Global warming Archives

Warmest Year in Six Decades

July 21, 2016 By Marlene R. Litten

So far, 2016 has proved to be the warmest year in the last six decades.

Scientists warn that the temperature data coming from the first months is threatening to make 2016 the warmest year in the last six decades. The statistics confirm the climate change theories that state that the Earth is entering a hot period with extreme events.

2016, Warmest Year So Far

The researchers broke the temperature data collected in the last 60 years and grouped it in 20-year clusters. Since 1956, the average temperature increased from 0 degrees to 2 degrees and then up to almost 6 degrees in 2015.

Moreover, while the percentage of low temperatures was over one of the high temperatures in the first 40 years, starting with 1996 the rapport got reversed, and higher temperatures began to dominate.

Scientists concluded that the climate of the 20th century is starting to fade away, and the future generations will live in an entirely different medium than we were accustomed to.

The new weather pattern, warmer and having more severe events, can be a major risk to wildlife and people.

Patterns of Change

Global warming does not show a yearly progression, where each year is hotter than the last one. The big picture can be seen only when looking at 20-year periods, as the differences between consecutive years are hard to grasp and show modifications in many directions at once.

The climate experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explain that the important fact is not the difference from month to month and from year to year, but the most general pattern of data that shows a whole new trend and weather characteristics that were usual in the 20th century.

The last year where the average temperature was below 0 degrees Celsius was 1976. Since then, the weather became warmer and warmer. Throughout the years, the temperatures consistently raised over 0 degrees, with this year’s average temperature reaching 1.05 degrees Celsius.

Limits to Climate Change

The researchers say that El Nino could make up for the warm temperature at the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016. However, the trend over decades shows that the weather gets hotter on a constant basis.

While Earth’s climate is never static, the experts say that the warming pattern is unprecedented in our planet’s history.

The primary cause of this phenomenon is greenhouse gas emissions which are produced by volcanic eruptions and burning fossil fuels.

During 2015 and 2016, the annual temperatures raised 1 degree or more over the average of the last two decades.

In December 2015, the Agreement on Climate Change decided to limit the global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The scientists fear that the rate of the global warming may surpass the ability of the international community to react and create a real environmental change.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Cloud Formation Hints to Global Warming

May 26, 2016 By Andreas Petersen

Cloud Formation Hints to Global Warming

A study conducted by CERN focused on cloud formation raises new questions on how pollution affected the global warming process. Scientists hope that this discovery will help them make more accurate projections for last century’s temperatures and to better understand Earth’s climate.

The Results of the Study

Clouds are created around atmospheric particles, and these particles were thought to be originated from air pollution.

Even if scientists included the possibility of natural factors being involved, the vast majority of clouds were believed to be created by particles coming from coal burning and industrialization.

This study shows that particles may be caused by cosmic rays coming from space and gases coming from trees. The process would not involve pollution, but only natural elements.

The authors even succeeded in creating a simulation of this process in one of their laboratories. The natural cloud formation had also been observed from a Swiss observatory situated on the top of a 3,000 m high mountain.

Kirkby, one of the scientists involved in the experiments, said that this natural cloud formation could take place only in very pure, pristine environments.

This would be the third study performed by CERN authors in search for how clouds are formed.

Effects on Global Warming Predictions

Clouds have an important role in establishing the global temperature because they reflect sunlight out from the Earth, thus helping in the cooling process.

The assumptions so far were that clouds only came with industrialization, because they would have needed pollution particles in order to form. Last century’s sky was believed to be less cloudy. Earth was thought to be more protected from having greenhouse gases blocked on its surface.

The discovery shows that cloud formation may not need artificial particles. It is an entirely natural process and scientists now know that, in the past, clouds were even more numerous.

Another implication is that greenhouse gases may not have been the principal factor in global warming. Moreover, pollution may not have been the cause for the cloud barrier creation.

It appears that yet another study managed to cast a shadow on the role that clouds have in protecting us against global warming. At this point, scientists no longer know for sure if the cloud barrier will increase or decrease the risks for our planet.

Even if the former explanation may prove false, all scientists agree to the fact that human activity has a significant impact on global warming process.

Image Source: Pixabay

Bolivia’s Lake Poopo Might Be Gone Forever

January 23, 2016 By Capital Berg Team

In spite of warnings, it seems that Bolivia’s Lake Poopo might be gone forever as the body of water is now almost completely dry. It’s an unfortunate picture of things that could come in lieu of the global warming crisis. More might suffer the same fate.

