For many Americans, summer still reminds of the images of “those lazy, hazy, crazy summers”, romanticized by the legendary Nat King Cole: hot dogs, picnics, wild beer, beer and girls on the beach in bikini. [emphasis, links added]
But for many media, summer is a time when people panic about the deadly threat of heat waves, which will continue to get worse until the world stops using fossil fuels.
However, new research expresses doubts about the theory that carbon dioxide levels are the main driver of temperature rise.
A phenomenon called the “urban heat island effect” [UHI effect]According to the study, it may contribute more to global warming than originally thought. As populations in the region begin to rise, temperatures start to rise.
If true, it means efforts to reduce fossil fuels, experts warn that this means more frequent power outages and impossible industries are impossible and may not be completely effective in reducing temperatures.
Media headlines come from the same person choir
Bloomberg News Some isolated areas will experience heat waves in the coming days, reports Sunday.
“Sharp conditions threaten the tax grid, withered crops and soaring energy prices on three continents.” Bloomberg warn.
There is no mention in this article that crops in multiple regions have seen record yields on the trend that has lasted for decades.
The Associated Press reported last week that summer will bring “disease, death, crop loss and tensions in energy and health care systems.” The article takes world weather as a source of these warnings, a team of climate activists who are developing research aimed at winning climate lawsuits against oil companies.
“If fossil fuels are not phased out, heat waves will continue to become increasingly severe, frequent, and protective measures will lose their effectiveness,” he said. The Associated Press article warned.
Dr. Matt Wielicki, former assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama, told Just news Data on UHI have largely been overlooked as too much money is being used to study the impact of greenhouse gas emissions and renewable projects to replace fossil fuels.
“It’s hard to regulate development and cities, no one will demolish cities and dismantle airports, right? Williki said.
Ignore “urban heat island”
Wielicki offers some examples of recent headlines guardian and San Francisco Chronicles In his “fossil fuel”, the sensational heat and blamed it on his “Irrational fear“replace.
“These sensational stories conveniently ignore the key context: urbanization and land use changes, not greenhouse gases [greenhouse gas] concentration, driving most of the observed warming. Airports and city centers, common locations for temperature measurements, amplified thermal readings due to extensive concrete and vegetation reductions. ” Willick wrote.
The urban heat island effect is a well-known phenomenon, and researchers have been studying its effects for decades. As the region's population increases, the development volume also increases.
Concrete and asphalt in roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructures raise temperatures. The air conditioner cools the space by removing heat and then pops it out of the building, which is believed to increase the city temperature as well.
New research conducted by climate scientists at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) found that the warming role of urbanization may have a greater role in raising temperatures than many media allow.
The study was published in peer review Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatefound that between 1895 and 2023, 65% of the total warming trend was due to increased population density in suburban and urban meteorological stations.
According to the study, the increase in population density accounts for 8% of the total warming of rural stations.
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