Weather
If you somehow think climate change is a hoax, here’s some more science to chew on. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its global climate report for the month of April, which was the third warmest April since records started in 1880. A separate report from NASA came to the same conclusion. More importantly, it marks the 400th consecutive month in which the Earth has experienced above average temperatures. Scary stuff.
Four hundred months puts us back to 1984. I won’t make any historical references, because I wasn’t even alive yet. To no surprise, scientists still point to humans and the burning of fossil fuels as the culprit.
Interestingly, the US actually had one of its coldest Aprils ever. I can vouch for that one based on how few days I got to ski slushy moguls this year. I guess all that hot air needs to go somewhere though, because Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America got absolutely cooked.
But wait! There’s even more bad news. According to both NOAA and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have also hit an all time high at 410 parts per million. That’s a 30% increase since measurements began in 1958.
Even with all the investments being made in renewable energy, fighting global warming is an uphill battle. According to the 2017 Carbon Majors report, just 100 companies in the world pump out over 70% of the Earth’s greenhouse gases. So about that Prius you just bought – it will save you a few bucks at the pump, but it’s not going to save the world (sorry).
