Global Warming In the News

Get ready to start peeling off those layers.

Portland's summer of 2006 was one of the hottest ever recorded, according to researchers at Environment Oregon, who predicted more of the same at the unveiling of a new climate change report at the Rose Garden in Southwest Portland's Washington Park.

Beyond telling us what we already know and wish the Bush Administration would finally do something about, today's report gave a frightening local snapshot on rising temperature trends right here in Oregon.

An offshoot of Oregon State Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG), Environment Oregon tracked average temperatures for summer 2006 in cities across the state, comparing those numbers with historical averages gathered from 1971 to 2000.

Here's what they found:

Burns, in Eastern Oregon's high desert, topped the list with an average summer 2006 temperature that was 4.1 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Portland wasn't far behind at 2.6 degrees above normal. Salem was hotter by 2.4 degrees; Eugene by 1.4 degrees.

Beyond being mighty uncomfortable, rising temperatures could have devastating effects on everything from salmon to skiing runs.

"The snow sports industry is perhaps the poster child for the impacts of global warming," said Heidi Logosz, who heads Mount Hood Meadows Ski Resort's sustainability effort.

The resort is trying to cap its carbon emissions—a huge contributing factor to global warming - from on-road and off-road vehicles by replacing the resort's ATVs and other vehicles with vehicles that can run on biodiesel fuel.