Global Warming Facts, Causes and Effects of Climate Change Jump to Section Q: What is global warming? A: Since the Industrial Revolution, the global annual temperature has increased in total by a little more than 1 degree Celsius, or about 2 degrees Fahrenheit. The result? Now climate scientists have concluded that we must limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040 if we are to avoid a future in which everyday life around the world is marked by its worst, most devastating effects: the extreme droughts, wildfires, floods, tropical storms, and other disasters that we refer to collectively as climate change. Q: What causes global warming? A: Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface. Curbing dangerous climate change requires very deep cuts in emissions, as well as the use of alternatives to fossil fuels worldwide. Q: How is global warming linked to extreme weather? A: We’ve started. A: No!
Arctic expert predicts final collapse of sea ice within four years | Environment Prof Peter Wadhams calls for “urgent” consideration of new ideas to reduce global temperatures. Photograph: John Mcconnico/AP One of the world's leading ice experts has predicted the final collapse of Arctic sea ice in summer months within four years. In what he calls a "global disaster" now unfolding in northern latitudes as the sea area that freezes and melts each year shrinks to its lowest extent ever recorded, Prof Peter Wadhams of Cambridge University calls for "urgent" consideration of new ideas to reduce global temperatures. In an email to the Guardian he says: "Climate change is no longer something we can aim to do something about in a few decades' time, and that we must not only urgently reduce CO2 emissions but must urgently examine other ways of slowing global warming, such as the various geoengineering ideas that have been put forward." These include reflecting the sun's rays back into space, making clouds whiter and seeding the ocean with minerals to absorb more CO2.
The United States Just Experienced The Warmest 12 Months On Record The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its latest State of the Climate data, and the results are pretty compelling and dramatic. According to the data gathered, the last twelve months have been the hottest period for the United States since record-keeping began in the late 1800s. Last summer was the second hottest on record, last winter was the fourth warmest, and last March was the hottest. The average temperature for the lower-48 states was 55.7 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.8 degrees above the average for last century. Over the past year, 22 states saw record-breaking warm temperatures, and 19 more saw some of their top-10 warmest temperatures. January through April 2012 have run about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit above average, a new record, and 17 more states had temperatures that made it into their top 10 records. NOAA also records precipitation trends, noting it was drier than usual in most places, but nothing dramatic or record-breaking.
The scientific consensus on global warming « Later On From the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the preeminent scientific organization in the US. Note that this article is not based on a mere count of articles, but rather looks at statements from various scientific organizations. Science 3 December 2004: Vol. 306. no. 5702, p. 1686 DOI: 10.1126/science.1103618BEYOND THE IVORY TOWER: The Scientific Consensus on Climate ChangeNaomi Oreskes*Policy-makers and the media, particularly in the United States, frequently assert that climate science is highly uncertain. Arctic Sea Ice: What, Why and What Next | Guest Blog On September 19th, NSIDC, the National Snow and Ice Data Center, announced that Arctic sea ice has shrunk as far as it will shrink this summer, and that the ice is beginning to reform, expanding the floating ice cap that covers the North Pole and the seas around it. The Arctic Sea Ice extent this September was far smaller than the previous record set in 2007. At 3.4 million square kilometers of ice coverage, this year’s Arctic minimum was 800,000 square kilometers smaller than the 2007 record. That difference between the previous record and this year’s is larger than the entire state of Texas. What’s happening in the Arctic? Figure 1 - Ice in the Arctic is increasingly melting, exposing dark waters below. Conditions in the Arctic change dramatically through the seasons. When scientists and reporters talk about an ice-free Arctic, they’re usually speaking of the Arctic in summer, and especially in September, when ice coverage reaches its minimum. Is that plausible? 1. 2. 3. The Bad News
Drought Reaches Record 56% of US | Extreme Weather The United States is parched, with more than half of the land area in the lower 48 states experiencing moderate to extreme drought, according to a report released today (July 5). Just under 56 percent of the contiguous United States is in drought conditions, the most extensive area in the 12-year history of the U.S. Drought Monitor. The previous drought records occurred on Aug. 26, 2003, when 54.79 percent of the lower 48 were in drought and on Sept 10, 2002, when drought extended across 54.63 percent of this area. When including the entire nation, the monitor found 46.84 percent of the land area meets criteria for various stages of drought, up from 42.8 percent last week. "The recent heat and dryness is catching up with us on a national scale," Michael Hayes, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said in a statement. "It's early in the season, though. The U.S.
Climate Change, Deforestation, Biomes and Ocean Currents, Plankton, Endangered Species - Earth Web Site Click for more detail Thermohaline Change Evidence is growing that the thermohaline current may be slowed or stopped by cold fresh water inputs to the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. This could occur if global warming is sufficient to cause large scale melting of arctic sea ice and the Greenland ice sheet. Such a change in the current may be gradual (over centuries) or very rapid (over a few years). Either would cause planet wide changes in climate. "Diatoms (a kind of phytoplankton) are estimated to "scrub" roughly as much CO2 from the atmosphere each year as all the world's rainforests. "Net primary productivity is the mass of plant material produced each year on land and in the oceans by photosynthesis using energy from sunlight. Biodiversity is the variety of life found at all levels of biological organization, ranging from individuals and populations to species, communities and ecosystems. Click for more detail What are they? Ecosystem and Biodiversity Text Sources: 1.
North Pole melts, forms lake at top of the world If this image (above) doesn't scare you about the effects of global warming, you must have icewater in your veins. Yes, that's the North Pole. It's now a lake. The photo is part of a time lapse recently released by the North Pole Environmental Observatory, a research group funded by the National Science Foundation that has been monitoring the state of Arctic sea ice since 2000. The North Pole has not completely melted away; there is still a layer of ice between the lake and the Arctic Ocean underneath. Arctic ice has been retreating dramatically in recent years, opening up the fabled Northwest Passage, which can now be successfully navigated in the summer months. You can view the full time lapse taken by the research team at the North Pole, which shows the formation of the lake, below. Related on MNN:
Climate Change, Extreme Weather Environmental Issues > Health Main Page > All Health Documents (January - December 2012) 2188 RecordHeat Days FEMA News Photo 1094 Days of Record Rainfall FEMA/Aaron Skolnik 245 Days of Record Snowfall Brace yourself for more weird and wild weather, because 2012 may well outdo 2011 when it comes to shattering extreme weather records. This endless cycle of wildfires, droughts, rainstorms and floods leaves a trail of death, injury and destruction that hurts communities, damages our health and undermines our economy. 2011's severe weather events struck communities all over the US, breaking 3,251 monthly weather records. We can take two steps right now to protect our families and future generations: Methods: The data used to develop the online tool comes from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NOAA-NCDC) for 2012 US weather data. NRDC Gets Top Ratings from the Charity Watchdogs Charity Navigator awards NRDC its 4-star top rating. Worth magazine named NRDC one of America's 100 best charities.