Dangerous Temperatures Grip New York City

I love the hysteria! It is summer time, it gets hot.

Field notes from a catastrophe,Elizabeth Kolbert ,2006, not out of date ...

Major reason I moved to Maine from Brooklyn. Give me 20 F. over 80 F any day. I can always bundle up in winter. But the law requires me to have minimal body coverings (otherwise not a pretty sight!) in summer in most public places...

I wonder what is causing this Climate Change? Could it be selective-ignorance?

I’m in Ann Arbor MI where the Art Fair is going on. For 40 years this has been the weather this weekend so it’s nothing unusual for us. Horrible, but normal.

Fossil fuel causes excess heat causes air conditioners on all day powered by fossil fuel.

For those who still support this administration that withdrew from the restraints of the Paris Climate Accord and the GOP that denies scientific evidence that humans are exacerbating climate change, you might want to educate yourselves with FACTS. And remember, the people who are making the rules are doing so because YOU voted for them!

We've known for how long that we would start to experience hotter summers, fewer cool evenings, and other assorted changes because of what we've done? And has this country done anything at all to improve the electrical grid, improve public transportation, build smart homes that are affordable, or even try to wean us off of automobiles, etc.? No, instead of doing anything our politicians have been manipulated by the fossil fuel industry, the auto industry, and others that researchers are alarmists and liars. The tobacco companies taught them well.

Overweight people suffer a lot more from heat because they are basically wearing a winter coat they can't take off. 100 degrees is not a problem at all for a fit, healthy person. Also, air conditioning should be regulated to make it illegal and technically impossible to cool down a place below 75 degrees. Nobody needs to have it any cooler, and wasting so much energy to create a freezer where you then have to wear a sweater is borderline criminal.

Years ago in south FL it was never climate change it was always about El Niño. Now the media has decided climate change is the fad and never mentions El Niño. And that guy Mann who falsifies data in PA and East Anglia is always available for a quote.

Trump: Global warming is still a hoax, because my office is only 70 degrees and it's very comfortable to stay in. Whoever advocates the green new deal should be sent back!

Finally, it got hot here in Seattle. It was the first time in weeks I could wear shorts. But I still had to wear a hoody to the store tonight and I had to wear two indoors last night because it got cold. I love all the global warming deniers in the comments below. That's right. I'm talking to you. I'm talking to all of the people who go on and on about the world coming to an end because of climate change and how its all the fault of Trump and his supporters. Then you guys hop into your big cars and trucks, commute an hour or more to work each way, and turn on your A/C further contributing to the problem hoping it will either go away or that someone else will solve the problem. But the problem starts and ends with you every time you fill up or hop onto a plane and fly away. This paper has article after article about global warming and the impending doom. Then, just a few sections away they try and entice us to fly to Prague for a get away or any number of places. ?? The 2 biggest preachers of global warming are Al Gore and Bill Gates. Both fly around in private jets lecturing people. Bill tells high school kids to learn to turn the heat down indoors and wear a hoody. Ride a bike to work he says. Then, he flies back to his 24 bathroom home with the indoor heated pool. He has never heard of something called Skype and has no idea how to communicate to others without flying around. Same for Al Gore. I will be a believer when I see you park your car.

Here in the desert of California where temperatures usually soar into the 120s for weeks during the summer, we have had a super cool summer by comparison, only a few days above 100 and the nights at around 60. Very Very strange. Very strange. We love it!

This heat index thing doesn't really work. 90 degrees and 80% humidity gives you a heat index of 113 degrees. I've been in both 90 degrees and high humidity and 113 degrees and low humidity. One makes you sweat. The other feels like you're in an oven. They are just not the same, not even close.

These intensifying heat waves are happening at a rise in temperature of around 1 degree C above preindustrial temperature. Because of the momentum in Earth's energy system and climate, and our inability to stop increasing emissions, we're headed towards a rise of 3 degrees C or more. Only 4 degrees C separates preindustrial temperature from the glaciations when mile thick ice sheets carved out places like Cape Cod and Yosemite Valley. We are in the process of creating a world virtually unrecognizable to current generations. And we won't like it.

