9 thoughts on “Graphs of the Day: Warm Arctic, Low Ice”


  1. So the findings of this research below are anything but out of reach:

    => Dangerous global warming will happen sooner than thought – study

    University of Queensland and Griffith University researchers have developed a “global energy tracker” which predicts average world temperatures could climb 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by 2020.

    That forecast, based on new modelling using long-term average projections on economic growth, population growth and energy use per person, points to a 2C rise by 2030.

    If we don’t commit to profound lifestyle changes, the Paris COP21 agreement to limit global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels will be out of reach. Leave alone the avowal to “pursue efforts” to limit global warming to 1.5°C.


  2. The Feb ’16 level is already +1.5C above pre-industrial levels, if you look at the graph. Note the unfortunately common practice of using the 20th century ‘average’ as a baseline, which then understates the deviation from the non-fossil fuel era.


    1. I suspect that the average person who doesn’t follow the science of climate, cannot really grasp the import of 1.5C or even 2.0C above pre-industrial levels.
      They probably just think of it like they would a 2C degree change from day to day or day to evening. How can that be such a big deal? The amount of extra energy needed to get there is mind bendingly enormous, but not intuitively so.
      I keep telling my friends and acquaintances about the path that we are headed down, but they seem totally unimpressed by the implications. I think it just bores them.


  3. El Niño on steroids… we knew it was going to be record warm, but this is out of this world. Will be interesting to see if this is a major step up the escalator as SkS calls it in one of their images.

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