>>> GUYS, IT IS HOT OUT THERE.
>>> GUYS, IT IS HOT OUT THERE. HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY
HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY ARE STIFLING PARTS OF THE
ARE STIFLING PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TODAY.
COUNTRY TODAY. EVEN ALASKA’S ON PACE FOR RECORD
EVEN ALASKA’S ON PACE FOR RECORD HIGHS.
HIGHS. WE’RE NOT ALONE IN THIS
WE’RE NOT ALONE IN THIS STRUGGLE.
STRUGGLE. EUROPE EXPERIENCED A
EUROPE EXPERIENCED A ROARBREAKING HEAT WAVE --
ROARBREAKING HEAT WAVE -- RECORD-BREAKING HEAT WAVE, AND
RECORD-BREAKING HEAT WAVE, AND SCIENTISTS SAY LAST MONTH WAS
SCIENTISTS SAY LAST MONTH WAS THE HOTTEST JUNE EVER.
THE HOTTEST JUNE EVER. WHY ARE WE SEEING SUCH EXTREME
WHY ARE WE SEEING SUCH EXTREME HEAT?
HEAT? WE ASKED A CLIMATE SCIENTIEST
WE ASKED A CLIMATE SCIENTIEST EXPLAIN WHY HE GOT HERE AND
EXPLAIN WHY HE GOT HERE AND WHETHER CLIMATE CHANGE IS
WHETHER CLIMATE CHANGE IS PLAYING A ROLE.
PLAYING A ROLE. >> THE LAST FEW DAYS OF JUNE
>> THE LAST FEW DAYS OF JUNE FEATURED UNPRECEDENTED HEAT
FEATURED UNPRECEDENTED HEAT ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN EUROPE.
ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN EUROPE. FOR EXAMPLE, FRANCE RECORDED AN
FOR EXAMPLE, FRANCE RECORDED AN ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH
ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE.
TEMPERATURE. ABOUT 115 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
ABOUT 115 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES IN
SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES IN EUROPE INCLUDING GERMANY,
EUROPE INCLUDING GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, AND POLAND
SWITZERLAND, AND POLAND EXPERIENCED THE HIGHEST
EXPERIENCED THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURES THEY’D EVER
TEMPERATURES THEY’D EVER EXPERIENCED IN JUNE.
EXPERIENCED IN JUNE. YOU HAVE A LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM
YOU HAVE A LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. AND THE WIND CIRCULATION AROUND
AND THE WIND CIRCULATION AROUND THAT LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM IS
THAT LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM IS STEERING HOT AIR FROM THE SOUTH.
STEERING HOT AIR FROM THE SOUTH. ENABLING THE SOUTHERLY WINDS
ENABLING THE SOUTHERLY WINDS FROM AFRICA TO CONTINUE DAY
FROM AFRICA TO CONTINUE DAY AFTER DAY.
AFTER DAY. WE SEE A HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEM
WE SEE A HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER EUROPE WHICH MEANS LOTS OF
OVER EUROPE WHICH MEANS LOTS OF SUNLIGHT, VERY LITTLE CLOUDS,
SUNLIGHT, VERY LITTLE CLOUDS, VERY LITTLE RAIN TO BRACE THAT
VERY LITTLE RAIN TO BRACE THAT SCALDING HEAT.
SCALDING HEAT. EUROPE HAS SEEN A NUMBER OF
EUROPE HAS SEEN A NUMBER OF UNPRECEDENTED HEAT WAVES.
UNPRECEDENTED HEAT WAVES. BACK IN 2003, IN AUGUST, ITALY
BACK IN 2003, IN AUGUST, ITALY AND FRANCE EXPERIENCED TENS OF
AND FRANCE EXPERIENCED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DEATHS FROM AIVE
THOUSANDS OF DEATHS FROM AIVE HA.
HA. THIS EVENT -- A HEAT WAVE.
THIS EVENT -- A HEAT WAVE. THIS EVENT IS MORE UNPRECEDENTED
THIS EVENT IS MORE UNPRECEDENTED FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE BECAUSE
FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE BECAUSE JUNE IS NORMALLY COOLER THAN
JUNE IS NORMALLY COOLER THAN AUGUST.
AUGUST. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT CLIMATE
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND INCREASING GREENHOUSE
CHANGE AND INCREASING GREENHOUSE GASES DO TO HUMAN ACTIVITIES DO
GASES DO TO HUMAN ACTIVITIES DO TO HEAT WAVES, THIS IS ACTUALLY
TO HEAT WAVES, THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD
ONE OF THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD PIECES OF CLIMATE SCIENCE.
