PowerPoint Presentation - Houghton, 2009, p 5.

Climate Change Evidence

•Carbon dioxide concentration now over 400 PPM, now growing ~ 3x rate of 1990s, currently highest concentration since the Miocene Epoch (15 million years ago) when sea level is estimated to have been 25 to 40 m (82-131 ft) higher and global temperature 3°C to 6°C (5°F to 10°F) warmer than present
•In 2010 the average temperature of Earth’s surface ties with 2005 as the warmest year since record keeping began in 1880. The year 2011 was 9th warmest (but warmest year on record under the cooling influence of La Niña, and 9 of the 10 warmest years are in the 21st century, the only exception being 1998, which was warmed b y the strongest El Niño of the past century.
•According to NASA, GISS (Goddard Inst. of Space Studies) and NOAA, 2009 was only fraction of a degree cooler than 2005 and it tied with a cluster of other years – 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006 & 2007-as 2nd warmest year since record keeping began
•First decade of 21st Century was warmest decade since instrumental records began
•Over past 3 decades, Earth’s surface temperature has trended upward about 0.2°C (0.36°F) per decade