I am sitting in the north central part of the nation, far away from extreme heat, torrential rains and high enough that oceans rising have no concern for me. Using an electric car when a bicycle is inconvenient, closing the house up during the day and opening it at night to cool off. Climate change is here and where you live and how you live are important if you want to be one of the last humans to inhabit the earth.

"... urban heat island effect...heat absorbed by asphalt and concrete makes cities significantly hotter than nearby suburbs — particularly at night, when the temperature gap can be as wide as 22 degrees...." - potential energy source if cities were designed for efficiency

You quote the plaintive lament of the park worker, "The bills have to be paid," who must work out in the open on one of the hottest days of the year. Not everyone can slip quickly into air-conditioned comfort and feel the caress of cool, breathable air. The tragedy we face is that the group that has the power to ameliorate the deteriorating progressive warming of our world consists of rich politicians, led by Trump and enabling Republicans, who are able to escape the painfully oppressive heat. Trump laughs off the reality of climate change as a hoax and settles comfortably into his quarters with the air-conditioning blasting away. To ignore what we all can see happening , which experts, the scientific community, concur is happening is typical cruelty from the legislators that now wield power in Washington. If Trump wins in 2020 , there is little chance that we shall begin to try and stop the heat which kills. Another four years and it will be too late to slow global warming down. In poorer countries, such as India, where workers must work long hours to survive, and the heat is worse, many have already been killed by this weather. And we cannot forget that not only heat is a problem but also hurricanes , tornadoes, and floods. And our ignoramus in charge still says coal is beautiful and more must be mined. How can our leaders allow such disasters to spread not only in our country but all over the world?

A few tips from a Phoenix resident: You can do your regular workout by slowing it down a bit and drinking plenty of water. If you work out at night, it won't feel as bad as the temperature suggests. To the extent possible, outdoor workers should go home by 1 pm. The hottest time of day is not noon. It is around 4 pm. Do what you can to stay in the shade. An umbrella is a good idea. A second shower will cool you off for a good while. If you work the day in air conditioning, the heat won't much affect you. And if worse comes to worst, and your air conditioning isn't working, turn on every fan in the house and you will survive. Extreme heat is mostly about discomfort. Heat-related deaths are far more common than heat-caused deaths. Heat doesn't cause many deaths at all.

Here west of Chicago our high was 96 with a heat index of 105 with the humidity. Tomorrow our high will be just 80 with storms. Hang in there NY you'll be getting our storms and cooler weather Monday.

I guess too many folks don’t realize the existential threat and reality of the now here climate change. Millions will die, perhaps a billion could be displaced. When there has been such threats groups, nations, civilizations act decisively. Shamefully, our country and others refuse to recognize the need now for change after years of corruption in our politics and others by greed. If we are suppose to be the greatest country on the planet shouldn’t we lead the way and take on a large scale effort to change our energy use? We built a interstate highway system across 48 states, we’ve gone to the moon, it’s time to face our next greatest challenge.

I have been in HVAC Service Industry for forty years , in the New York Metro area , this heat wave could cripple the power grid , and create Mass Outages. We need to build more power plants , solar and wind power is not enough to get us through record heat and humidity .

Up from the Skies Jim I Hendrix 1967 “I have lived here before, the days of ice And of course this is why I'm so concerned And I come back to find the stars misplaced And the smell of a world that is burned A smell of a world that is burned Yeah well, maybe, hmm Maybe it's just a change of climate Hmm, hmm Well I can dig it I can dig it baby I just want to see So where do I purchase my ticket? I'd just like to have a ringside seat I want to know about the new Mother Earth I want to hear and see everything I want to hear and see everything I want to hear and see everything” We all have a ringside seat, as do our children, theirs, generation after generation while the water slowly boils the frog.

