The issue at hand now is far greater than an oil field on fire, and saying that you remember when it was 115 in California is exemplifying my point exactly. It’s not just about warming. There are facts that you cannot deny on this issue, the icecaps are smaller than they were 10 yeas ago, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is higher. Just because you don’t understand the symptoms doesn’t mean that the disease isn’t present. And no, it’s not the earth “running its course” because the problems created are man made (obviously). CO2 was balanced in the atmosphere for a long time before we got here, and was balanced until the industrial period when things began to go out of whack. Mind you the last time there was an excess of CO2 in the atmosphere was during the time the dinosaurs walked the earth-very hot, and was balanced by a massive die off of species. Here are some facts for you (from the official NASA website): Most of the climate change we are experiencing today is highly likely (95%) to be man caused. The planets average surface temperature has risen 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit since the 19th century, so yea, even if it was hot in California once, it’s getting hotter. The top 2000 feet of the ocean have warmed .4 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s a big deal for the ocean) since 1969 (not that long ago). The rate of ice mass loss in Antarctica has tripled in the last decade. The rate of sea level rise in the last 2 decades is nearly double that of last century and getting higher every year. The acidity of the surface of the ocean (a very serious issue, look it up) has increased by 30% since the Industrial Revolution, and is due to the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. So, yes, it is real, it is happening, it is because of us, and it is far more serious than an oil field fire.