People and Places

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Scorching Earth: Global warming to blame for all-time heat records being set worldwide, as experts warn stifling temperatures will continue to soar

Global heatwave stretches across the majority of the Northern hemisphere
Montreal, Motherwell, Glasgow and more are recording record-breaking highs
France has issued weather alerts in 21 regions in the country
The distribution of the heatwaves points to global warming as the culprit

Temperature records worldwide have been shattered by an unusual global heatwave.

Stifling heat cracked roads and buckled roofs across Britain last week, as Motherwell hit the highest temperature ever recorded in Scotland at 91.8°F (33.2°C).

The heatwave has spread across the world, with Meteo France placing 21 departments across the country on an orange weather alert, while Oman saw the highest nighttime temperature ever recorded on the planet.

At least eight people have been killed by the stifling heat sweeping North America, with Montreal recording its hottest temperature since records began.

Worse still, the stifling temperatures look set to continue across the Northern Hemisphere, meteorologists have warned.

While an isolated heatwave can be put down as an anomaly, the scale of this phenomenon points to global warming as the culprit, scientists said.

+12

Records all around the world have been shattered as the entire planet is in the grips of a vicious heatwave (pictured). Sweltering civilians have been basking in the sun as thermometers record never-before-seen temperatures

+12

Montreal (pictured) smashed the previous record for the city's hottest temperature, as readings from earlier this week showed of 97.9 °F (36.6°C)

In a prolonged and unusually intense bout of sunshine, much of the Northern Hemisphere has experienced uncharacteristically warm temperatures.

The scale of this latest phenomenon suggests global warming is to blame, scientists have cautioned.

'Summers keep getting hotter,' said Friederike Otto of the University of Oxford, who conducted extensive research into data from the heatwave that spread Europe in June, July and August 2017.

'Heatwaves are far more intense than when my parents were growing up in the 1950s.

'If we do nothing to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, the kind of extreme heat we saw this past summer will be the norm when my young son is a grown man.'

North America has seen a staggering rise in temperature.

There are already reports of at least eight heat-related deaths in Canada and the United States, stretching back to last weekend, including six in Montreal.

The latter broke the previous record for the city's hottest temperature, as readings from earlier this week showed it reached 97.9 °F (36.6 Celsius).

Denver, the Colorado state capital that famously resides one mile above sea level, also saw a record temperature of 105°F (40.5°C) last week.

That ties with its previous all-time record, which was set July 20 2005.

The swathe of new records are believed to be connected to the intense heat dome that has consumed most of the United States and southeast Canada since late June.

Experts expect the dome to hang over the northeast for at least another week, and predict it will spread west this weekend.

On the other side of the Atlantic ocean, climates are typically milder as a result of the cooling from the Gulf Stream.

But despite this, the summer of 2018 looks set to be one of the hottest on record.

Scotland has experienced the hottest temperature on record, with the UK Met Office reporting Motherwell, which is located some 12 miles (20 km) southeast of Glasgow, hit 91.8°F (33.2°C) on June 28.

The previous Scottish record of 91.2°F (32.9°C) was set in August 2003 at Greycrook.

Additionally, Glasgow had its hottest day on record, hitting 89.4°F (31.9°C).

Over the Irish Sea, temperatures also soared despite cooling breezes rolling off the Atlantic.

+12

Scotland, famed more for its lochs and frigid winters than blistering temperatures, set its hottest temperature on record, with the UK Met Office reporting Motherwell, about 12 miles (20 km) southeast of Glasgow, hit 91.8°F (33.2°C) on June 28

+12

Glasgow (pictured) had its hottest day on record, hitting 89.4°F (31.9°C). Over the Irish Sea on the Emerald Isle, temperatures also soared, despite cooling breezes rolling off the Atlantic

Belfast hit a new record of 85.1 degrees (29.5 Celsius) on June 28, as Castlederg in northern Ireland set a new record for the UK as a whole, topping out at 86.2°F (30.1°C) the following day.