I’m a New Yorker. I write this from Cape Cod, staying literally 30 seconds from Cape Cod Bay, usually cool and breezy. It’s 9 PM, 80 degrees with 84 percent humidity. Locals say this is very rare. Fear it will be less rare from now on.

I had to attend an outdoor wedding (seriously) in Richmond, Va. today. Am not really sure why any sane bride would plan an outdoor wedding in July in Va. The heat index with humidity topped 110. I am so glad I wasn’t wearing the gown but definitely ready to get out of this sauna and get back to NM. But no global warming, fake news. Wedding cake, anyone?

We moved to Florida 6 months ago, I was afraid of a hot & humid summer. Looks like we landed in the right place!

Meanwhile, other parts of the news are abuzz with excitement around man's missions to the moon, but no mention of the associated CO2 emissions (and who knows what other pollutants)...

It is really hot here. Tomorrow isn’t going to be much better. I was supposed to go to NYC tomorrow but arranged my visit for an alternate weekend. It was just too hot to manage the trip. Stay safe and cool, everyone.

Pete Buttigieg sent out a terrific strong message today about climate change - how he would tackle it as we did getting a man on the moon, with many billions of dollars and many scientists, giving it an ambitious push, a huge focused coordinated project, to slow it all down, solve it, save this lovely all-too-hot planet of ours. We need that now, not the opposite, not the fool who cares not a whit about science, grandchildren, and a planet in great need. Buttigieg is the opposite of that fool, ready to heal not harm.

In 100 years every man, woman, and child on Earth will curse us. Climate change is real, humans had a chance to do something, and we refused to do so because the oil and coal lobbyists said we shouldn’t.

Voting for climate change mitigation is slowly becoming a life or death issue.

Late July and it's in the 90's. I mean I know the planet is getting hotter & water levels are rising, But this really isn't big news. It's summer and it's hot & humid. And now we went from 'real feel' to 'heat index' .. oh brother ........ get back to me when it's 103 and rising

Hasn't it sunken in yet among Trumpites that global warming with all of its consequences is actually happening and their standard bearer doesn't care? What will it take to wake them up?

It took “Mother Nature” 6 months to hear DT. He was asking where was global warming during the winter. She finally heard him.

Glad I live in the Pacific northwest, where we've had a cool and unusually cloudy July. At my daughter's swim meet a couple days ago it was in the 60s and raining. We were all freezing huddled under towels and umbrellas.

Kind of funny in a sad way. Almost half the country voted for a half-wit who doesn't believe in climate change. He's rolling back every piece of legislation he can that his predecessor put in place to fight it. Without all these regulations and laws, I'm making so much money now, they all say. Let's see if they live to spend it.

My genuine sympathies, just trying to stay warm down here. Certain parts of the world are getting a preview of the effects of a rapidly warming arctic region, not just in temperature but the longevity and expansiveness of the heat waves. The bad news is that it's not reversible but the good news is that it could be slowed down in a few decades if you get the right people running the place instead of those chosen by the oil companies.

I live in Austin where these temperatures are not uncommon. (Although this summer has been unusually temperate.) After many years, I've learned that simple things make a difference. Rise early and get lots of work done before the days sets in. Reserve the afternoon for quiet, still work in a dark room, preferably on the northern or easter side of the house. Use ceiling fans. Accustom yourself to air conditioners set no lower than 79 degrees. (You get used to it, especially with ceiling fans.) Take naps in the afternoon. Avoid driving or venturing out in the afternoon. Drink plenty of water.

All I'll say is that 115 is common for Phoenix. Actually we've been having a pretty late and cool summer. I believe in climate change and all. I'm just saying AZ's specific experience this summer isn't the best example of the effects of global warming (although maybe the climate is so messed up that it is just doing weird stuff rather than just warm stuff).

