this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2024
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Daily temperature records will tumble as sizzling early season heat from a summerlike heat dome sends thermometers skyrocketing into the triple digits in parts of California and the West this week.

The official start of summer is just a few weeks away, but it will feel like July in much of the West as temperatures climb 20 degrees or more above average, the highest temperatures of the year so far for many locations.

Excessive heat warnings are in effect for more than 17 million people in California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona this week. The warnings are the most extreme form of heat alert issued by the National Weather Service and are used when widespread, dangerous heat is expected.

The soaring temperatures are being caused by a heat dome, a large area of high pressure that parks over an area, traps air and heats it with abundant sunshine for days or weeks. The resulting heat becomes more intense the longer a heat dome lasts.

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[–] veni_vedi_veni@lemmy.world 110 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Climate change effects are compounding, as polar caps melt they release trapped methane which is more effective greenhouse gas than CO2.

As temperatures heat up, people just gonna turn up HVAC more, more energy usage, which means we either get green real quick, or this feedback loop will continue until we break.

But all this is known. We're all gonna be scrambling when we reach that point, spouting "We didn't listen" like that episode of South Park about this very issue.

Meh, im sure the rich fucks have contingencies for themselves, so it's all good.

[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 46 points 5 months ago (1 children)

But all this is known. We’re all gonna be scrambling when we reach that point, spouting “We didn’t listen” like that episode of South Park about this very issue.

That's the thing though, we, the we being your average human on the planet, are put in a position to have very little power to do anything about it. In America specifically (not so sure about the rest of the world) you're kept busy trying to manage your health insurance (if you have it), your retirement fund (if you have it), your job (that may or may not have unpaid on call), your home (maintaining and cleaning your home/apartment/townhouse, trying to do repairs yourself because you can't afford to pay for others to do it as prices for service/repair work have skyrocketed), your food (it is too expensive to even buy fast food anymore so you gotta cook to save money), your car (gotta own a vehicle as the US doesn't have meaningful public transport, gotta make sure it is insured, maintained, etc.), your bills (gotta juggle those credit card and points cards and discount cards to get the best deals on every purchase!), if you have children, then you have to manage all the facets of their lives as well including making their food, cleaning up after them, taking them to/from school and other extracurriculars, deal with any school system issues, and on and on.

By the end of the week, you just want to have five minutes to catch your breath, but you can't, because you only (maybe) have two days off of work and those will be spent catching up on whatever chores you didn't get done during the week.

Democratic governance was meant so that we could vote people into office to manage the governance, but now that is so bloated and broken, we also have to collectively stay on top of our nation, state, county, city's issues so we can be aware and try and "fight" back whenever we can with a letter or a council meeting. Never going to have time to go to a protest or skip out of work for a week to protest with your work/dollar because living paycheck-to-paycheck with no safety net means you're homeless if one thing fucks up.

The whole system (again, in the US at least) is designed to keep one so busy that one doesn't even know their way out of the week, let alone to take individual action to collectively organize and kick these politicians and corporations in the teeth for destroying the human habitability of the planet.

[–] Dempf@lemmy.zip 12 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (4 children)

You are absolutely right about all the challenges facing average Americans that keep us too busy to do a lot about issues like these.

Still, there are lots of different ways to help. Some do require more time, and are probably out of reach for someone who's just barely getting by. But some require less.

Today I dropped off at the post office 350 hand written postcards to low propensity climate voters in my state. I wrote and addressed the postcards while I was watching TV, so it didn't really take much more of my free time (I would have been watching TV anyways). Elections in my state have been decided by only a few hundred votes, so actions like this do make a difference.

Next week, I will be meeting with staff for my member of Congress in person in D.C. I have the luxury of having the time and money to make this happen, but if you pick up the phone or write an email every single month to your congressional office and mention climate change, it makes it much easier for us to get these meetings and get our point across. Pressure on congressional offices alone doesn't get the job done, but it makes them take us more seriously when we meet with them and present a bill that we want them to support.

Congress is pretty dysfunctional right now, but we still have managed to get some climate friendly legislation through. Every bit of help and support we get along the way makes a difference.

The group I volunteer with is Citizens' Climate Lobby, and I think they are the best, but there are other groups out there. The American Conversation Coalition is more right-leaning and has been gaining traction recently. The Sunrise Movement is more left-leaning, though for some reason I haven't heard much from them recently, at least in my state. I'm sure there are other groups out there besides those three.

