Climate Change: Is the US Fiddling while It Burns?

Record-high temperatures were recorded in at least 168 US cities yesterday, and today is expected to get even hotter. Over 130 million Americans are living under excessive heat warnings. That crippling heat wave may or may not be attributable to global warming but, in the past month, a series of reports predict global climate change will have profound consequences for people's livelihoods, health and security. What does the latest data tell us? What effects are we experiencing now and what can we expect in the near future? Perhaps, most importantly, how can we deal wisely with the growing threat of climate change in a time of partisan political gridlock and economic distress?