Earth Just Finished Its Warmest Quarter-Year Ever Since Record-Keeping Began

[Quixote1818]

Last edited Fri Jul 18, 2014, 03:53 PM - Edit history (1)

New data released Monday shows humanity has just unlocked another achievement in the race to cook the planet: The last three months were collectively the warmest ever experienced since record-keeping began in the late 1800s.


The Japan Meteorological Agency said June 2014 was the warmest June globally since at least 1891, when its dataset begins. This follows May 2014, which was the warmest May globally on record, which follows April 2014, which was the warmest April globally on record.

Taken as a whole, the just-finished three-month period was about 0.68 degrees Celsius (1.22 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th-century average. That may not sound like much, but the added warmth has been enough to provide a nudge to a litany of weather and climate events worldwide. Arctic sea ice is trending near record lows for this time of year, abnormally warm ocean water helped spawn the earliest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall in North Carolina, and a rash of heat waves have plagued cities from India to California to the Middle East. In addition to the relentless push by human-caused global warming, this year’s extra heat comes in part because of a building El Niño emerging in the Pacific.

More: http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/07/15/april_may_and_june_2014_is_the_warmest_three_month_period_ever.html

[Viva_Daddy]

1. Hey, not to worry.

We will all starve to death or drown in the oceans before it gets too hot.

[LiberalEsto]

2. No biggie. Just crank up the a/c and tune in to Faux Nooz

[KurtNYC]

3. Since the late 1800s <> warmest "ever"

For example, the Eocene period was warmer than the temperatures we are measuring now:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eocene#Climate

To be clear, it is believed that temperatures were reduced from that period to the present by the sequestration of carbon, allowing the climate we have now.

[Quixote1818]

4. This video explains the points you brought up

[KurtNYC]

6. A very good and graphic explanation. Thanks for that.

My issue was with the headline writer, not with the source of climate change. Not sure if that was clear from my prior post so I appreciate your gentle response.

[Quixote1818]

7. Your point is valid. I changed the title from what Slate had.

Thanks for pointing that out.

[Separation]

5. But, but, but, it's 61 degrees here today

In Tn, global warming..pheh! I'm going to grab a jacket.

[Ilsa]

8. I saw on a message board that someone thought

the low temps from the polar vortex refute "global warming." Climate change seems to make it easy for some people to blab idiocy publicly.

[Separation]

9. I think calling it Global Warming was a mistake

Because that all you hear from the RW blowhards. Record lows in the winter, snow in April, no global warming here.

I guess hindsight is 20/20, probably should have gone with destabilizing climate change, or something like that.