Wednesday, January 21, 2015

2014 is the warmest year on record


According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2014 is the warmest year on record, with global temperatures 1.68C above the average. NASA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and the UK’s Met Office compiled the data.

The ocean in particular has experienced a lot of heating this year. According to Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said that the data “shows very clearly that it has been the warmest year on record in the oceans but it wasn’t quite the warmest year in the land records but combined it did give us the warmest year.”

The land areas that experienced record-breaking average temperatures include Australia and Europe. Meanwhile, parts of the western United States, China, and Central and South America experienced persistent drought.

There is still hope for the global community to keep the rise in temperature under 2C, but its going to take some serious action sooner rather than later to get us there. Only time will tell if 2015 will be the year where governments decide to take action against climate change.

Source: BBC News

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