Heat Wave Tied to Global Warming?

July 26, 2006 -- The record stretch of triple digit days is raising questions about what's behind the heat wave. Is it tied to global warning, or is it just an especially hot summer?

While America's leading scientific advisors believe that global warming is a fact, the valley's congressional delegation isn't waiting for proof to try to fund clean energy technology.

The goal of reducing air pollutants has become common ground in the scientific and political debate.

On a week like this one, every living thing is baking in the sweltering heat. Anything coming out of an oil burning engine is adding to the soup of valley smog we are all breathing this summer.

Are the dangerously high temperatures outside the Earth's normal climate cycles or are we the reason for the dramatic rise?

"The last two weeks in Fresno fit the pattern, the whole United States being extra hot this summer fits the pattern. Is it proof of global warning by itself? No. Is it consistent with thousands of other observations around the world over the last 50 or 100 years? Yes," said Dr. Stephen Lewis, from the CSUF Sciences Department.

Dr. Lewis is a firm believer in global warming and points to published studies by the National Academy of Sciences and others that document rising global and ocean temperatures along with the melting polar ice caps.

In Washington, D.C., Tulare Congressman Devin Nunes isn't ready to accept global warming. But still, he does want to increase the use and technology of renewable fuel sources.

"Meaning ethanol, clean coal technology, solar, wind all of the renewable," says Nunes.

Funding would come from monies paid by companies drilling oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve.

"If you drill in ANWR and you have royalty revenues, you use them solely to bridge ourselves to the next generation of energy in this country," said Nunes.

In sweltering Fresno, Dr. Lewis would also like everyone to reduce use of fossil fuels. He also encourages people to drive less, walk more and get up to date on the science of climate change and it's causes.

"Reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases is the number one thing and every time we turn on our cars, each of us is a small part of that one particular problem," said Dr. Lewis.