OVERVIEW When it comes to connecting the dots between climate change, extreme weather and health, the lines

are clear. The earth is saying something with record heat, drought, /draut/ (sequia) storms and fire. Scientists are telling us this is what global warming looks like. It's time to listen and take action. There's plenty we can do. Carbon pollution is the main reason our planet is getting hotter, increasing the chances of weather disasters, drought and flood /fld/ (if water floods a place, it covers it) and hurting our health. There are solutions. For starters, we can cut carbon pollution (factorys smoke) by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels (combustible fosil) and increasing our use of clean, renewable energy (renewable energy and natural materials replace themselves by natural processes, so that they are never completely used up). And we can implement policies (a set of plans or actions agreed on by a government) that help us prepare for flooding, drought, storms and other consequences of climate change. But first, we need national leadership (the position of being the leader or being in charge of an organization) that will stop ignoring what the earth and scientists are telling us about climate change -- and instead start ignoring those who continue to deny it is happening.

WEATHER DESASTERS Here's what the first six months of 2012 brought:

The hottest January to June ever recorded in the continental United States. More than 22,000 daily high temperature records tied or broken (rompio record). The largest drought declaration in over 50 years, with more than two-thirds of the continental United States in drought at the end of July.

One of the most destructive freak derecho storms in history (ms destructivos monstruo Derecho tormentas).

Fires in Colorado that have destroyed more than 700 homes.

Unfortunately, the first half of 2012 is not the exception. It's becoming the new normal. In 2011, for instance, an unprecedented 14 disastrous weather events resulted in an estimated $53 billion in damage - not including health costs. But the trend goes back much further. In fact, the 13 warmest years ever recorded have occurred since 1997, according to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization. June 2012 also marks the 328th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th century average. The extreme weather of 2012 has already caused billions of dollars worth of damage, but again, that's just part of the trend. Learn more from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAAs) billion-dollar weather/climate disaster page. There's little doubt that climate change is contributing to the extreme weather disasters we've been experiencing. Numerous studies, such as this one conducted in connection with NOAA's 2011 State of the Climate report, shows the clear links between extreme weather and human-induced climate change. There are solutions to address extreme weather tied (vinculado) to climate change. For starters, we need our lawmakers to quit ignoring climate change and start limiting carbon pollution (nuestros legisladores a dejar de ignorar el cambio climtico y empezar a limitar la contaminacin de carbono )that is heating our planet and increasing the intensity of extreme weather. Translation Esto es lo que los primeros seis meses de 2012 trajeron: El ms caliente de enero a junio se haya registrado en los Estados Unidos continentales. Ms de 22.000 registros diarios de alta temperatura atadas o rotos. La declaracin de la sequa ms grande de ms de 50 aos, con ms de dos tercios del territorio continental de Estados Unidos en la sequa a finales de julio. Uno de los ms destructivos monstruo Derecho tormentas de la historia. Los incendios en Colorado que han destruido ms de 700 viviendas.

Por desgracia, el primer semestre de 2012 no es la excepcin. Se est convirtiendo en la nueva normalidad. En 2011, por ejemplo, una cantidad sin precedentes de 14 eventos climticos desastrosos resultaron en un estimado de $ 53 mil millones en daos - sin incluir los costos de salud. Pero la tendencia se remonta mucho ms all. De hecho, los 13 aos ms calurosos jams registrados han ocurrido desde 1997, segn la Organizacin de las Naciones Unidas Meteorolgica Mundial. 06 2012 marca tambin el mes consecutivo 328a con una temperatura global por encima del promedio del siglo 20. No hay duda de que el cambio climtico est contribuyendo a los desastres meteorolgicos extremos que hemos estado viviendo. Numerosos estudios, como ste realizado en el marco de la NOAA 2011 Estado del informe climtico, muestran una vinculacin clara entre condiciones meteorolgicas extremas y el cambio climtico inducido por el hombre. Existen soluciones para hacer frente a fenmenos meteorolgicos extremos vinculados al cambio climtico. Para empezar, necesitamos que nuestros legisladores a dejar de ignorar el cambio climtico y empezar a limitar la contaminacin de carbono que est calentando el planeta y el aumento de la intensidad de los fenmenos meteorolgicos extremos.

HEALTH Extreme heat in the first half of 2012killed at least 74 Americans. But the climate change-related heat mortality in the first half of 2012 is just part of a deadly trend. In 2011, at least 206 people died from extreme heat, up from 138 fatalities in 2010 and nearly double the 10-year average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If we don't do more to reduce fossil fuel emissions and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases that are making heat waves more intense, (que atrapan el calor gases de efecto invernadero que estn haciendo olas de calor ms intensas,) more than 150,000 additional Americans could die by the end of this century due to excessive heat. Heat-related death is just one deadly side effect of extreme weather tied to climate change. Extreme storms can cause drowning, contaminate drinking water and result in outbreaks (emerge) of infectious diseases. Heat and ozone smog increases respiratory diseases such as asthma and worsens (deteriorate) the health of people suffering from cardiac or pulmonary disease.

There are solutions to address the health effects of climate change. For starters, we need our lawmakers to quit (to stop) ignoring climate change and start limiting carbon pollution that is heating our planet and increasing the intensity of extreme weather.

FLOODING Tropical Storm Debby brought record rainfall and extreme flooding to Florida in the first half of 2012, killing at least seven people, destroying more than 100 homes and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage to beaches, businesses and homes. But 2012's flooding is just part of the trend. Some of the most disastrous flooding in the United States has occurred in recent years. In 2011, rainfall in the Ohio Valley was nearly 300 percent of normal, flooding the Mississippi River and causing $3 billion in damage and 7 deaths. Hurricane Irene, meanwhile caused 45 deaths and nearly $10 billion in damage, much of it from flooding. In the Midwest storms that dump (arrojar) more than three inches (pulgadas) of rain in a day have more than doubled in the last 50 years. Between more intense rainstorms and sea level rise, flooding will only increase if we don't address climate change. Some cities and states are taking steps to address climate changerelated water issues, but many more have yet to begin. There are solutions to address flooding and sea level rise. For starters, we need our lawmakers to quit ignoring climate change and start limiting carbon pollution that is heating our planet and increasing the intensity of extreme weather.

DROUGHT The first half of 2012's historic drought saw more than 80 percent of the country in abnormally dry or drought conditions in mid-July. Drought of course threatens our water and food supplies and is driving up the cost of everything from corn to milk. Unfortunately, drought conditions are expected to become the new normal for many parts of the country if we dont do more to address climate change.

More than 1,100 U.S. counties -- one-third of all counties in the lower 48 states - will face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century as the result of global warming. Some states are taking steps to address long-term drought. New York, for instance, is developing comprehensive drought monitoring programs and emergency water supplies, while Oregon is implementing ways to increase water storage capacity for times of drought. There are solutions to addressing the effects of drought. For one thing, we can stop wasting so much water, and energy that's required to pump it around. We also need our lawmakers to quit ignoring climate change and start limiting carbon pollution that is heating our planet and increasing the intensity of extreme weather.