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 EarthÕs 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 Ni–a, 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 Ni–o 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, EarthÕs
surface temperature has trended upward about 0.2¡C (0.36¡F) per
decade