Wild weather and a hot planet

A hotter planet Earth is now a reality. The years 2001-2106 were the 16 of the 17 hottest years ever measured (since 1880)!

Hotter global temperatures translate into more record-breaking storms, including the extreme unprecedented hurricane Harvey. As oceans warm, more water evaporates, which in turn causes heavier rainfall. Some parts of the Gulf of Mexico are up more than 7 degrees Fahrenheit above average.

Now Harvey victims are not only dealing with finding shelter, food and drinking water, they are also dealing with toxic fumes, spills and explosions from oil refineries, chemical plants and sewage systems.

Let’s get real about taxing fossil fuel polluters, the main contributors to climate change, and supporting conversion to 100 percent renewable energy. Please show up, stand up and speak up about cooling our planet down.

This story was originally published September 14, 2017 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Wild weather and a hot planet."