2% of its former glory

Lake Poopó is the second largest lake in Bolivia, and yet it now stands as a mere puddle of what it used to be. Due to environmental changes and human-caused environmental damages, the water is all but gone. According to Dirk Hoffman, it’s now at just 2% of what it used to be and around 75% of all its species have abandoned it.

The lake stands at 12,000 feet above sea level in the semi-arid regions of the Andean plains. Its main source, the Desaguadero River, has been cut off by industry, which means that there’s little hope for recovery. It’s certainly not the first time Lake Poopó dried, but it often managed to rebound at incredible sizes. Reportedly, it could find itself replenished with water twice the size of Los Angeles.

However, experts now believe that such a thing is no longer possible. Lake Poopó may be lost forever.

The blame falls on numerous environmental factors, such as climate change, disappearing glaciers, droughts, and the damaging activity of El Nino. Drought is considered to be the main driving force behind the official declaration of the lake’s “evaporation”. Furthermore, human activities, such as agriculture and tin mining have also called upon its resources until it was left dry. The water has been mismanaged and redirected until there was unfortunately nothing left.

Now, there lies a heap of dirt and dried mud. With the lake’s fate, around 100 families have sold their livestock from surrounding farms, setting aside the fishing gear and fishnets. The village of Untavi has been abandoned by around half its population, with over 3,250 people requiring humanitarian aid for the purpose of surviving after their loss.

Small potential for recovery

According to local leader, Angel Flores, something could have been done to prevent such a disaster. The mining operations have been diverting Lake Poopó’s water since 1982, depriving it of resources. Bolivia has asked the European Union for $140 million in order to create water treatment plants around the lake, but it’s unlikely it will bring it back.

Experts fear it might be too little too late, and they do not believe they will see the azure of Lake Poopó ever again.

Image source: buzzfed.com

Volcanic Eruptions: Reason Behind the Global Warming Hiatus

January 13, 2015 By Carol Harper

Recently, researchers uncover that small volcanic eruption have cut the global warming in last six years.

The volcanic eruptions play an essential role in reduction of greenhouse effect up to 50 percent. These types of reductions have increased the proportion of global warming in past few years. However, it has also slashed down the level of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Experts of Massachusetts Institute of Technology utilized laser radars, balloons and other ground based measurements for this research. They carefully analyzed the affect of vaporized particles. Later on, they concluded that numerous volcanic eruptions have decreased the heat of the Earth up to 0.05 degrees to 0.12 degrees in last 15 years.

For instance, scientists observed that the outburst of Indonesia’s Mount Tambora gave birth to cold weather in 1816. The year is commonly known as “a year without summer”. It marked a new history in the climate of Earth.

The study explains that ash and gases released from volcanoes considerably block the solar radiations. These ashes contain sulfur dioxide that creates a kind of obstruction in solar radiations. Solar radiation is considered as one of the major causes of production of heat in the climate.

Furthermore, the new report shows that comparatively small volcanic eruption can also restrict the amount of greenhouse gases.

Volcanic eruptions are probably lagging Global warming

January 12, 2015 By Denise Ehrlich

A new study made by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers revealed that small volcanic eruptions are mitigating the effect of the greenhouse gases and curtailing the rate of Global warming by as much as half. As a matter of fact such volcanic activities may decrease the pace of warming in recent years and shorten up the predicted level of CO₂ going in the atmosphere.

Technically the vast quantity of ash and gases released high in the atmosphere by the eruptions can block the solar radiations and put the dramatic cooling effect on Earth’s climate. Scientists believe theorized that explosion of Indonesia’s Mt. Tambora in 1815, for example, probably caused a severe cold spell in 1816 which became known as “Eighteen hundred and froze-to-death,” or “the year without a summer.”

Scientists did all these observations and calculations using balloons, laser radar, and including ground-based measurements.

Researchers found that dozens of eruptions around the world over the past 15 years may have reduced the greenhouse effects by about 0.005 to 0.12 degree Celsius. Over roughly that same time period, the rate of global warming has slowed, though surface temperatures have continued to rise.

The volcanic eruptions releases sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere which forms tiny droplets of sulfuric acid also known as volcanic aerosols, which can block sunlight. While previous studies have noted that effect from small volcanoes, the new study found that the effect is bigger than previously thought.

2014 was another fruitless year in the fight against Global Climate Change

December 29, 2014 By Denise Ehrlich

2014 was another disappointing year in terms of major changes needed to avert Global Climate Change. Even though Climatists had redoubled their efforts in order to convince the general public that immediate measures are required to stop the dangers of global warming. But the gap between the general public warnings and actual events lead mostly to climate mockery.

