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As a record-breaking heat wave sweeps the West, a new report from NASA shows that the amount of heat the planet traps has doubled since 2005. “The magnitude of the increase is unprecedented. The Earth is warming faster than expected,” said Norman Loeb, a NASA scientist and lead author of the study.
The effects of the study's findings are evident in the West. With the official start of summer on the horizon, the combination of heat, drought, and an increasingly early start to wildfire season is causing severe impacts. Wildfires have already burned almost 1 million acres in the U.S., a significant increase even compared to last year's catastrophic fire season. In Arizona, wildfire smoke blocking the sun prevented the area from experiencing a record high of 117 degrees. “We’re still a long way out from the peak of the wildfire season and the peak of the dry season. Things are likely to get worse before they get better,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.
National parks in particular are feeling the heat. Death Valley National Park hit 124 degrees this week, just 2 degrees below the record high for the date set in 2000 and 14 degrees higher than normal. Fire danger in Grand Teton National Park pushed the park's fire rating to "high." Parks across the West are urging visitors to stay safe in triple-digit temperatures.
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Regarding requests from the Utah delegation and Governor Cox to have President Biden hold off on any Executive Action that would remedy the illegal actions of former President Trump, the Coalition has long been open to hearing legislative proposals from Utah State officials, yet they have been unwilling to provide any written documentation reflecting what they have in mind, despite repeated requests from the Coalition for a draft or outline of these legislative proposals. This failure of the Utah Delegation and Governor Cox to present anything in writing to the Coalition demonstrates a lack of good faith and presents as nothing more than a stall tactic, in the hopes of manipulating the Biden Administration’s dedication to cooperation for their own political gain.”
