Above, NASA Scientist Peter Kalmus, who has been extremely outspoken and active on climate issues, has parted from the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab after 15 years – he says he was forced to resign because of his activism.
He warns that this summer may be the hottest we’ve ever experienced, and at the same time, the coolest for the rest of our lives.
Meteorologists said Thursday that an El Niño has formed in the tropical Pacific and will likely intensify in the coming months, setting off more extreme weather and higher temperatures around the world.
El Niño is the name given to a natural phenomenon that occurs every few years when trade winds shift and the Pacific Ocean warms. It affects weather patterns globally and has the potential to supercharge floods and droughts that are already worsening because of climate change.
Thursday’s declaration by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration means that, technically speaking, temperatures in the equatorial Pacific have held at 0.5 degree Celsius (0.9 degree Fahrenheit) above the longer-term average for several months, and that scientists have observed atmospheric shifts conducive for an El Niño.
NOAA said there is a 63 percent chance of the sea-surface temperatures climbing 2 degrees Celsius above the norm, making for a “very strong” event.