Much of January and December experienced severe cold and record low daily temperatures were recorded in many cities, coupled with all-time seasonal snowfalls as well. Once called a cold snap was now termed as polar vortex.
John Holdren, chief advisor to the President, said in a White House video release:” But a growing body of evidence suggests that the kind of extreme cold being experienced by much of the United States as we speak is a pattern that we can expect to see with increasing frequency as global warming continues.”

Research ship passengers were also rescued in January. The ship had been locked in ice for 10 days near the arctic coast. It was carrying out research to study how the Antarctica weather was changing due to the effects of global warming.

United Nations released a report on Climate Change in March. Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability was part of the Fifth Assessment Report. The report claimed that the man-made climatic change was going to severely the reduce world agricultural output. One of the authors Dr. Mark Howden said in the report, “There’s an increasing set of evidence that climatic change is also having a severe adverse effect on agriculture, especially on some of the cereal crops such as wheat and maize. The negative impacts are far graver and quicker than we previously thought.”

While farmers still ignored warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC, and according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, farmers worldwide have made record yields in 2014 especially for all three major cereal crops. Rice rose to 1.1 % from last year while wheat generated 11.2 % but corn was at the top settling at 14 % more since last year.

The Obama administration continued to put an end to coal based power plants which almost cater to 40 % of the United States electricity needs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had proposed new restrictions on carbon emissions in June that would almost certainly make it impossible to install new coal based power plants in the U.S. While, 1,200 of these plants were planned to be constructed around the world during the same time and almost two-third of them being in India and China alone.

We all remember the Nobel Prize acceptance speech made by former Vice President Al Gore in 2007, in which he warned that the arctic ice would be gone in as less than 7 years. But actually the arctic ice has rebounded in 2014 and Antarctic ice has been increasing for decades, and according to University of Illinois, global sea ice are above the 30 year average at the end of 2014.

United Nations held a climate summit in New York in September in order to convince the world to conserve energy and reduce their emissions. The much celebrated actor, Leonardo DiCaprio was the spokesperson and he said:, ”This disaster has grown so much in recent years that it’s going beyond the choices that we as individuals make, so we need to act fast in order to curtail it.”

Those who are against the notion of Global Warming and Climate change, said in October that it’s the eighteenth straight year of flat global temperatures and satellite data has shown that no temperature increase has occurred since 1997. This pause in Global Warming is now old enough to vote or serve in the military.
While many climate change advocates state that much of the recent increase in Hurricanes and Tornadoes are signs of changing climatic conditions, but skeptics overruled that the U.S. tornadic activity was less in 2014 and lack of strong hurricanes still continues. It’s been eight years since the last category 3 or stronger hurricane has made it to the U.S., that’s the longest period ever since records began way back in 1900.

World’s Future Climate shall be influenced by People not Governments

December 25, 2014 By Cliff Jenkins Scott

The world at large is all set to go ahead and sign pledges of global climate treaty in Paris over the coming year but none can ignore the fact that 2014 was the hottest year on record and if the aforementioned pledges are not fulfilled or the world leaders do not cut their carbon emissions by a significant amount then the world would indeed be moving towards an abyss and we would suffer catastrophic effects as well.

Although the entire world would be affected if they remained silent over the issue of Global Warming yet it is highly likely that the most affected due to this issue would be the poor countries. These places would be the first to see impacts of Global Warming. Low-lying states such as the Marshall Islands of the South Pacific would drown because of the rising level of water in the seas and the Kiribati Island also located in the South Pacific has already started preparing for a full scale evacuation of its citizens due to the effects of Global Warming.

Researchers have also warned that a hotter world would have severe effects on the Global Agricultural yield.

Scientists have said that in order to save the world, we would have to leave almost 85% of the world’s recoverable fossil fuel reserves in the ground. If we don’t do that than a temperature rise of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit as compared to the pre-industrial era temperatures would be inevitable. And these figures could severely affect the climatic make up of our world. Severe storms would be much more common due to these.

People have started to notice these climate changes and have showed that they want to curb the global greenhouse gas emissions as well by a number of activities ahead of the Lima Climate talks.

These events have shown that public concern over climate change is far more serious then global leaders as was evident during the Lima climate talks. Although U.S. and China have both agreed to severely cut carbon emissions by 2030 during the talks yet the negotiations were largely stalled over questions of responsibility for Global Warming. Due to these facts it is becoming increasingly clear that in 2015 saving the world will depend on the people.

Corals depict that Strong Trade winds in the Pacific govern climate changes

December 23, 2014 By June Harris

Corals prevailing on the Pacific island of Kiribati have shown climate researchers that the climate rise would soon accelerate. Researchers have cracked the code of climate change through these corals and have found that the strong and weak ocean winds have a lot to say in the Earth’s climatic changes.

