Record Heat Last Summer, Flooding
This Summer: Global Warming Wreaking Havoc with San Antonio Weather
San Antonio, Texas—San
Antonio ranked 4th in the nation for cities
with excessive heat days last summer, according to a new report released today
by Environment Texas. Environment Texas said the warmer-than-normal weather last summer and
flooding this summer is indicative of what Texas can expect with continued global
warming.
“Throw out the record books, because global warming is
raising temperatures and wreaking havoc with our weather in Texas and across the country,” said Environment
Texas Director Luke Metzger. “The long-term forecast is for more of the same unless
we quickly and significantly reduce global warming pollution from power plants
and passenger vehicles,” continued Metzger.
According to the National
Climatic Data
Center, the 2006 summer
and 2006 overall were the second warmest on record for the lower 48 states. 2007 is on track to be the second warmest
year on record globally.
To examine recent temperature patterns in the United States,
Environment Texas compared temperature data for the years 2000-2006 from 255
weather stations located in all 50 states and Washington, DC with temperatures
averaged over the 30 years spanning 1971-2000, or what scientists call the
“normal” temperature.
Key findings for San
Antonio include:
- Over the course of 2006, San Antonio experienced 151 days where the
temperature hit at least 90°F, 38 days more than the historical average. This ranked San Antonio 4th in the nation
(tied with Austin)
for number of excessive heat days. Heat waves have serious implications for
human health, causing heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and even death.
- San
Antonio ranked 9th in the nation recording average
maximum temperatures — the highest temperatures recorded on a given day —above normal.
During 2006, average maximum temperature in San Antonio was 4.2°F above normal.
- San
Antonio experienced average minimum temperatures — the
lowest temperatures recorded on a given day, usually at night — of 2.6°F above
normal in 2006. Warmer nighttime
temperatures exacerbate the public health effects of heat waves, since people
need cooler nighttime temperatures to recover from excessive heat exposure
during the day.
- San
Antonio’s above-average temperatures in 2006 are part
of a broader warming trend since 2000.
Between 2000 and 2006, the average temperature was 1.4°F above the
30-year average in San Antonio. Nationally, the average temperature during
this seven year period was at least 0.5°F above normal at 87% of the locations
studied.
In April 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change found that North America could
experience significant heavy precipitation, forest fires, and “an increased
number, intensity, and duration of heat waves” as temperatures continue to rise.
“Scientists are sounding alarm bells about the impacts of
continued global warming,” stated Metzger.
“The good news is that those same scientists say we can avoid the worst
effects of global warming by taking bold action now to reduce global warming
pollution,” continued Metzger.
This
“report documents a clear pattern of increasing temperature extremes, and thus
adds to the growing body of evidence that confirms studies and projections of
the IPCC and the Union of Concerned Scientists,” said Professor Emeritus
William E. Kurtin, of Trinity
University’s Biochemistry
Department. “The recommendations for changes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
are all viable options that should be promoted. For the state of Texas, the further
development of alternative energy technologies will likely result in economic
stimuli that will more than offset loss of revenue from the decreasing use of
fossil fuels”.
To avoid the worst consequences of global warming, the United States
must halt increases in global warming emissions now, cut emissions by at least
15-20% by 2020, and slash emissions by at least 80% by 2050.
“The better news is that we have the technology at our
fingertips to cut global warming pollution and forge a cleaner, more secure
energy future,” said Metzger.
The United
States could substantially reduce its global
warming pollution by using existing technologies to make power plants,
businesses, homes, and cars more efficient and generate more electricity from
clean, renewable sources, such as wind and solar power.
Congress is poised to consider global warming legislation
this fall. The Safe Climate Act in the U.S.
House and the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act in the U.S. Senate are the
only bills that would reduce pollution to levels that scientists say are needed
to prevent the worst effects of global warming.
“The heat is on Congress to take decisive action to curb
global warming,” stated Metzger. “Environment
Texas calls
on Representative Charlie Gonzalez to support the only bill that does what
scientists say we need to do—the Safe Climate Act,” concluded Metzger.
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Environment Texas is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy
organization.