Meteorologist Emma Salter told the Daily Express: 'High pressure over the country will slip away on Wednesday and Thursday so it will be a couple of degrees fresher, unfortunately this will be barely noticeable.

'There is another area of high pressure which will take charge later this week and temperatures will creep up towards the weekend when we could be back to 30°C.

'There will be a bit of cloud over the south which might make it feel slightly cooler but this will clear pretty rapidly.

'Then we are back to stunning blue skies and sunshine and there is no sign of this weather breaking right up until the middle of July which is unusual.

'The long-range trend is for above-average temperatures staying until the end of July with only a couple of changeable spells in this period.'

Public health England (PHE) has issued a level two health warning with regards to the unusual heat.

HOW HOT HAS EUROPE BEEN IN THE HEATWAVE?

Excessive heat scorched the British Isles last week.

The stifling heat caused roads and roofs to buckle, the Weather Channel reported, and resulted in multiple record highs:

Scotland provisionally set its hottest temperature on record as Motherwell reached 91.8°F (33.2°C) on June 28. The previous record was 32.9°C set in August 2003 at Greycrook
In Ireland, on June 28 Belfast also reached a record high, as it hit 85.1°F (29.5°C). Shannon also hit its own record at 89.6°F (32°C).
In Northern Ireland, Castlederg hit 86.2°F (30.1°C) on June 29, its record.

+12

On the eastern side of the Atlantic ocean, climates tend to be milder as a result of the Gulf Stream. Despite this, the summer of 2018 is becoming one of the hottest on record

+12

In the Middle-Eastern nation of Oman, the lowest temperature for 24 hours on June 28 was 108.7°F (42.6°C) in the coastal city of Quriyat (pictured). For reference, Washington DC has never been hotter than 106°F (41°C)

+12

In Ireland, on June 28 Belfast also reached a record high, as it hit 85.1°F (29.5°C). Shannon hit 89.6°F (32°C), its record. In Northern Ireland, Castlederg hit 86.2°F (30.1°C) on June 29, its record

It cautions: 'Temperatures are expected to temporarily reduce a little night and day through the middle of this week, before lighter winds allow higher temperatures across more eastern areas of England during Thursday and to some extent during Friday. This alert has been issued for the maximum duration possible.

'It is very likely to be extended for similar areas later this working week as heat is expected to build towards the weekend and possibly during the following week.

'Even in areas that do not breach their alert criteria, the headline is that it is expected to remain largely dry, often sunny and very warm at times.'

Experts said over the weekend that Britain's heatwave is expected to continue for at least another two weeks.

While the islands in Western Europe smouldered in the heatwave, Eurasia was also basking in a heatwave.

+12

The vast expanse of North America has a huge disparity in average temperatures, with the sun-kissed residents of Texas and Florida far more accustomed to 100°F (37.7°C) heat than the residents north of the US-Canada border. Canadian children have been enjoying Montreal's unusually warm weather (pictured)

+12

Denver, the Colorado capital that famously sits one mile above sea level, also reached new heights. It tied its previous record of 105°F (40.5°C)at the end of June

+12

These records are believed to be stemming from a massive and intense heat dome that has consumed most of the United States and southeast Canada since last week

HOW HOT DID THE AMERICAS REACH DURING THE RECENT HEATWAVE?

North America typically sees a huge disparity in average temperatures.

However, states across the USA and Canada have seen record temperatures in the last week, as the effects of global warming.

Montreal smashed its previous record for the hottest temperature, as readings from earlier this week showed of 97.9 °F (36.6 Celsius)
Denver, the Colorado state capital, tied its all-time high-temperature record of 105 degrees on June 28
Burlington, in Vermont, set its all-time warmest low temperature ever, recording a low of 80°F (27°C) within the 24 hour period on July 2
Ottawa posted its most extreme combination of heat and humidity on July 1
Yerevan, which is located in the previously Soviet state of Armenia, saw temperatures soar to 107.6°F (42°C).

