Global Weirdness

For the first time in six years, National Public Radio has aired episodes about global warming without excuse or apology. The new book "Global Weirdness", by Michael Lemonick, makes no bones about it, we are going to see rough seas ahead.

Listen to the story ... Surprisingly, even our local KPBS is on top of this story.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the past year through June 2012 has been the hottest year in the continental U.S. since modern record-keeping started in 1895.

"While it's true that the primary effect of carbon dioxide buildup is to warm the Earth and to change the climate, some of that carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans, and when water absorbs carbon dioxide, it becomes more acidic. ... That has some implications for sea life, especially organisms that form shells: In an acidic environment it's harder to form a shell, and because a lot of these organisms are at the very base of the ocean food chain, there could be some real disruptions to that part of our food supply. "

Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas, and the Weather of the Future. published by the nonprofit research organization Climate Central