We've justifiably been focused on the multiple outrages of the flailing, malignant con man occupying the Oval Office these days, but there's a whole world outside that's trying to get our attention.
The Associated Press reports that the Russian region north of the Arctic Circle is in the grip of unprecedented heat:
"The thermometer hit a likely record of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Russian Arctic town of Verkhoyansk on Saturday, a temperature that would be a fever for a person — but this is Siberia, known for being frozen. The World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday that it’s looking to verify the temperature reading, which would be unprecedented for the region north of the Arctic Circle.
'The Arctic is figuratively and literally on fire — it’s warming much faster than we thought it would in response to rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and this warming is leading to a rapid meltdown and increase in wildfires,' University of Michigan environmental school dean Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist, said in an email.This heatwave follows a winter and spring of abnormally high temperatures, which have sparked massive wildfires across Siberia.
'The record warming in Siberia is a warning sign of major proportions,' Overpeck wrote. (our emphasis)
In another natural development, a massive dust cloud originating over the Sahara desert is making its way across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Candace Wang at Popular Science explains why this year, the plume is different from previous years:
"This month’s dust cloud is more resilient than usual—its dust is so opaque and thick that it can be clearly seen from the International Space Station, while its predecessors have been ghostly and faint from space. [snip]Wang lists five impacts to expect, some bad some good:
These dust plumes, called the Saharan Air Layer (or SAL) are born when severe wind storms strike the Sahara. Entering the Atlantic Ocean at the Intertropical Convergence Zone, the plumes catch on to the trade winds, which run east-west along the equator.
The dust is already covering Caribbean skies, and Gulf Coast states like Texas and Louisiana should expect to confront this vast cloud on Wednesday and Thursday."
- The dust will aggravate respiratory ailments such as asthma (just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic);
- The dust plume will muffle hurricanes and tropical storms in the Caribbean;
- Skies will become more colorful due to the dust;
- The dust will help fertilize the Amazon basin with nutrients, and
- The Bahamas' ecosystem have likewise benefited from the dust that brings nutrients to its marine and coral life.For people in the area affected, get your masks and cameras out.