So, it's hot. It's summer. What I remember about NYC in the summer it that it's also muggy--humidity and dirt that just sticks to you. This was in the 60s. Nashville the same way, heat inversions with high humidity, but without the visible dirt. So how is it now? With a Clean Air law, has anything changed? I wouldn't think so just looking at all the gas guzzler ads on TV. The fossil fuel industry has doubled down on climate change--plus more cars on the road--to try and sell as many gas guzzlers as they can before sensible people (where are they) set strict limits. Is it true that SUVs are trucks and are not covered; and also pick-up trucks?? Flying across the country from Atlanta past Little Rock, there is a brown haze everywhere. In the East Bay here, there is a brown haze that lasts all summer (6 mos.). Even without warming, the Clean Air, Clean Water laws need to be enforced. And with warming, the United States pollutes the air 2-3 times more per capita than any other country, including China, where much of their pollution comes from making things for us. Don't be fooled by the rhetoric in the news. The main Criminality of the Trump administration is ignoring global warming, not to mention continued high rates of gun deaths, and kidnapping and locking kids in cages at the border. Even using their offices to enrich themselves is a minor distraction. They get away with this because of a rigged election system, including not allowing votes in Congress.

Incredibly, the humidity here in Phoenix this third week in July is only 12%. Typically the summer "monsoon" season sees humidity in the 30s. After the heat that is now east left here, the temperature actually fell slightly below normal, to about 104. But it will be back up to 112 by weeks end, so folks back east may be getting a second heat wave in about 2 more weeks. Remember: water, water, water. Foo-foo drinks are NOT substitutes for water.

Can someone enlighten me as to why anyone would travel to NYC or DC in the summer? A huge fan of both cities, I can’t imagine dealing with the heat and humidity, subways, or long lines for most attractions, anytime July-Aug.

Witherspoon Street in Princeton, NJ, normally bustles on a Saturday afternoon, but today it was nearly deserted. Comparatively, anyhow. It was nice actually being able to walk down the sidewalk without tripping over the leashes of little dogs and baby carriages. Seriously, though, my neighbors were up at 6:30 am mowing their lawns, trying to get a head start on the heat. Soon as one got the idea, they all hopped aboard. The irony of it! It's because of mowers and other gas powered things that we have this problem with climate change. People somehow think they can drive around the problem. Hey, leave the gas thing in the garage and use an electric (with a clean energy source) or some nail scissors, but don't just pump more Co2 into the air and rob your neighbors of sleep. That's just rude.

People really don't want to believe in global warming; we want the status quo and don't accept scientific arguments "from the elites." We'll think up any excuse that we can to explain why global warming is a hoax. There were temperatures like this 7 years ago ... Statistics say that the last 5 years are the warmest since careful measurements have been taken. 18 of the 19 warmest years were since 2001. But who believes in statistics. Do we start to have to record the number of people who die? Will this change a few minds? I wouldn't count on it. It'll have to get a lot worse before people will insist that their government do anything at all. Then, too late, people will ask, "why didn't THEY do anything?"

Just finished reading the book, "The Uninhabitable Earth" by David Wallace-Wells. I personally believe that man has had impact on the climate cycle, increasing the severity of global warming, or increasing the rate of global warming or accelerating global warming. Call it what you want. It is an interesting book. It doesn't talk about hypotheticals, it simply describes what is going to happen, death and destruction from heat, water, fire, starvation... on and on. We've done nothing to scale back our burning of fossil fuels so things are only going to get worse.

And we hear again in this paper and in the Opinion section repeatedly that radical change such as a Green New Deal that would address climate change is just not possible, we have to vote for a centrist for maybe incremental change at best. Climate change is real and it is an emergency and the US needs to address it now, to not do so is immoral.

From the Valley of the Sun/Phoenix: drink PLENTY of water if your health permits. Shoot for at least three quarts per day. Drink the first quart when you’re in the bathroom after just waking up. Can’t imagine doing it? Sit down on the toilet and slowly chug it. Down a second quart after you’ve been up for an hour. Shoot for quart #3 around noon and then you’ve got all afternoon to go for optional quart #4. Yes, wear loose clothing. Also wear a hat. Keep the pets inside. Paws burn fast on hot pavements. So too body temperatures. If strays want to sit nearby in the shade offer them cool water.