World keeps getting hotter, say scientists

| 14/11/2016 | 49 Comments

(CNS): Scientists were raising the alarm Monday, in the face of news that global temperatures continue to shatter records rising towards the irreversible tipping point. During the first nine months of 2016 the average temperature was 2.16 degrees Fahrenheit above those recorded at the end of the 1800’s. A new report from the United Nations indicates that if the planet warms more than 2 degrees beyond pre-industrial levels, there will be little chance of stopping the trend, with floods, droughts and storms becoming the norm.

Sixteen of the 17 highest annual world temperatures on record have come this century, with 1998 the only year from the 20th Century to be hotter than any year since 2000. The World Meteorological Organization reported this month that the Earth experienced its hottest five years on record from 2011 through 2015, and preliminary data for October indicates that this year will be the hottest year on record.

Speaking Monday at the COP22 summit in Morocco, the WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said that while the extra heat from the powerful El Niño event has disappeared, the heat from global warming will continue.

“In parts of Arctic Russia, temperatures were 6°C to 7°C above the long-term average. Many other Arctic and sub-Arctic regions in Russia, Alaska and northwest Canada were at least 3°C above average. We are used to measuring temperature records in fractions of a degree, and so this is different,” he said. “Because of climate change, the occurrence and impact of extreme events has risen. ‘Once in a generation’ heatwaves and flooding are becoming more regular. Sea level rise has increased exposure to storm surges associated with tropical cyclones.”

Some scientists say temperatures are rising so much it could now be “game over” and too late to do much to halt the change, which is being fuelled largely by man, and the latest research suggests things are even worse than suspected.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has estimated that if humans carry on with a “business as usual” burning fossil fuels, the average global temperature will rise by between 2.6 and 4.8 degrees above pre-industrial levels by 2100. But new research by an international team of experts warns this could be a major under-estimate as climate appears to be more sensitive to greenhouse gases when it is warmer.

All of this comes as Donald Trump, who has described man-made climate change as a hoax and has a number of climate change sceptics advising him, prepares to take office in January. The US president-elect has already stated on the campaign trial that he intends to “cancel” the Paris Agreement and will be pulling funding for any climate change programmes.

The current US secretary of state, John Kerry, has said he will continue his efforts to implement the Paris Agreement until the day President Barack Obama leaves office. Speaking after a trip to Antarctica, Kerry said he would do everything possible to meet the responsibility to future generations.

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Category: Science & Nature, Weather

Comments (49)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    It is wonderful to read that there is 2 sides of the argument on comments. For 2 long the silent majority didn’t join the debate. We are awakening out of our long slumber. We have always had co2. It is a fact that it was a lot higher then it will reach in the forecasts in the future. What is happening is the sun, we have no control on what happens . Lets stop wasting time trying to prevent it . Lets start creating inventions to block EMP , solar emissions from hitting the earth.

  2. Anonymous says:

    A lot of climate change (rising sea levels) is already baked-in to the future. Better to spend the money adapting to irreversible change, than trying to get the genie back into the bottle.

  3. Evidence trumps ignorance. says:

    Here is an example of what happens when too much heat and oxygen depletion have on the environment.

    https://gfycat.com/AdmiredJauntyBlackandtancoonhound

    Still think climate change is a hoax?

  4. Anonymous says:

    Penn and Teller’s Bullshit show did an episode on global warming (renamed climate change because it easier to con people out of their taxes dollars). I highly recommend it.

    • I swear morons everywhere says:

      1:41 Global warming refers only to the rising surface tempature of the Earth while climate change is the side effects of that rise in tempature. You can’t change “global warming” to “climate change” as they’re two distinct differences, one is the cause and the other is the effect. Please do more research before posting only what I can label as garbage.

  5. Anonymous says:

    The mindset in Cayman is unchangeable, therefore there is no climate change in Cayman. I’m no scientist but that’s my hypothesis. Someone please prove me wrong.

    • Anonymous says:

      Prove yourself right or wrong. Read both sides, do some follow ups and make up your own mind.
      If you rely on the media, you will become just another drone. Good luck.

  6. Sharkey says:

    I think that the UNITED NATION knows nothing about Climate Change and stay out of the weather , because Mr. Trump said no more people are going to get RICH of it .
    The UNITED NATION should just stick to their job .

  7. Anonymous says:

    “Scientist say” People will believe anything as long as scientists say…. Lol

  8. Anonymous says:

    I. Am. A. Conspiracy. Theorist. I swim in myths.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Climate is not a left or right issue its an everyone issue. Don’t know why people don’t accept the science that shows clearly, beyond a doubt, that global warming has been happening and continues to happen and is affected by human activity. More needs to be done to get off fossil fuels and plastic pollution.

  10. Anonymous says:

    For those that do not read the reports, it may be helpful to publish some of the actual temperature measurements in the article. If your aim is to educate, then educate.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Climate change denial is basically greed overcoming sense.

  12. Anonymous says:

    As do my testes.

  13. Young Caymanian says:

    They’re vaults kept underground surrounded by permafrost in the Antarctic which safe keeps seeds in the event they’re ever needed. Some countries contribute to the vaults with there own packaged seeds and some we’re even used recently in Haiti after the bad earthquake that hit them.

    These seeds are kept safe, below ground, surrounded by permafrost and are guarded. They’re an important investment as the effects climate change have on food production and livable land. Climate change is not the only threat the human population faces but it is one that can potentially be slowed or reversed with proper education on the matter.