[–] Couldbealeotard@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Dude responds to a post about having no time and money by saying he hand wrote hundreds of postcards in his free time and also volunteers...

[–] Dempf@lemmy.zip 6 points 5 months ago

Thanks for your reply. I think I might have introduced a bit of confusion here, as I'm making two points in a bit of an implicit way.

My first point is a bit of a refutation of the OP. It's basically the same as you've heard from any other political non-profit: "you can make a difference with just 5 minutes of your time! It doesn't matter if you're broke and struggling under late-stage capitalism just like the rest of us, your voice matters!"

There is both truth, and deception in that statement.

The truth is that small actions do make a difference. I've seen the link between how getting more contacts from my district to congressional offices helps me set meetings with the office. Anyone can pick up the phone and call Congress, it doesn't take a special skill, or money. Similarly with the postcard thing -- if someone felt like doing it, and if postcards & stamps were provided by the group, it wouldn't take a lot of extra time or money to do like a couple dozen, and I'm sure that person would feel more involved and empowered. I'm not trying to say everyone should do it, just that it takes less effort than you might think to make a real noticeable difference, even if you're struggling under late-stage capitalism.

The deception is thinking that it is enough for a movement to rely solely on these actions as a strategy. It is not enough on its own and leads to slacktivism, and is probably part of why most of us have felt so burnt out for so long on the idea of making changes -- we've been burned before (remember Net Neutrality?)

Therefore, my second point, and the reason that I shared a bit more about what I've been doing, is that I'm trying to give people a little bit of hope. I'm trying to build on the first point (it's easier than you think to take a small action). And what I'm building on that to say is: "don't worry that you (person who has very little time/money to contribute) aren't doing enough, because I'm here to pick up the rest. I've got this. We are a team, so pass the ball to me, and put me in the play".

What I'm trying to say is, a movement needs both pieces. Again, movements that have the first (popular pressure) but lack the second (volunteer development, engagement, active lobbying, etc.) tend to fizzle out like the Net Neutrality movement.

On the other hand, some movements have heavily dedicated and invested volunteers, but can't convince an average American to do things like regularly contact their representative. The feedback we get in my state from congressional offices is something like 100 contacts per month, every month on a particular issue will cause them to start taking it more seriously. Without meeting that threshold, a movement will never get traction no matter how enthusiastic their core volunteers are. Nobody will take them seriously.

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[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 18 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Meh, im sure the rich fucks have contingencies for themselves, so it's all good.

Yes. Die after everyone else does when they finally figure out that there’s nothing left to live for, money doesn’t mean shit if you’re king of a dead world.

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[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 13 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (6 children)

No one is safe including the rich.

The biggest major effect that global warming will have in the next few years or about 20 to 30 years is ... mass migration. Once that starts in earnest, countries will be breaking out in conflicts everywhere. We aren't cooperating with ourselves within our established borders now, what do you think will happen when millions of people start moving around to avoid the heat and more natural disasters.

Everyone will suffer .... the only thing the rich buy themselves is time because we are all headed to the same global environmental apocalypse.

I feel good that I'm middle aged now because I will have lived my younger years when the world was doing relatively OK.

I feel bad for anyone born right now because they'll either see the beginning of the end or start surviving it.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 72 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Is it just me or was 'heat dome' not even a thing like 10 years ago?

[–] teamevil@lemmy.world 54 points 5 months ago

Brought to you by the fine folks at Exxon-Mobile/Chevron/Shell/Texaco/BP

[–] criticon@lemmy.ca 26 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I was discussing that with my parents a few nights ago, they claim that I'm a pessimist because I don't want to bring children into this world but my hometown used to have about 5 snowdays a year, now is one every 5 years. The summer was hot but bearable and now the "heat dome" is a normal thing every year, and even when it rains it's usually catastrophic with large hail and flooding

[–] Land_Strider@lemmy.world 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

From summers when we slept under quilts to ones we can't even sleep almost naked in spring/fall, just in 15 years. From 2 weeks of snow each month on December, February and March to a day of light snow for 3 years and one medium snow once a year, if it comes once again.

Yeah I'm definitely not optimistic about the next 15 years, let alone thinking of raising children beyond that.

[–] Cornelius_Wangenheim@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

They've always been a thing in Texas. The difference is now it moves around and the rest of you get to experience the miserable heat as well.

