Image – Earth Under Attack Poem
On Monday, July 2. 2023, the average global temperature reached 17.01C (62.9F) . At the time this number was the highest recorded in the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction‘s data base. Then on the next day, Tuesday, the numbers shot up even higher reaching 17.18 degrees Celsius. And on Wednesday Earth’s average temperature continued at the same record high. Everyone wants to know when this extreme weather will end.
“Scientists have warned for months
that 2023 could see record heat as
human-caused climate change, driven
largely by the burning of fossil fuels
like coal, natural gas and oil, warmed
the atmosphere. They also noted that
La Nina, the natural cooling of the
ocean that had acted as a counter
to that warming, was giving way to
El Nino, the reverse phenomenon
marked by warming oceans.”
Seth Borenstein and Melina Walling,
Associated Press
Estimates from the UK Met Office, NASA, NOAA and Berkeley Earth all show a definite rising trend in average global surface temperature over the last century. Despite slight differences in their methods of measurement, they indicate the same increase in global temperature. The impact of high temperatures is also being felt at the world’s extremes. In Antarctica, the July temperature record was recently broken with a reading of 8.7C and the Arctic is warming three times as fast as the global average. And it’s anybody’s guess where all this heat is headed.
This June the BBC News offered a bleak picture of state of world compliance to THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENTS. Yes, all nations should be doing their part in slowing down or reversing the global warming trend, but at this late date is this remedial action even possible?
“Yes. While we cannot stop global
warming overnight, we can slow the rate
and limit the amount of global warming
by reducing human emissions of
heat-trapping gases and soot
(black carbon). “
“If all human emissions
of heat-trapping gases were to stop
today, Earth’s temperature would
continue to rise for a few decades as
ocean currents bring excess heat
stored in the deep ocean back to
the surface. Once this excess heat
radiated out to space, Earth’s
temperature would stabilize.”
“Experts think the additional warming
from this “hidden” heat is unlikely to
exceed 0.9° Fahrenheit (0.5°Celsius).
With no further human influence,
natural processes would begin to
slowly remove the excess carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere, and
global temperatures would
gradually begin to decline.“
~ NORA
So this is the long term weather report as it is envisioned by the experts. The issue is not whether global warming exists, but if we will INSIST that is reversed. We must stop contaminating our planet with fossil fuels and use clean energy sources wisely. Then we can find creative and effective ways to turn things around. We are all in this together!
