I don’t know where you are right now, but if it is anywhere north of the equator, you are undoubtedly melting away. I’ve been so caught up in the heat wave hitting Los Angeles (record temperatures of 118 this weekend) that I didn’t realize the entire planet was suffering likewise.
Okay, not the entire planet, but a good chunk of it according to this article from The Times (UK) titled appropriately enough, The World on Heat. Here’s the lead paragraph…
From San Francisco to Siberia, high temperatures have been melting electricity equipment, starting forest fires and killing people. The heat waves have coincided with a series of studies of global warming, none of which are optimistic.
Rather scary if you ask me. The article is short, but mentions some of the worldwide problems going on right now as a result of the heat. In France, for example, nuclear reactors are trying to keep up with the demand for electricity that’s always associated with heat waves by pumping hot water into rivers before it has had the chance to cool down.
More importantly, the article links to a handful of global warming studies and the Sisyphean efforts some are undertaking to stop this–such as the scientists in Austria who are covering parts of the Stubai glacier with a felt-like material to prevent it from melting and thus, decreasing Austria’s profitable ski season.
Ah, our wonderful planet. Be sure to get out and see some of it before it spontaneous combusts.