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Tag: global warming

Published on Leave a comment on Global Warming Is Now Accelerating

The past few years have been the hottest globally since records have been kept, and have broken temperature records. And the pace of global warming is accelerating! The rate has surged so much that it is nearly double what it was in the 1970s. Yikes!

This means climate change is speeding up. Temperatures, storms, droughts, wildfires, and so on. Carbon dioxide levels are at the highest level in about 2 million years. All of this has been predicted by climate change models. So no - it is not just normal swings in climate. In fact, scientists feel we're close to Earth's tipping points (e.g, Atlantic Ocean currents weakening and slowing down.)

It is past time for governments to address this issue. But will they?

From YaleEnvironment360: Global Warming Is Accelerating, Study Shows

The Earth is warming at the fastest rate on record as emissions hit new highs and critical carbon sinks break down.

From Science Daily: Scientists detect a sudden acceleration in global warming

Global warming has been increasing at a faster pace since about 2015, according to a new study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). By adjusting global temperature records to remove known natural influences, researchers were able to identify a statistically significant rise in the rate of warming for the first time. ...continue reading "Global Warming Is Now Accelerating"

Published on Leave a comment on The Erasing Of Climate Science

Going forward, will we even know what is going on in the atmosphere regarding carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases? Will there be any data collected and scientific evidence regarding climate change? As you may have heard, all climate change research and knowledge is being eliminated and erased. The words climate change and greenhouse gases  are not to be spoken or written according to the US government.

But even so, what is shocking to scientists is that 4 prestigious observatories operated by the US for decades, and which were instrumental in documenting the increase in greenhouse gases, are to be closed down by the US government. The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii has been measuring CO2 levels in the air for over 65 years!

And yup, it has been documenting the steady increase, year after year, of CO2. Due to burning of oil, gas, and coal. In 65 years CO2 levels have increased from 316 ppm to more than 430 parts per million. This is a huge increase!

An article in The Conversation explains why carbon dioxide is so important - how it's needed for a habitable Earth, but too much carbon dioxide is bad.

"The reason carbon dioxide is so important is that this molecule has special properties. Its ability to trap heat alongside other greenhouse gases means Earth isn’t a frozen rock. If there were no greenhouse gases, Earth would have an average temperature of -18°C, rather than the balmy 14°C under which human civilisation emerged.

The greenhouse effect is essential to life. But if there are too many gases, the planet becomes dangerously hot. That’s what’s happening now – a very sharp increase in gases exceptionally good at trapping heat even at low concentrations."

From NY Times: After 7 Decades of Measurements From a Peak in Hawaii, Trump’s Budget Would End Them

More than 11,100 feet above sea level, surrounded by nothing but black rocks, white clouds and blue sky, the Mauna Loa Observatory is in a Goldilocks spot for studying the atmosphere.

The air that swirls around the isolated outpost located on a Hawaiian volcano is a mix from all over the Northern Hemisphere. That makes it one of the best places to measure greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is indispensable to scientists around the world. ...continue reading "The Erasing Of Climate Science"

Published on Leave a comment on The Two Hottest Days On Earth Were This Week

Uh-oh. The Earth is really warming up, and very rapidly. Sunday was the hottest day recorded globally. But then... Monday was even hotter! This means that in the space of several days, two global records were set in two days.

And it will continue to get warmer (hotter) in the coming months and years. We do know what is causing this climate change of increased global warmth - it's the burning of fossil fuels (e.g., gas, oil, coal). The big question - can humans change their ways?

From The New York Times, the Climate Newsletter: Earth’s Hottest Days Ever

Twice this week, global temperatures broke records, but scientists are more concerned about a longer-term pattern of hotter weather.

This past Sunday was the warmest single day ever recorded, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union-funded research organization. That is, until Monday, when global temperatures inched up a bit more. Then Monday became the hottest day in modern history, with an average global temperature of 17.16 Celsius or 62.88 Fahrenheit. Tuesday was almost as hot. ...continue reading "The Two Hottest Days On Earth Were This Week"

Published on Leave a comment on Carbon Dioxide Levels In Atmosphere Keep Rapidly Rising

It shouldn't be a surprise to read that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are surging and accumulating faster than ever. In May, it surged to 427 parts per million (426.90 ppm) - while in 1960 it was about 320 ppm.  It's depressing, and it doesn't bode well for our future.

These high levels of carbon dioxide are a major driver of the record-setting heat we've been experiencing in recent years. Carbon dioxide is the gas that accounts for the majority of global warming (yes, climate change) and is caused by human activities. The human activities are burning of fossil fuels, such as gas and oil - in vehicles, coal-fired plants, large industrial operations, ships, airplanes, rockets.

Graph of carbon dioxide levels increasing Credit: NOAA

Excerpts from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): During a year of extremes, carbon dioxide levels surge faster than ever

Carbon dioxide is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than ever — accelerating on a steep rise to levels far above any experienced during human existence, scientists from NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego announced today. ...continue reading "Carbon Dioxide Levels In Atmosphere Keep Rapidly Rising"

Published on Leave a comment on Climate Scientists Are Very Worried About Our Future

The world is heating up quickly and climate scientists are very worried and scared about what's in our future. A recent survey conducted by The Guardian finds that climate scientists are very pessimistic about our ability to limit future temperature increases.

By the way, this past April was the 11th straight month of global record-breaking heat, and it looks like this trend will continue. Most of the scientists surveyed felt that we will blow past the internationally agreed 2.7 degrees F and will hit at least a 4.5 degrees F increase in this century. Almost half thought there would be a 5.4 degrees F increase.

This uncontrolled temperature increase will result in catastrophic changes for the world. Famines, mass migrations, heatwaves, wildfires, extreme storms! It's on us, especially our governments, to take action. Now!

Excerpts from The Guardian: World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target

Hundreds of the world’s leading climate scientists expect global temperatures to rise to at least 2.5C (4.5F) above preindustrial levels this century, blasting past internationally agreed targets and causing catastrophic consequences for humanity and the planet, an exclusive Guardian survey has revealed. ...continue reading "Climate Scientists Are Very Worried About Our Future"