“There is virtually no explanation other than climate change.”
—NASA scientist James Hansen referring to the recent extreme heat
In previous blogs I’ve referred to the fact that accurate US temperature measurements began in 1895 so it’s only been for the last 117 years that we’ve had direct recordings available to us for analysis. Knowing the temperatures prior to 1895 requires some inferences from a variety of sources such as historical descriptions, tree rings, coral, and changes in isotope concentrations as recorded in ice cores drilled from the Antarctic. (I describe this in more detail in Chapter 5 of my book “Comprehending the Climate Crisis.)
Obviously it’s best to use the direct measurements available, although as with any collection of such recordings there is potential for error. Much of the data showing that global warming is real has been criticized as being poorly obtained and, therefore, inaccurate by those with a vested interest in spreading misinformation so they can maintain business as usual.
This week, the Northeastern Regional Climate Center (NRCC) located at Cornell University—known for scientific excellence, and where my hero Dr. Carl Sagan was a professor—just reported that the seven-month average termperature from January to July 2012 was the hottest ever recorded for that part of the country since accurate measurements began. The average for the entire region was 49.9 degrees, and all but two states broke records for that seventh-month period. For Pennsylvania and West Virginia, it was still the second warmest on record.
Here are some of the interesting facts from the NRCC:
• It was the seventh warmest July since 1895 in the Northeast. The average temperature was 72.8 degrees, 2.9 degrees above normal.
• Each of the 12 states in the region averaged warmer than normal, with departures that ranged from +1.5 degrees in Rhode Island to +4 degrees in Delaware.
• It was the second warmest July since 1895 in Delaware and the third warmest in Maryland.
• All 12 states in the region ranked within the top 24 warmest since recordkeeping began in 1895.
• It was the driest January through June since 1895 in Delaware and the fifth driest in Maryland.
The NRCC data came just before the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) monthly State of the Climate for July was released. For the last few months I’ve been giving summaries of this report because records are consistently being broken. Sadly, last month was no exception. It was the hottest July for the contiguous US on record. I’d feel a lot better about this if it was an unusal occurrence meaning the global warming deniers are right, but it’s looking scary now because this trend is continuing with no end in sight.
Although skeptics and deniers are a complicated and varied group, most of them can be lumped into those who either don’t believe global warming is even happening, or those who believe it’s real, but it’s part of a more natural cycle, and that our activities and the emissions associated with them aren’t having any appreciable effect on Earth’s climate.
Obviously if you’re someone from the first group who doesn’t even believe in global warming, then there’s no point trying to convince you with data proving our emissions are the culprit. (Interestingly, I recently had one person identify himself as belonging to the second group rather than the global warming deniers, and yet he is consistently quick to argue there are flaws with many of the temperature recordings indicating that global warming is happening, which seems like a contradiction to me.)
I try to provide evidence that helps to support that both groups are incorrect, with some blogs supporting that global warming is indeed happening, and others indicating that our emissions are the culprit. I also provide posts that show what we can do to help. The NRCC and NOAA reports are among the many examples which help show that global warming is real. These reports do nothing to suggest the cause. But as I frequently provide evidence for that as well, my hope with this blog is that I’ll cover everything you need to know about global warming, including how to stop it.
That would be a good subtitle for a comprehensive book on the climate crisis, I think. Guess that’s why I used it.