Sunday, July 25, 2021

APOCALYPSE RIGHT NOW: Times Opinion: Sassy Hot Maureen Dowd

Insert copy > One of my all-time faves!

 

By Maureen Dowd

Opinion Columnist

Apocalypse Right Now

Fire consumed a home as the Sugar Fire tore through Doyle, Calif., this month.

(Credit...Noah Berger/Associated Press

Start: "WASHINGTON — Holy smokes.

It feels like we are living through the first vertiginous 15 minutes of a disaster movie, maybe one called “The Day After Tomorrow Was Yesterday.”

Heat waves are getting hotter. Forests are ablaze. Floods are obliterating. An iceberg nearly half the size of Puerto Rico broke off from Antarctica.

Florida’s fleurs du mal, algal blooms known as red tide, have become more toxic because of pollution and climate change. They are responsible for killing 600 tons of marine life, leaving beaches strewn with reeking dead fish.

It’s Mad Max apocalyptic. Crazy storms that used to hit every century now seem quotidian, overwhelming systems that cannot withstand such a battering.

> The heat wave that stunned the Pacific Northwest, killing nearly 200 people, was followed by a bolt of lightning igniting the dry earth in Oregon. The Bootleg Fire has now devoured 400,000 acres, with flames so intense, they are creating their own weather pattern capable of sparking new fires. The smoke has traveled from the West to the East Coast, tainting the air.

> As Angela Merkel and President Biden touted a climate and energy partnership on her recent visit here, nature mocked them. While the two leaders had dinner, rains submerged huge swaths of Germany, including medieval towns. . .

Middle: The deluge in Henan Province in central China was so fierce that it crippled a large hospital, left subway riders up to their necks in water, affected three million people, displaced 250,000 from their homes and killed at least 33.
> Flash flooding had Brits wading in waist-high water in the London Underground.
> More scenes of devastation are unfolding in India, where at least 112 are dead after a monsoon triggered landslides.

As a New York Times story pointed out, whether systems were refurbished, like New York’s subways after Hurricane Sandy, or operating on fumes from the Victorian era, like London’s drainage system, it didn’t matter. The storms overwhelmed both the new and the old.

> There are wildfires raging in Siberia, and California is becoming Crematoria.

> After Jeff Bezos shot 65 miles above Texas in his priapic rocket, the richest earthling marveled about our atmosphere: “When you get up above it, what you see is, it’s actually incredibly thin. It’s this tiny, little fragile thing, and as we move about the planet, we’re damaging it. That’s a very profound — it’s one thing to recognize that intellectually. It’s another thing to actually see with your eyes how fragile it really is.”

Remember when the weather was just a matter of small talk, or a cool lyric for a Cole Porter song, “Too Darn Hot,” or a great double entendre title for a Billy Wilder comedy, “Some Like It Hot”? Now, the scariest thing on TV is the Weather Channel.

We’ve been living in a culture of dread for a long time now. Republicans have been weaponizing fear, trying to scare us about gays and transgender rights and ambitious women and people with darker skin.

When fear doesn’t have a basis in reality, it is deeply irresponsible and causes great social damage.

. . .“Everything we worried about is happening, and it’s all happening at the high end of projections, even faster than the previous most pessimistic estimates,” John Holdren, a professor of environmental policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, contended in an interview with The Los Angeles Times. . .

 

Finish: It may be too late for negotiating incremental change.
> We just went through four years of proudly unscientific Donald Trump, who once told me, “I’m not a believer in man-made climate change.” (Who can forget when he attacked Greta Thunberg and told her to “chill!”) As the planet sizzles, many Americans have gone from not caring to glazing over, from indifference to fatigue.

There have been spots of progress.

> Antediluvian Republicans can no longer destroy opponents who worry about climate change by mocking them as sandal-wearing tree-huggers.

> In January, G.M. rocked the auto industry when it revealed plans to phase out petroleum-powered cars and trucks and move to zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The Times story about it was a pre-obituary for gas guzzlers, saying, “The days of the internal combustion engine are numbered.”

But there are still plenty of Republicans shilling for Big Oil and pushing back against climate change provisions in the big legislation before Congress. As we go through the debilitating politics of Covid, we have to go through the debilitating politics of the environment. Scary plagues are ravaging the planet while drivelers drivel.

Some hope technology can save us.

In Dubai, scientists are plotting to combat heat waves in several ways: sending aircraft to fire chemicals such as silver iodide into clouds to spur precipitation, and sending drones to zap an electrical charge into the clouds to trigger rain.

> Making waterfalls in the desert sounds cool until you think about it. Torquing Mother Nature to clean up our messes can’t end well.

Après moi, le déluge."

