Global Warming In The News

By Bob Downing
Beacon Journal staff writer 

The state heated up last year, as temperatures were well above normal in Akron and other Ohio cities.

Feeling the Heat, a report released Tuesday by Environment Ohio, said the average Akron temperature in 2006 -- 51.5 degrees -- was 2 degrees above the city's 30-year average.

Other Ohio cities also showed higher-than-average temperatures: Toledo was 2.9 degrees warmer; Mansfield, 2.6 degrees; Columbus, 2 degrees, and Dayton, 1.8 degrees.

In addition, the average nighttime temperature in Akron in 2006 was 2.4 degrees higher than the average from 1971 to 2000; in Cleveland, the 2006 nighttime average was 2.9 degrees higher.

This raises the health threat from severe heat waves because people need cooler weather at night to recover from high daytime exposures, Environment Ohio said.

Also in 2006, the report said, Cincinnati had 25 days in which the mercury topped 90 degrees, six days more than normal.

In contrast, Akron had only four days at or above 90 degrees -- three fewer than normal -- and Cleveland had only six -- also three fewer than normal.

According to the National Climatic Data Center, the summer of 2006 and 2006 overall were the second warmest on record in the lower 48 states.

The Environment Ohio report analyzed temperature data from 255 weather stations across the United States.

Environment Ohio contends that Ohio is likely to get more warm weather like that in 2006 because of global warming.

Amy Gomberg, spokeswoman for the group, called on Ohio to reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide, a key global-warming gas, and to promote energy efficiency and use of renewable energy, such as wind and solar power.

The report is available at http://www.environmentohio.org.

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