This was the country's hottest day in July, and is tied with the hottest ever day.

Russia, the host nation for the FIFA World Cup this year, is also in the midst of a heatwave.

Several spots across the south of the world's largest country either matched or exceeded their warmest June temperatures.

Quriyat, in Oman, also recorded the highest nighttime temperature ever recorded on the planet, hitting 121.6°F (49°C) on June 26, falling just two degrees short of the all-time heat record for the country, which stands at 123.4°F (50.7°C).

The latest records come months after Pakistan posted the hottest temperature ever seen on Earth.

The sun was so intense, it took the mercury up to in excess of 120°F as it topped out at 122.4 °F (50.2°C).

HOW HOT IS EURASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST DURING THE GLOBAL HEATWAVE?

Whilst the islands in Western Europe smouldered in its own heatwave, Eurasia was baking as well.

Yerevan, in the previously Soviet state of Armenia, saw temperatures soar to 107.6°F (42°C).

This is the hottest day ever seen for July, and ties its hottest day ever.

Russia, the host country of the football World Cup this year, is also in the midst of a heatwave.

Several spots across the south of the world's largest country either matched or exceeded their warmest June temperatures.

In the Middle-Eastern nation of Oman, the lowest temperature for 24 hours on June 28 was 108.7°F (42.6°C) in the coastal city of Quriyat's.

For reference, Washington DC has never been hotter than 106°F (41°C).

That makes this the highest low-temperature day in recorded history,

These fantastical numbers come just months after Pakistan posted the hottest temperature ever seen on Earth.

The sun was so intense, it took the mercury up to in excess of 120°F as it topped out at 122.4 °F (50.2°C).

+12

The roads in Devon have reached such high temperatures in the wake of the constant sun, that they have started to melt (pictured)

+12

The village of Tirril, in Cumbria, has experienced incredible temperatures and the road has melted into a sludge of black treacle, leading to gritters being deployed to repair the damage as road temperatures soar in the record breaking heatwave. Picture shows the road tar sticking to a pedestrian's foot

HOW CAN YOU AVOID SUNBURN IN THE MIDDLE OF A HEATWAVE?

Soaring temperatures have seen a surge in scorched skin and painful sunburn.

These top tips from GP Dr Paul Stillman and other experts will help to take the sting from your skin and undo some of the harm.

Treatment

Fluid thinking: Stay hydrated - drink plenty of water or sip green tea, says Crawley-based Dr Stillman.

He says: 'Rehydration is essential. If you are burnt you are probably also dehydrated and when skin is sunburnt, our body's repair mechanisms kick in and draw fluid away from the rest of the body and up to the skin's surface.

Studies confirm a cup of the green stuff also reduces the risk of skin cancer.

Avoid quick fix anaesthetics:

Steer clear of local anaesthetics which contain benzocaine or lidocaine, when it comes to taking the pangs of sunburn away.

'They only help with the pain momentarily and won't aid in the healing process. Plus, when they wear off, you'll feel the pain even more,' says New York-based dermatologist Dr Erin Gilbert.

More than just skin deep

Severe sunburn can lead to blistering - which is basically a second-degree burn.

Dr Stillman advises: 'Never break blisters, they protect damaged skin from infection.'

Prevention

Cover up

Pharmacist Raj Aggarwal says if you do develop sunburn then you need to cover the area quickly to prevent further damage to your skin.

Tightly woven fabrics work best.

Shade fail

Sitting under a beach umbrella will not prevent sunburn, according to a real-world study published earlier this year.

Eighty-one fair-skinned volunteers were split into two groups who spent 3.5 hours on a hot Texan beach.

Don't believe tanning myths

Myth 1: Dark skin doesn't burn

The melanin which determines skin colour offers some protection against sunburn, and people with dark complexions can tolerate more time in the sun before getting burnt - but they will still burn.

