REVISED ESTIMATE MORE THAN TRIPLES FIRST FIGURES:
French heat wave blamed for 11,435 deaths

From the AP via the Houston Chronicle:

The number far exceeded the government's initial estimates of the death toll from the blistering heat and was 4,200 more deaths than France suffered in road accidents in the whole of 2002.

From Aug. 1-15, when much of Europe baked in record temperatures, nearly 800 more people died each day in France than usual, according to the figures from the Health Ministry.

"These figures were calculated in an extremely precise manner," said Gilles Brucker, director of the Health Surveillance Institute that put the death toll together.

Brucker told France-2 television "today's is a totally precise figure of deaths linked to the heat between Aug. 1 and 15."

The toll embroiled the center-right government in fresh accusations that it reacted too slowly to the crisis. Many victims were elderly, dying alone at home or in overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes.

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Even though these deaths have resulted in a political crisis regarding how the French government has reacted to the heat wave, the real issue here is global warming. That is, it's time to start getting scared.

For any of you weird holdouts out there, listen to this:

GLOBAL WARMING IS HAPPENING! NOW! HUMANITY IS CAUSING IT! IT IS GETTING WORSE!

THIS IS A FACT! THERE IS NO DEBATE ABOUT THIS!

STRONG ACTION MUST BE TAKEN RIGHT NOW OR WE WILL ALL DIE!

Forgive me for shouting, but...never mind, I think shouting is called for here.

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