Weather Underground website.

Climate Disasters’ Toll Worsened by Sustained Attacks on Public

see

Time to Get Crazy by Chris Hedges

Commencement 2012 by Gary Olson

Hope in a Changing Climate + Rwanda: Forests of Hope

Weird Winter – Mad March

The Crisis of Civilization (must-see)

Michael Parenti: Privatization of Libya + The Face of Imperialism + Christian Parenti: Tropic of Chaos

Global Warming on Dandelion Salad