Myth 2: A base tan protects you

Studies suggest a pre-holiday tan will provide the equivalent of an SPF3 sunscreen — which is not enough to offer any real protection.

Myth 3: Using a high SPF sunscreen will prevent burning

Wrong. Although it's described as a 'sun protection factor' the SPF of a screen actually indicates how much longer it will take to burn.

In theory, if you burnt in 10 minutes without protection - which is quite easily done when it's hot - an SPF 30 would provide 300 minutes, or five hours, of protection.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

USA: Five corrupt “Justices”

Ever since the United States Supreme Court appointed George W. Bush president during the coup of 2000, a majority of its members have been on an unabashed mission to replace democracy with plutocracy and individual freedom with corporate fascism.

The strategy was simple. Since labor unions traditionally represent Democratic candidates, pretend that, in theory, unions have the right to financially support candidates of their choice, but then take away their resources to do so. This is not much different from arguing that a farmer has the right to grow crops while taking away his/her land.

Naturally, this will leave the corporate voice as the most powerful voice in American politics. After all, what mainstream politician is going to campaign on a workers’ rights platform if it will cost him/her corporate sponsorship?

But the Supreme Court, in another 5-4 decision, wasn’t satisfied with the corruption wrought by Citizens United. The case of McCutcheon vs. FEC (2014) gave corporations and wealthy individuals the ability to make financial donations directly to an unlimited number of candidates.

And they still were not done. Since the Citizens United ruling, these five corrupt “justices” have continued their crusade to regress the United States Constitution back to the days when only white male landowners could vote. To accomplish this, they have:

1. Gutted the Voting Rights Act that protects the right of African-Americans to vote;

2. Allowed states to “purge” voter registration rolls, even though such purges disproportionately affect racial minorities and the poor;

3. Defined political corruption so narrowly that it is now almost impossible to prosecute;

4. Supported gerrymandering by permitting states to create election districts designed to dilute the votes of racial minorities and/or to give political advantage to the party in power;

5. And, as I was writing this article, the Court, in the case of Janus vs. AFSCME (and in another 5-4 decision) ruled that non-union, public sector employees do not have to pay union dues, even though the union still must represent them.

And for those who would argue that my arguments about the true intent of these rulings are nothing more than hyperbole, I give you this tweet from Donald Trump after the Janus ruling. “Big loss for the coffers of the Democrats!”

Having practiced law, and directly witnessed the idiocy, political corruption, and incompetence of many participants in it, including many judges, I can state unequivocally that America’s legal system would be laughable, if its consequences to people’s liberties, and even their lives, wasn’t so severe. Drenching horse manure with gravy does not turn it into mashed potatoes, and cloaking a person with a black robe does not magically remove their ineptitude, venality, or biases, or bestow them with some ethereal wisdom.

There is a theory in jurisprudence, known as legal realism, that argues there is no such thing as law-just judges doing whatever they want and calling it law.

This argument is often countered by those who say that judges routinely follow legal precedents (known as stare decisis), even when those precedents conflict with their personal beliefs. In fact, one of the infamous gang-of-five, chief “justice” John Roberts, often supports stare decisis with his words.

His deeds, however, tell a whole different story. In both the Citizens United and Janus rulings, for example, Roberts completely ignored decades of legal precedent.

But perhaps the strongest argument that legal realism is the true American jurisprudence, one need look no further than the machinations of one of the most powerful and duplicitous members of the United States Senate: Mitch McConnell.

When one of the original gang-of-five, Antonin Scalia died, Barack Obama sought to replace him with Merrick Garland, but McConnell refused to hold confirmation hearings for him. Ultimately, after Trump’s dubious “election,” Neil Gorsuch became Scalia’s replacement. After Gorsuch was instrumental in upholding Trump’s so-called “travel ban” (in another 5-4 vote), McConnell gloated by sending out a picture of him shaking Gorsuch’s hand.

