SAN GABRIEL VALLEYWIDE NEWS
By Winston Chua

Jet Propulsion Laboratory climatologist Bill Patzert believes we are in for a long, hot summer, possibly the hottest in years. He and others give expert tips to tell people how to wisely beat the heat this summer, without overtaxing or depleting resources.
Judging by his climactic data and weather trends, which stretches back more than 100 years, Patzert said the summer heat's worst is yet to come, as September is traditionally the hottest month of the year.
Mix the heat with the dry winds and the conditions for wildfires also increase, warming the weather and potentially uprooting people's sense of security (as evidenced by last fall's wildfires).
Patzert said that in 2008 Southern Californians have experienced the fourth driest spring (comprising the months of March, April and May) during the past 100 years. This year's records indicate that only 0.16 inches of rain had been gathered during this time. The dry, crispy conditions mean the threat of wildfires will continue.
According to Patzert, “Gray May” is typically followed by “June Gloom,” two months traditionally reserved for transitioning into summer, marked by an increase in the marine layer.
But this year the weather has accelerated the arrival of heat normally ushered in July in response to the earth’s warming. Patzert said June was unexpectedly hit by a heat wave that lasted for about one week that indicated the faster arrival of heat waves.
Of the June heat Patzert said, “It's not a good preview of coming attractions for the summer.”
Consecutive days with temperatures in the mid-90s strung out together are what Patzert defines as “heat waves.” In 1906, heat waves would not last more than two to three days, and those came infrequently. In recent years is has not been uncommon to see heat waves last two to three weeks without respite. Patzert predicts the heat waves will only increase in duration.
So what can residents of the San Gabriel Valley do to make their summers a little cooler, for themselves and everyone else?
Patzert said to cool individual rooms that people occupy, instead of cooling the whole house. This may not affect how one person experiences the heat, but it can prevent streets and cities from unexpected brownouts and blackouts if communities do not work together to minimize energy consumption. He said that if everyone were to crank down their air conditioners down to 65-degrees, city residents could pay a hefty price. And that will certainly mean hotter temperatures for everyone.
Patzert said, “We're all in this together, everybody has to do their part.” Accordingly, he recommended adjusting thermostats to 75-degrees.
Next, keep hydrated. But not with an endless supply of water bottles. Because plastic is not biodegradable (or hardly biodegradable) and harms the environment, Patzert suggests using the same bottle for an extended period of time, one year, if possible. Plastic bottles have the additional negative environmental impacts of making more and more polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from petroleum sources that damage wildlife and marine life and cause air and water pollution, and greater burdens on already stressed landfills and incinerators.
The problem with Patzert's idea, however, is that plastic bottles tend to accumulate dangerous chemicals like phosphates the longer they are used, which can compromise the quality of the water.
Patzert and other experts also said to drink filtered tap water. Why? The filtering process removes dangerous contaminants while bypassing environmental obstacles. Scientists like Patzert argue that even unfiltered tap water can be of better quality than its bottled counterpart. Patzert said California "has some of the best tap water in the United States."
But what about the discoloration found in tap water? He acknowledged that some communities and cities have an older infrastructure and piping, which may account for unclear water.
However, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said the discoloration is secondary, meaning it only applies to the aesthetics of water, and that these discoloration conditions do not pose a threat to one's health. The LADWP said that bottled water "is not necessarily any safer or healthier than tap water." And with the weakened economy, tap water is considerably less expensive than bottled water.
Continuing to use bottled water means continuing to deplete a limited supply of fossil fuels, because of the enormous energy spent transporting and producing volumes of plastic bottles. According to www.allaboutwater.org, recycling has not proven to change waste production.
Another suggestion for beating the heat? Exercise early in the day. The early hours of the day or the later hours of the night are typically the coolest, but the early hours have less contaminants in the air, according to Patzert. Morning exercises help cool down and counteract the body heat produced through exercise and can mean avoiding the pollutants and toxins in the air, especially in Southern California. As temperatures rise, ozone production is increased, which translates to respiratory problems for people with medical conditions.
The ozone combines with other particulates in the air that can prevent someone from breathing well. Patzert says the longer one waits in the day (in the afternoon, specifically) to exercise, the worse one's breathing can get, as particulates aggregate.
According to Amy Liu, who works for the Joslyn Adult Recreation Center in Alhambra, people in the community can also go to "cooling centers," which are air-conditioned facilities geared mainly to seniors but welcome anyone who just wants to escape the heat. Libraries, Friday night movies, arts, crafts and bingo are just a few of the activities offered to residents in the community at the Alhambra location. Liu also recommends that people go to "lounge around" at the center or spend time in shopping centers.
Other local community centers can be found in Altadena, Pasadena and El Monte. Their contact information can be found on the Los Angeles Department of Public Health's Web site.
Also, be wary of September, typically the year's hottest month. During September, the Santa Ana season begins. Winds move off the high desert and can place people in the throes of fire, not unlike those experienced in San Diego last fall, where drought and intense wind conditions forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 homes and consumed more than 500,000 acres of land. Something as small as a cigarette or wayward campfire can torch destruction of gigantic proportions.