Scientists are of the view that the current strong winds which are known as the negative phase of the wind cycle also called as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation, has helped to slowdown the global warming seen over the past 15 years. However, after every two to three decades, this oscillation swings back and it is feared that a rapid increase in global warming could be on the cards when the cycle once again enters a positive phase. Diane Thompson from the National Centre for Atmospheric Research NCAR has said that increased warming was inevitable.

“When the winds are not as strong as they are today or when they weaken, which they will eventually, warming in the oceans will once again be accelerated. Then the warming caused by greenhouse gases and the warming associated with this natural cycle will work in tandem to increase the rate of Global Warming.”

It is still not clear how changes in wind govern global climate change, but there are many theories. One such suggests that the stronger winds in the Pacific force warmer waters farther into the ocean and bring cooler waters up onto the surface, which in turn cool the planet down. So it can also be said that the exact opposite happens when the wind currents are not strong enough.

A coral core sample, taken from coral growing since the 19th Century on the western front of Kiribati island had its manganese levels measured because when the easterly trade winds are weak, wind from the west blows in, and stir up manganese into the water, which is then absorbed by the coral, through which it can use grow. Another sample was taken and measured for strontium, which corresponds to temperature.

Researchers Say, Rise In Sea Temperatures May Cause Coral Killings Worldwide

December 23, 2014 By June Harris

Researchers are warning that climbing sea temperatures may slaughter corals all over the globe. Global warming is to be rebuked for the climbing sea temperatures and further changes could put the world’s corals in threat.

Marine specialists declare that an El Niño climate trend has been rising in the recent months, elevating sea temperatures, which is not appropriate for coral reefs. Coral blanching has already happened in numerous locales, which may halt corals in the nearing decades. Coral blanching results from the loss of algae that creates color in the corals. The loss of the algae then causes the coral to look white in shade and certainly fallout in its death.

Researchers uncover that the most horrible coral blanching recorded in history happened amid 1998. Specialists uncover that global warming joined with an El Niño sensation caused ocean temperature to rise, which brought about the obliteration of around 15% of the world’s coral.

Though, researchers assert that 2014 is nastiest than 1998 and average temperature rise this year is higher than 1998. Researchers have likewise anticipated that a mellow El Niño will happen one year from now, which is bad news for world corals. Some coral reef specialists accept that the following 6 to 12 months will have comparable or more awful impact on corals when contrasted with 1997 and 1998.

Dr. Mark Eaking at the University of Miami, also the facilitator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch system, asserts that a mellow En Nino in 2015 may bring about coral blanching to proceed till 2016. Though, rising sea temperature because of global warmiung is a primary cause for coral blanching.

“Regardless of the fact that there’s truly not an enormous El Niño, we’re seeing these patterns of serious blanching. So what’s going on is, as worldwide temperatures rise and particularly as the sea warms through the increase of CO2 and other heat trapping gasses in the climate, its warming the sea with the goal that it doesn’t take as large an El Niño to have the same impact on water temperatures,” says Dr. Eakin.

Specialists propose that significant coral blanching is happening in Marshall Islands, Kiribati, north-western Hawaiian Islands, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.

Researchers recommend that recuperation from coral fading is plausible however it can take a few years. Though, sea temperature is climbing at a steady pace, which is not permitting the corals to recoup by any means.

Corals depict that Strong Trade Winds may hamper Global Warming a little bit

December 22, 2014 By June Harris

Research has found that Corals can show signs of Global Warming which in turn can provide a record of the climatic changes. Researchers from University of Arizona and National Center for Atmospheric Research have found changes of chemical nature in the corals enabling investigators to read from past records of trade winds in the Pacific Ocean.

The trade winds of the Pacific have varied a lot during the 20th century thereby having lasting impressions on global temperatures. This process could also be contributing a lot today’s climatic measurements. Weak trade winds occurring from 1910 to 1940 were the reason behind warm climate during that time whereas stronger air currents between 1940s to 1970s caused rising temperatures.

Strong trade winds during recent times could be the reason behind the rate of global warming decrease since the dawn of the 21st century, climatologists believed. This new study of corals backs evidence to this notion and possibly even explains the reason behind the slowdown of global warming. Once these currents settle down, researchers claim the rise in temperatures will be inevitable.

Diane Thompson, a postdoctoral scientist at NCAR stated that: “Strong winds in the tropical Pacific have been playing a huge hand in the slowdown of Global warming over the past 15 years. When these winds inevitably change to a weaker state, global warming will start to accelerate again.”