Let that image sink in. If there was truly such a thing as “law,” and judges are, unless they have good cause not to, supposed to follow stare decisis, then why should it matter who assumed Scalia’s seat? The answer is clear: The United States Supreme Court is not comprised of “learned” legal scholars nobly interpreting the Constitution. It is an assortment of political lackeys with the power to give their biases, racism, and hypocrisy the force of law.

For example, many legal critics have noted that this gang-of-five, in ruling that a so-called “Christian” baker could deny service to a same-sex couple, relied heavily on alleged “anti-religious” statements government officials had directed against him. Yet just a few days later, this same gang-of-five totally ignored Trump’s anti-Muslim statements when upholding his “travel ban.”

And it gets worse. Shortly after the Janus ruling, one of the gang-of-five, Anthony Kennedy, announced his retirement. While Kennedy’s role in the destruction of American democracy should not be understated, he was considered to be the “swing vote” that would occasionally join the “liberal bloc” of justices.

This was particularly evident in cases involving the right of same-sex couples to engage in sexual activity and marry. But Kennedy’s retirement leaves unsettled the issue of whether private businesses can discriminate against people based upon their sexual orientation, and, given the fact that Trump will be allowed to pick his successor, the prospect of prohibiting such discrimination has significantly dimmed.

In two recent Pravda.Report articles (The Sarah Huckabee Sanders Scam, June 24, 2018, and The Huckabee Sanders Scam, Part Two, June 27, 2018), I discussed the “outrage” that erupted after Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s chief propagandist, was denied service at a small Virginia restaurant, even though both Sanders and Trump have openly defended businesses that refused to serve same-sex couples.

Many commentators and politicians, even Democrats usually against Trump, denounced this restaurant’s actions and demanded a return to “civility.”

The motivation behind this demand was understandable. By refusing to take the “low road,” these Democratic politicians believe they will negate Trump’s ability to influence voters in the looming mid-term elections by portraying himself, Sanders, and others of their ilk as “victims” of the “intolerant left.” And the fact that Trump is going to attempt to replace Kennedy prior to these elections clearly indicates he has concerns about Democrats retaking the House, Senate, or both.

But an article by Ryan Cooper in THE WEEK, entitled In Defense of Incivility effectively argued that the Democrats’ “high-road” strategy might be quixotic.

Cooper notes that proponents of the “far right” could care less about civility when it comes to expressing their viewpoints, and, as I stated in Huckabee Sanders, Part Two, they often demand “civility” from their opponents just so they can portray them as vacillating and weak.

But Cooper’s most potent argument is that bringing change through votes is becoming more and more unrealistic thanks to institutions like the United States Supreme Court: “If electoral pathways are not available-because the next election is some months hence, or the legislature has been rigged through gerrymandering and Voter ID laws, or people simply have no congressional representation at all-that political force [incivility] is going to flow the other way. It’s ridiculous to expect otherwise.”

I would add that it is also ridiculous to allow five corrupt, politicized, biased hypocrites in black robes to detrimentally impact the lives of millions of people. And, for the record, I would say this regardless of where on the political spectrum these five reside.

My solution, as I proposed in my article, The Supreme Court Should Not Be Supreme (Pravda.Report, June 21, 2012), is that Supreme Court decisions be submitted and reviewed by all federal judges in the district and appellate courts, who would then have the power to overrule them: “A 5-4 decision would be overturned if 51% of [these] judges voted against it; a 6-3 decision would require a minimum of 61% to overturn; a 7-2 decision, a minimum of 71%; an 8-1 decision, a minimum of 81%; and a 9-0 decision, a minimum of 91%.”

Not only would this provide a much needed “check-and-balance” on the power of five unelected people, it would also reduce the machinations of unscrupulous politicians like McConnell and Trump, who seek to “pack” the court so it can carry out their political agendas.

There are dark days ahead in America-a darkness that might spread across the world. Sadly, even if America awakes and responds to the corruption, mendacity, hypocrisy, and divisiveness Trump is bringing to the nation by voting him and his followers out of office, his imprint could remain for decades in the hands of five corrupt “justices.”