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.
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Why The Russia Federation wants to restore the Soviet borders: Just like any other Nation in the name of "Old Glory"

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About that "Heat Dome"...No Need Anymore for A Second-Hand Source

No doubt about it - that event happened. There is no denying that - seeing is believing and the good news is that heatwaves are now on people’s radars a bit more, just a bit more. . .
One recent article said, "It’s a teachable moment in many ways for the public that climate change is here and now and dangerous. It isn’t our grandchildren’s problem, it’s our problem. But it’s been a teachable moment for climate scientists too.”
The most extensive heatwave of a scorching summer is set to descend upon much of America in the coming week, further roasting areas already gripped by severe drought, plunging reservoirs and wildfires.
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National Weather Service

Flash Flood Threat to Persist in the 4-Corners; Heat Threat in Several Regions

The threat of flash flooding will continue to exist into Monday across the Southwest into the the central Rockies as monsoon conditions persist. Dangerous heat will be in place across the Intermountain West, northern Plains, and into the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi River Valley into early week. Read More >

Southern Florida NE Gulf N of 25N E of 87W Gulf from 22N to 25N E of 87W including Straits of Florida NW Gulf including Stetson Bank N Central Gulf including Flower Garden Banks Marine Sanctuary W Central Gulf from 22N to 26N W of 94W Central Gulf from 22N to 26N between 87W and 94W Atlantic from 27N to 31N W of 77W Atlantic from 27N to 31N between 70W and 77W Atlantic from 27N to 31N between 65W and 70W Bahamas N of 22N including the Cay Sal Bank Atlantic from 22N to 27N E of Bahamas to 70W Tropical N Atlantic from 15N to 19N between 55W and 60W Caribbean N of 18N between 76W and 85W including the Cayman Basin Caribbean N of 18N between 76W and 85W including the Cayman Basin Caribbean approaches to the Windward Passage Atlantic S of 22N W of 70W including approaches to the Windward Passage Newport/Morehead City, NC Brownsville, TX Corpus Christi, TX Houston/Galveston, TX New Orleans, LA Lake Charles, LA Mobile, AL Tallahassee, FL Tampa, FL Miami, FL Key West, FL Florida Keys Miami, FL Melbourne, FL Jacksonville, FL Charleston, SC Wilmington, NC Baltimore/Washington, DC Wakefield, VA Philadelphia/Mt. Holly, PA/NJ New York, NY Boston, MA Gray/Portland, ME Intra Coastal Waters from Schoodic Point ME to Stonington ME Coastal Waters from Schoodic Point ME to Stonington ME out 25 NM Waters from Eastport ME to Stonington ME from 25 to 40 NM Northeast Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin Northern Michigan Northern Michigan Northern Michigan East Central Wisconsin - Green Bay East Central Wisconsin - Green Bay Southern and Southeastern Wisconsin Northeastern Illinois and Northwestern Indiana - Chicago Northern Indiana and Northwestern Ohio Southwestern Michigan Northeast Michigan - Gaylord Northeast Michigan - Gaylord Northeast Michigan - Gaylord Southeastern Michigan - Detroit Southeastern Michigan - Detroit Southeastern Michigan - Detroit Northern Ohio Western New York - Buffalo Western New York - Buffalo Northern Michigan Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA San Francisco Bay Area/Monterey, CA Eureka, CA Medford, OR Portland, OR Seattle, WA Los Angeles Area Los Angeles Area Los Angeles Area Los Angeles Area Los Angeles Area Los Angeles Area South Central California San Francisco Area Western Nevada North Central California Northwest California Coast Southwest Oregon and Northern California Northeast Oregon and Southeast Washington Northwest Oregon Northwest Washington Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho Southern Nevada, Southeastern California and Northwestern Arizona - Las Vegas Southwestern California - San Diego Central Arizona and California Deserts Southeast Arizona Northern Arizona Utah Northern and Northeastern Nevada Southwestern Idaho and Eastern Oregon Southeastern Idaho Western Montana and Central Idaho Central Montana - Great Falls Northeastern Montana Southeastern Montana Western Wyoming Southeastern Wyoming and Western Nebraska Northeastern Colorado Western Colorado and Eastern Utah Southeastern Colorado Northern and Central New Mexico Southern New Mexico and extreme Western Texas - El Paso Texas and Oklahoma Lubbock and South Plains Texas Western Texas and Southeastern New Mexico Western South Dakota and Northeastern Wyoming Northwestern Kansas and East Central Colorado - Goodland Central Nebraska - North Platte North Central Kansas and South Central Nebraska Southeastern South Dakota, Southwestern Minnesota, and Northwestern Iowa Northern and Northeastern South Dakota Western North Dakota Eastern Nebraska and Southwestern Iowa - Omaha Valley Northeastern Kansas Southeastern Kansas Southwestern Kansas - Dodge City Central Oklahoma Eastern Oklahoma and Northwestern Arkansas Dallas and Fort Worth Central Texas - San Angelo Austin and San Antonio Texas Corpus Christi, Victoria, and Laredo Texas Southern Texas Texas - Houston/Galveston Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana