Environmental Group Uses Western Heat Wave To Promote Renewable Energy
With temperatures in Arizona and parts of California over 120 degrees, an environmental group in Montana is urging government officials to embrace renewable energy.
Skye Borden with Environment Montana said temperatures are creeping higher in Montana, as well.
"As current estimates predict, if we don't change emissions right now, that we're going to rise 12 degrees by the end of the century in the summer," Borden said. "This comes from scientists from a group called 'Climate Central' and it's sometimes referred to as the worst case scenario projection."
Borden says carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will continue to rise if local, state and federal governments don't begin to take steps to curb use of fossil fuels.
"If we don't do anything to curb our emissions, and we continue on the path we're on right now, that's what this estimate is meant to project," she said. "In 2100 we're going to go up to 900 parts per million carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We're currently at 400 million."
Borden also said that hotter summer days mean unhealthy air. In 2015, Missoula, Kalispell, and Helena each had five or more smog days where the air was unhealthy to breathe. Smog forms when pollution from dirty fuels or chemicals mix in sunlight. Breathing it can cause a wide range of health problems, from asthma attacks to respiratory illness.