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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/20/ex-meteorologist-names-us-heatwaves-after-oil-gas-firms>
"The summer’s heatwaves have been so blistering they have inspired their own
names. In Europe they have been called nightmarish figures from Greek
mythology, but one meteorologist in the US has taken a more pointed approach –
by naming the country’s heatwaves after the oil and gas companies that have
worsened the climate crisis.
The heatwave that has baked much of the US south-west in recent weeks, helping
bring a record-breaking string of days over (43C) 110F to Phoenix, has been
named Heatwave Chevron by Guy Walton, a veteran former Weather Channel
meteorologist.
Walton, who now runs a blog on weather as well as writing a range of children’s
books he calls “Harry Potter meets the climate crisis”, has already christened
two previous heatwaves this summer Amoco and BP, after two other oil companies.
The rebadging of heatwaves as being directly the fault of companies like
Chevron is “a naming and shaming thing”, according to Walton, who wants weather
forecasters and the media to be more explicit between the links between extreme
heat and the burning of fossil fuels that has caused the climate crisis.
“I’m trying to be a bug in the ear of my compatriots to take what I’m doing and
run with it,” he said. “I realize what I’m doing is controversial and corporate
media will want to steer clear of it, but people need to be riled up. I don’t
think we need to pull any punches. If it causes consternation, so be it.”
Walton has devised his own criteria for named heatwaves in the US, based on
duration and extremity, on a one to five scale similar to hurricanes. Heatwave
Chevron is classed as a four and is “historic”, Walton said. The meteorologist
said he has a list of 20 oil and gas companies – including Exxon and Shell –
for upcoming heatwaves and will turn to coal companies if he runs out of
names."
Via Ecky H and Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