PIECES OF CLIMATE SCIENCE. AS YOU LAY THE AVERAGE
AS YOU LAY THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES BY ONE OR TWO --
TEMPERATURES BY ONE OR TWO -- RAISE THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
RAISE THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES BY ONE OR TWO DEGREES
BY ONE OR TWO DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, THAT’S ENOUGH IN
FAHRENHEIT, THAT’S ENOUGH IN MANY PLACES TO DOUBLE THE
MANY PLACES TO DOUBLE THE FREQUENCY OF EXTREME HEAT
FREQUENCY OF EXTREME HEAT EVENTS.
EVENTS. THERE’S CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH
THERE’S CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH THAT SUGGESTS THE JET STREAM,
THAT SUGGESTS THE JET STREAM, THAT CURRENT OF AIR IN THE
THAT CURRENT OF AIR IN THE ATMOSPHERE, MAY BE SHIFTING AND
ATMOSPHERE, MAY BE SHIFTING AND GETTING KIND OF STUCK IN ONE
GETTING KIND OF STUCK IN ONE LOCATION IN A WAY THAT CAN
LOCATION IN A WAY THAT CAN ENABLE SOME PLACES TO JUST GET
ENABLE SOME PLACES TO JUST GET HOTTER AND HOTTER.
HOTTER AND HOTTER. IT’S CALLED THE SILENT KILLER.
IT’S CALLED THE SILENT KILLER. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT VULNERABLE
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THE ELDERLY, THE
POPULATIONS, THE ELDERLY, THE VERY YOUNG, THOSE WITH
VERY YOUNG, THOSE WITH PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS,
PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS, REALLY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO
REALLY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO STAY COOL.
STAY COOL. SO IF TEMPERATURES RISE, THE
SO IF TEMPERATURES RISE, THE RISK OF PEOPLE GETTING
RISK OF PEOPLE GETTING HEATSTROKE, FOR EXAMPLE, GOES UP
HEATSTROKE, FOR EXAMPLE, GOES UP DRAMATICALLY.
DRAMATICALLY. IN TERMS OF WAYS THAT WE CAN
IN TERMS OF WAYS THAT WE CAN PREPARE AND PROTECT AGAINST HEAT
PREPARE AND PROTECT AGAINST HEAT WAVES, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS
WAVES, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN DO FIRST
THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN DO FIRST AND FOREMOST.
AND FOREMOST. STAY HYDRATED, AND DON’T SPEND
STAY HYDRATED, AND DON’T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME OUTDOORS PUSHING
TOO MUCH TIME OUTDOORS PUSHING YOURSELF TOO HARD.
YOURSELF TOO HARD. BUT ALSO, CHECK IN ON YOUR
BUT ALSO, CHECK IN ON YOUR NEIGHBORS.
NEIGHBORS. THE VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF YOUR
THE VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. THINGS LIKE COOLING CENTERS ARE
THINGS LIKE COOLING CENTERS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE FOR PEOPLE WHO
VERY EFFECTIVE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
DON’T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING. WE’RE ALSO SEEING A LOT OF
WE’RE ALSO SEEING A LOT OF EFFORTS ACROSS CITIES NOW PLANT
EFFORTS ACROSS CITIES NOW PLANT MORE TREES AS A WAY TO PROVIDE
MORE TREES AS A WAY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SHADE.
ADDITIONAL SHADE. THERE’S REALLY NOTHING UNIQUE
THERE’S REALLY NOTHING UNIQUE ABOUT EUROPE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
ABOUT EUROPE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE HEAT WAVE THAT’S JUST
THE HEAT WAVE THAT’S JUST HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. WE CAN SEE THE EXACT SAME TYPE
WE CAN SEE THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF HEAT WAVE IN THE U.S.
OF HEAT WAVE IN THE U.S. THE U.S. ALSO IS PRONE TO THOSE
THE U.S. ALSO IS PRONE TO THOSE TYPES OF MEANDERS, THE WAVES IN
TYPES OF MEANDERS, THE WAVES IN THE JET STREAM THAT CAN BLOCK
THE JET STREAM THAT CAN BLOCK CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY
CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY UNDER SOUTHERLY WINDS, SUNNY
UNDER SOUTHERLY WINDS, SUNNY SKIES, NO RAINFALL.
SKIES, NO RAINFALL. SO BEGIN TO PREPARE, BEGIN TO
SO BEGIN TO PREPARE, BEGIN TO ADAPT BECAUSE WHAT’S HAPPENING
ADAPT BECAUSE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN EUROPE ABSOLUTELY COULD
IN EUROPE ABSOLUTELY COULD HAPPEN IN THE U.S.
HAPPEN IN THE U.S. AND WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE
AND WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE RISING TEMPERATURES, THE ODDS OF
RISING TEMPERATURES, THE ODDS OF THIS TYPE OF EVENT IN THE U.S.
