<p>According to <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature" rel="noreferrer">NOAA</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Averaged across land and ocean, the 2020 surface temperature was 1.76° F (0.98° Celsius) warmer than the twentieth-century average of 57.0°F (13.9°C) and 2.14°F (1.19°C) warmer than the pre-industrial period (1880-1900).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Simply do the math.  The 2020 global surface temperature was 1.76°F warmer than 57.0°F, which is 58.76°F.  This temperature is 2.14°F warmer than the pre-industrial period (1880-1900).  Consequently, the pre-industrial period temperature was 58.76°F - 2.14°F, or approximately 56.62°F (13.68°C).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-13T04:19:50.313Z
2021-11-13T04:19:50.313Z
Thomas Perry
<p>We know all about how the Earth's temperature needs to stay below &quot;1.5° above pre-industrial levels&quot;. But what were they?</p>
<p>Every news article and policy statement seems to hand-wave it away. Graphs put the 1880 temperature at zero. But 1880 was not zero, it had a temperature. And so does today. And so will tomorrow. What was it? What is it? What will we need it to be?</p>
<p>I'm not asking for just a methodology or an abstraction here. I want a number.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-13T11:18:41.463Z
I think 1.5  °C above average temperature in the years 1850-1900.
Lehs
<climate-change>
1.5° above what?
yar
# 1.5° above what?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-11-12)

We know all about how the Earth's temperature needs to stay below "1.5° above pre-industrial levels". But what were they?

Every news article and policy statement seems to hand-wave it away. Graphs put the 1880 temperature at zero. But 1880 was not zero, it had a temperature. And so does today. And so will tomorrow. What was it? What is it? What will we need it to be?

I'm not asking for just a methodology or an abstraction here. I want a number.

**Tags:** climate-change

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think 1.5  °C above average temperature in the years 1850-1900.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-11-13. Score: 7

According to [NOAA](https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature)

> Averaged across land and ocean, the 2020 surface temperature was 1.76° F (0.98° Celsius) warmer than the twentieth-century average of 57.0°F (13.9°C) and 2.14°F (1.19°C) warmer than the pre-industrial period (1880-1900).

Simply do the math. The 2020 global surface temperature was 1.76°F warmer than 57.0°F, which is 58.76°F. This temperature is 2.14°F warmer than the pre-industrial period (1880-1900). Consequently, the pre-industrial period temperature was 58.76°F - 2.14°F, or approximately 56.62°F (13.68°C).


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