    For the 45th president of the United States of America to say climate change is a hoax is a slap in the face to hardworking climatologist who have done years of pain staking research to reveal the data we have about our climate today.

  14. Anonymous says:

    There will always be those people who say climate change is a hoax, the earth is flat and elvis aint dead.

    • Anonymous says:

      Argue climate change if you must, but don’t step on my blue suede shoes!

    • Anonymous says:

      Elvis died???? Oh No!

    • Anonymous says:

      Sad part about your comment…climate change is a hoax & the earth IS flat. Don’t know about Elvis. And no – i’m not kidding. Flat earth proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMzlIuZ_Bss

      • Anonymous says:

        Only thing flat about your post is that fact that it came from your flat head.

      • It's not rocket science. says:

        For the flat earth theorists, care to describe how viewing the Sun set from an elevated position displays a longer Sun set as oppose to being at ground level?

        The answer is, it is the consequence off the curvature of Earth. Viewing the Sun set from an elevated position allows you to see over the curvature of the Earth more than you would normally be able to at ground level, enabling you to witness a longer Sun set as the Earth rotates along its axis in orbit around the Sun.

    • Anonymous says:

      Elvis is in Vegas. It doesn’t matter now if pollution is causing warming or not, it is a simple fact, it is happening, and if we don’t do anything, we will all be swimming to work…so as we don’t have anything else, why not try to reduce emissions? We all know that pollution is bad for our health, so if you don’t believe the warming part, do it for the reason of protecting your families from air pollution (which can lead to asthma, and various other diseases).

  15. Anonymous says:

    Don’t worry, the deniers will save us. Then they won’t. Then they will slowly shut up and you’ll not even remember who they were.

    • Anonymous says:

      Deniers eh? That’s rich. So just because we don’t wish to be controlled by corrupt globalists that does not make us deniers.
      Try changing the channel once or twice. Regurgitating something you saw on TV or read in the tabloid news does not make anything true.

      • Anonymous says:

        Changing the channel does not change the science…

      • Anonymous says:

        Actually you sound more like a conspiracy theorist. Science bro, science. Don’t gots a TV. What eva. Party on.

      • Anonymous says:

        The globalists do not want controls on pollution you idiot, they want to keep pumping out product in the cheapest and dirtiest way possible whilst charging us exorbitant prices and deflating wages….wake up and smell the coffee.

  16. Artificial Intelligence says:

    Let’s ditch fossil fuels.. importing our energy drives up the cost of living too much. Solar energy is becoming cheaper by the kilowatt hour per year. It’s time to switch to renewables and have a source of energy for our homes and vehicles as long as the sun continues to fuse.

    • Save the planet - Eat More Beans! says:

      OK let’s then. Tell CUC to pull all meters now and prepare to power all your homes with farts and hot air that these tree huggers are copiously expelling.

  17. Anonymous says:

    sad that this even a debate….but that is the effect of oil industry propaganda and false information…….
    with trump now in charge thanks to uneducated ignorant yanks…we are all doomed…..

  18. Anonymous says:

    Are we supposed to believe everything that comes from the untrustworthy United Nations?
    These are the same people that know all about conflicts and poverty around the world and don’t lift a finger to help.
    They are the first ones to urge us to accept undocumented refugees, yet the last ones to help in the lands they fled from.
    Isn’t it about time the media started telling us ALL the facts?
    Stop treating us like the infants you think we are.
    Put your agendas aside and please give us BOTH sides of the story.
    There is a globalist, lefty opinion that the MSM subscribe to and then there is the unfettered truth.
    Take your pick.

    • Anonymous says:

      HA! The UN does loads of work… maybe you just never watch anything but fox news. Once people stop acting like climate change is a “lefty” issue we may get somewhere. Dig your head out of your hole.

      • Anonymous says:

        So pray tell the good that the UN have done in, Somalia, Iran, Haiti, Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Syria?
        You are the one who needs to take your head out of your own hole. You need to go back to whatever hole you crawled out of because your divisive lies bring no truth.

        • Anonymous says:

          And just to finish, what the hell is “Fox News?”
          If it is some kind of mainstream media, then no, I do not watch it, listen to it or subscribe.
          I feel very sorry for the small media houses that have to subscribe to the bullshit news providers.

  19. Anonymous says:

    I don’t know if anyone has noticed but the far left agenda wake agenda is not really selling anymore

  20. A Climatologist says:

    One has only to look at the temperature records at http://www.scotese.com/climate.htm to know that man cannot make a meaningful change in the climate. One volcano can produce more “climate changing” gasses than humans have made since they appeared on earth. Is our climate changing? Yes, just as it always has…. and will continue to do so.

    • Anonymous says:

      I’m always curious if these strange global warming deniers are really this stupid or just dishonest.

    • Anonymous says:

      Your point about volcanoes is a myth. See link:

      https://www.skepticalscience.com/volcanoes-and-global-warming.htm

      Your link is to a site on plate tectonics. More appropriate would be this site:

      http://ossfoundation.us/projects/environment/global-warming/natural-cycle

      If you bother to read the first page you will find a concise summary – that under the natural cycle the Earth should be cooling, but it is not.

      The last warm period was roughly 10,000 years ago and the population of the world was estimated at 5-10m people. Today there are almost 7.5bn people.

      Is it difficult to imagine that the adverse consequences of global warming on our current and future population would be far more severe than any in the past? Are we irresponsible to try to minimise adverse consequences by preventative action?

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