It may be hard to remember now that the winter weather has many dreaming of an escape to a warm beach, but last year's scorching temperatures set the record for the hottest year ever in the United States - by far.
For anyone who experienced "a surreal March heat wave, a severe drought in the Corn Belt [or] a huge storm that caused broad devastation in the Middle Atlantic States," it probably won't surprise you to learn that 2012 was the hottest year ever recorded in the contiguous United States. But, as new data from the NOAA indicates, not only was last year the warmest ever, it "demolished" the previous record (set in 1998) by a full degree. And while one degree my not sound like much, "temperature differences between years are usually measured in fractions of a degree," says Justin Gillis.
"Scientists said that natural variability almost certainly played a role in last year’s extreme heat and drought. But many of them expressed doubt that such a striking new record would have been set without the backdrop of global warming caused by the human release of greenhouse gases. And they warned that 2012 was probably a foretaste of things to come, as continuing warming makes heat extremes more likely."
With 11 disasters last year having exceeded $1 billion in damages, 2012 also "turned out to be the second-worst on a measure called the Climate Extremes Index, surpassed only by 1998."
2012 is expected to crack the top ten hotest years for global temperatures as well, meaning that all ten of the hottest years on record will have occured in the last 15 years. "Nobody who is under 28 has lived through a month of global temperatures that fell below the 20th-century average, because the last such month was February 1985," adds Gillis.
FULL STORY: Not Even Close: 2012 Was Hottest Ever in U.S.

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service