[–] KISSmyOSFeddit@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

First one I personally remember was 2003 in Europe.

[–] Thorry84@feddit.nl 10 points 5 months ago

I remember them from the 90s in Europe, they just weren't called heat domes back then. It was just a "blocking area of high pressure" or some metrologic words. These days the media want to hype everything up, so it needs a catchy name.

Now I don't mean global warming isn't real. These things happen regularly now where they were a oddity in the past and things will get very bad in the next 50 years. But it did happen in the past.

It's more a case of the once in a thousand year storm has become a twice a year kind of thing. But hey, we millennials are used to that right? I've personally seen three once in a lifetime economic crashes, with plenty more on the way.

[–] Kaput@lemmy.world 29 points 5 months ago (3 children)

That title is very scary when you Live in Celsius

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[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 26 points 5 months ago (5 children)

Here's hoping those ass fucks in Texas get to see their fair share this bullshit. While they sit around climate denying they can fucking roast.

[–] Phegan@lemmy.world 28 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The residents of Texas are not completely to blame. Texas has the highest rates of voter suppression in the country. Secondly, the Texas education system has been built in a way to persist the current leadership in the state. And finally, many of the people live in poverty and will likely die for what oil execs and politicians have done.

Wishing this is short sighted and is blaming the symptom and not the root cause problem.

[–] eldavi@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

living in austin for 5 years taught that even the bluest texans are ardently pro-establishment.

that doesn't mean that all of them are climate deniers; but like their red brethren, they'll fall in line and vote for a climate change denier if it means their guy gets to win.

like most of the country, they hate their choices but will fight you tooth and nail if you try to change anything for the better; don't bother with benefit of the doubt when it comes to texans.

[–] archomrade@midwest.social 16 points 5 months ago (8 children)

Let's not joke about this, people will likely die, and not the people you're mad at.

[–] JeffKerman1999@sopuli.xyz 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

That's the problem. We poors are going to pay the price while the rich will be on their yachts circumnavigating the poles to keep fresh

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

One of the reasons why I went into infrastructure. I get to provide hospice care to the bulk of the human race and my chances at personal survival are pretty decent. The powers-that-be will still need someone who knows how the machines work.

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[–] Halosheep@lemm.ee 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

As someone from Texas who isn't a climate denier, fuck off.

Also we're having severe thunderstorms nearly daily... I am not ready for the rebound of heat that's about to come.

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[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 5 months ago

Watch their power grid go down again

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[–] veniasilente@lemm.ee 25 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Triple digits? That's way too much Celsius!

[–] hollunder@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 5 months ago (5 children)

I think triple digits in US temperature is about as warm as a hamburger 100 seconds off the grill.

[–] southernbrewer@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What's that in football fields?

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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Well . . . yeah, the planet's dying.

We shold probably do something about that? I guess?

[–] veni_vedi_veni@lemmy.world 55 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Planet will be fine, our ability to live on it not so much.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago (5 children)

The entirety of planetary flora and fauna to see you, sir

[–] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 9 points 5 months ago (5 children)

They survived multiple giant asteroid strikes already. The issue is habitability for humans, but the planet itself is not in danger.

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[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago (3 children)
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[–] SerotoninSwells@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (16 children)

Venus would also like a word.

Edit: For anyone curious, I'm referring to Venus as a potential model for runaway greenhouse effect.

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[–] Olgratin_Magmatoe@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Life on earth sruvived the permian-triassic extinction.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permian%E2%80%93Triassic_extinction_event

Basically every volcano on earth lit up and choked the entire planet with toxic air, acid rain, continental fires, etc. Life survived that, it'll survive humanity's death throes.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Horseshoe crabs will be fine.

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[–] BossDj@lemm.ee 13 points 5 months ago

I for one welcome the news spicing up weather forecasts with catchy yet threatening labels. We've gone from atmospheric rivers to heat domes. Maybe this is what's needed to get people to consider climate action. They'll be movie titles soon enough.

[–] motor_spirit@lemmy.world 12 points 5 months ago

"this stuff just happens in waves. As long as it's not cold!" - some people we'll be sharing eternal beds with

At least I'm not wasting my time with children or church

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

I prefer my domes thunder or teapot scandal

[–] KISSmyOSFeddit@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I sincerely hope those are burger units.

[–] 800XL@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago

Fuck. Stay safe all.

[–] Metype@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

Oh the joys of my apartment AC breaking

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