PBS Terra asks 'Why Is The U.S. Warming Faster Than Average?'

It's been nearly a month since PBS Terra asks 'Can Green Energy Make The Grid SAFER?' examined how energy, infrastructure, and technology can fight climate change, so it's time to return to the topic with PBS Terra asking Why Is The U.S. Warming Faster Than Average?

We’ve all heard that we should keep global climate change under 2 degrees of warming, but did you know that there are many places around the globe that have already surpassed that? Some places around the globe are experiencing extreme warming, while other places have actually seen some cooling. So what’s with all the variation?

In this episode of Weathered, we’ll talk with a couple climate scientists from NOAA to dive deep into the numbers, and we’ll call up a resident of the fastest warming county in the U.S. to see what it's like.

Weathered is a show hosted by weather expert Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare.

That's a good explanation for the stair-stepping pattern of warming over the past half-century in general and the temperature plateau since 2016 in particular, with 2020 only tying 2016. That's because of relatively weak El Niño years and three strong La Niña years in a row. As the video points out, El Niño is back in 2023, and that means higher temperatures globally and especially in the U.S. Prepare for a hot summer and a mild winter. The first isn't good, while the second will likely elicit a response like the skit in Classified documents leak headlines 'Weekend Update' on 'SNL'.

"It's mid-April here in New York City and the temperature hit 90 degrees this week, a full two months ahead of schedule. And while that may be terrifying on a climate level, the warm weather can only mean one thing. All the freaks, crazies, and weirdos are heading to Central Park." Yes, it is terrifying on a climate change level, but after even a mild winter, a week of summer temperatures would be considered "good weather" this time of year. Let's see if people still think that should the northeast and midwest suffer from excessive heat waves this summer.

I haven't changed my mind about this.

Stay tuned for Mother's Day, which might also be the Sunday entertainment feature.