Northern Louisiana and Eastern Texas - Shreveport Arkansas Southwestern Missouri Northwestern Missouri Central Iowa Southern Minnesota Northeastern North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota Northeast Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin Southwestern Wisconsin, Southeastern Minnesota, and Northeast Iowa Eastern Iowa and Northwestern Illinois - Quad Cities Eastern Missouri - West Central Illinois Western Tennessee, Eastern Arkansas and Northern Mississippi - Memphis Central Mississippi Southeastern Louisiana Middle Tennessee Northern Alabama Central Alabama Mobile - Pensacola West Central Florida East Central Florida Panhandle of Florida and Southwestern Georgia Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia Northern and Central Georgia Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia Northeastern South Carolina and Southeastern North Carolina - Wilmington Central South Carolina and CSRA Western North Carolina and Northwest South Carolina Eastern Tennessee Eastern Kentucky Central Kentucky Southern Illinois and Indiana, Southeastern Missouri and Western Kentucky Central and East Central Illinois Central Indiana Northeastern Illinois and Northwestern Indiana - Chicago Southern and Southeastern Wisconsin East Central Wisconsin - Green Bay Northern Michigan Northeast Michigan - Gaylord Northeast Michigan - Gaylord Southeastern Michigan - Detroit Southwestern Michigan Northern Indiana and Northwestern Ohio Southwestern Ohio Northern Kentucky West Virginia Western Virginia, Southeast West Virginia, and Northwest North Carolina Central North Carolina - Raleigh Eastern North Carolina Eastern Virginia, Southern Maryland and Northeast North Carolina Washington D.C., Central and Western Maryland, Northern Virginia, Eastern West Virginia Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and Northern West Virginia Northern Ohio Central Pennsylvania New Jersey, Delaware, Southeastern Pennsylvania and eastern Maryland New York City and Surrounding Areas South Central New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania Western New York - Buffalo Eastern New York and Western New England Areas Boston and Surrounding Areas Northern Vermont and New York Southern Maine and New Hampshire Northern Maine Gulf of Maine to the Hague Line Georges Bank between Cape Cod and 68W north of 1000 fathoms South of New England between the Great South Channel and Montauk Point to 1000 fathoms South of Long Island between Montauk Point and Sandy Hook to 1000 fathoms Hudson Canyon to Baltimore Canyon to 1000 fathoms Baltimore Canyon to Cape Charles Light to 100 NM offshore Cape Charles Light to Currituck Beach Light to 100 NM offshore Currituck Beach Light to Cape Hatteras to 100 NM offshore Cape Hatteras to Cape Fear to 100 NM offshore Cape Fear to 31N to 1000 FM Georges Bank between 68W and the Hague Line East of 69W to the Hague Line between 1000 fathoms and 39N East of 69W and south of 39N to 250 NM offshore Between 1000 fathoms and 38.5N west of 69W Baltimore Canyon to 69W east of 1000 fathoms and south of 38.5N to 250 NM offshore Baltimore Canyon to Hatteras Canyon between 100 NM and 250 NM offshore Hatteras Canyon to Cape Fear 100 NM and 250 NM offshore Cape Fear to 31N east of 1000 fathoms to 250 NM offshore Cape Flattery to Cape Shoalwater between 60 NM and 150 NM offshore Cape Shoalwater to Cape Lookout between 60 NM and 150 NM offshore Cape Lookout to Florence, OR between 60 NM and 150 NM offshore Florence, OR to Point St. George between 60 NM and 150 NM offshore Point St. George to Point Arena between 60 NM and 150 NM offshore Point Arena to Pigeon Point between 60 NM and 150 NM offshore Pigeon Point to Point Piedras Blancas between 60 NM and 150 NM offshore Point Piedras Blancas to Santa Cruz Island, CA between 60 NM and 150 NM offshore Santa Cruz Island, CA to San Clemente Island, CA between 60 NM and 150 NM offshore Cape Flattery to Cape Shoalwater between 150 NM and 250 NM offshore Cape Shoalwater to Cape Lookout between 150 NM and 250 NM offshore Cape Lookout to Florence, OR between 150 NM and 250 NM offshore Florence, OR to Point St. George between 150 NM and 250 NM offshore Point St. George to Point Arena between 150 NM and 250 NM offshore Point Arena to Pigeon Point between 150 NM and 250 NM offshore Pigeon Point to Point Piedras Blancas between 150 NM and 250 NM offshore Point Piedras Blancas to Santa Cruz Island, CA between 150 NM and 250 NM offshore Santa Cruz Island, CA to 120W between 150 NM and 250 NM offshore San Clemente Island, CA to Guadalupe Island from 60 NM Offshore west to 120W Juneau, AK Fairbanks, AK Anchorage, AK Western US Arctic Offshore Eastern US Arctic Offshore Bering Sea offshore 171 degrees West to 180 degrees and north of 56 degrees North Bering Sea offshore 171 degrees West to 180 degrees and south of 56 degrees North Pribilof Islands (St. Paul and St. George) Bering Sea offshore east of 171 degrees West Gulf of Alaska offshore north of 57 degrees North and west of 144 degrees West Gulf of Alaska offshore south of 57 degrees North north of 55 degrees North and west of 144 degrees West Gulf of Alaska north of 55 degrees North and east of 144 degrees West Juneau, AK Honolulu, HI Hawaiian Offshore Waters Hawaiian Offshore Waters
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