Heat Invades Cool Heights Over Arizona Desert

[rodeodance]

Source: nytimes



March 27, 2007
Heat Invades Cool Heights Over Arizona Desert
By TIMOTHY EGAN

SUMMERHAVEN, Ariz. — High above the desert floor, this little alpine town has long served as a natural air-conditioned retreat for people in Tucson, one of the so-called sky islands of southern Arizona. When it is 105 degrees in the city, it is at least 20 degrees cooler up here near the 9,157-foot summit of Mount Lemmon.

But for the past 10 years or so, things have been unraveling. Winter snows melt away earlier, longtime residents say, making for an erratic season at the nearby ski resort, the most southern in the nation.

Legions of predatory insects have taken to the forest that mantles the upper mountain, killing trees weakened by record heat. And in 2003, a fire burned for a month, destroying much of the town and scarring more than 87,000 acres. The next year, another fire swept over 32,000 acres.

“Nature is confused,” said Debbie Fagan, who moved here 25 years ago after crossing the country in pursuit of the perfect place to live. “We used to have four seasons. Now we have two. I love this place dearly, and this is very hard for me to watch.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/us/27warming.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print

---

And yet, many of our congress-critters continue with Denial!!!!

[Raster]

1. I grew up in Safford, Arizona at the foot of Mt Graham. My childhood memories

are filled with summers up in the beautiful pines and firs. The Arizona "sky islands" are some of the most unique, special places on the planet. Until you have actually experienced these wonders you have no idea of their rarity and beauty. This breaks my heart.
:kick:THREE!:cry:

[Kolesar]

6. I camped in those mountains in December 1991. There were a huge number of sites

in some of those USFS campsites and I imagined that they would be a wonderful place to escape to on a hot summer day in the Sonoran Desert. This article closes the loop for me.

We got snowed on at night! An inch of wet stuff. Then we went to the missile site near Madera Canyon.

[hedgehog]

2. On the other hand, isn't settling a large number of people in Arizona

living off of fossil water in and of itself an expression of the attitudes that have brought us Global Warming? (I'll even allow for air conditioning since I heat my indoor air for six months of the year!)

[hatrack]

3. Nature isn't "confused", Ms. Fagan.

We, on the other hand, seem to be very confused about nature and what we're doing to it.

Or, as I tend to say a lot these days over on E&E, "Oops!"

[jus_the_facts]

4. Fond memories of visitin' Mt. Lemmon as a kid....'twas a gorgeous place. n/t

[CrazyOrangeCat]

5. Kick.

The high places above the deserts are the most beautiful and refreshing places.

I've woken up many a chilly morning, crawled out of the sack, and looked down on the austere and beautiful desert.

So sad.

[blondeatlast]

7. Devastatingly beautiful areas--this is terrible news. Having lived in AZ

nearly 40 years, I can see the climate change--and other long-timers talk about it too.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. Wonder what Barry Goldwater would think ... nt