Would you turn this beautiful period property into your own Grand Design? Unique five-bed Edwardian home near Dorset's Sandbanks looks set for the developer's wrecking ball...

Unique Edwardian Arts and Crafts property looks set for the same fate as many period homes in the area
Developers snap up plots and construct 'Grand Designs' homes
The five-bed house is in Poole's St Clair Road is behind the closest road to the beach
It is on the market for £1.15million via fixed-fee estate agents Yopa

It is the most expensive place to buy a property by the British seaside, with old houses regularly bought up and replaced by modern constructions.

Sandbanks on the Dorset coast is beloved by developers who snap up older homes with land, which they knock down and replace with a larger residence or two homes that can be sold at a higher profit.

The phenomenon is spreading out to neighbouring areas, including Canford Cliffs, where a large Edwardian property is for sale for £1.15million via fixed-fee estate agents Yopa.

The five-bedroom house is in St Clair Road in the Canford Cliffs area of Poole, just behind the closest road to the beach and next to expensive Sandbanks.

+17

The large Edwardian property is for sale for £1.15million via fixed-fee estate agents Yopa

Most of the other older properties on the same street have been replaced with new properties, leaving this unique Edwardian Arts and Crafts property as one of the few opportunities left to follow the trend.

Yopa describes the property in its marketing literature as a 'seaside villa of great charm and character'.

It highlights the large south-facing veranda and balcony, a hand-carved Jacobean-style fireplace, paneling and central skylight in the hall, with even some of the radiators proving to be works of art.

+17

An impressive entrance includes a large south-facing veranda and balcony

+17

Back in time: The hallway and staircase includes period-style wood panelling

+17

Period features include a floor to ceiling hand-carved Jacobean-style fireplace

So why has the site not yet been developed? One estate agent in the area suggests that the plot is not wide enough to get planning for two new homes on the plot.

Instead, Tom Doyle, managing director of estate agents Lloyds Property Group, claims it would be ideal Grand Designs Project for someone who would like to replace the existing property with a new one that they would like to live in rather than sell on for a profit.

He said: 'You might squeeze two new houses on this plot, but it is all about what the property market can take at the time.

+17

The hallway is flooded with plenty of light due to a central skylight

+17

The property includes some standout period features include this large fireplace

+17

Further period features can be found with the stained glass windows at the entrance

+17

Unique features include a large bay with ornamental leaded light windows

+17

The kitchen needs updating - although some buyers may decide to knock down the

Mr Doyle added: 'St Clair is a good road, one back from the cliff. It used to be full of old bungalows but most of them have now been replaced with new build houses.

'This is a nice plot but I doubt you would get two new houses through planning because it isn't wide enough. The plot only has the required depth. If it could take two houses, it wouldn't be for sale.

'It is a wonderful one for one replacement. It is for someone who wants to create their own Grand Designs and live in it. It is in a good road, near to the beach and the shops in the Canford Cliffs village.

+17

Estate agent Yopa explains that the separate garage would take 'two small cars or one Rolls'

+17

Wood panelling, high ceilings and decorative windows can be found throughout the property

+17

The first floor is approached via a staircase with a wood balustrade

+17

The house has plenty of rooms, with this one used as a study and library

+17

The St Clair Road property has five large bedrooms, with this one also having a washing area

Mr Doyle said: 'Sandbanks is two miles away and is a tourist resort. Canford Cliffs is the hub of the area where people live and work.'

He claims that buyers currently pay around £325 per sq ft for homes in St Claire Road that cost more than £1million.

In neighbouring Sandbanks, values are more than twice that amount at £862 per sq ft, with some developments reaching more than £1,000 per sq ft.

+17

The property is on a plot of land in a quiet road in Poole, near the expensive tourist resort of Sandbanks

+17

This bathroom has a panelled and tiled bathroom, as well as a heated towel rail

The house is on a plot of land that is too narrow to build two new houses on it, according to estate agents

People and Places