Our human bodies are incredible in so many ways. Among other things there is an average body temperature of 37 C or 98.6 F When this changes, something may be wrong and out of balance.
Average Earth temperature now is 12.7 degrees C. Thousands of measurements are used for this. Beginning in the 1880’s, there were enough weather measurements to begin recording global averages. From 1880 to 1980, average global temperature increased by approximately one degree; that is one tenth of a degree per decade. Since 1980, the rate of temperature increase has more than doubled. These numbers are the baseline when there is talk of a temperature increase of 1 or 1.5 or 2 degrees.
These “small” changes are huge and important for our climate and environment. Climate is our local weather - hot year, cool year, wet year, dry year, winds, seasons. Climate is also about global weather patterns. Climate change is huge and complicated and very important, It is like a large ship on the ocean. It takes a long time to get going and it also takes a long time to turn or to stop. We have a large brick fireplace in the middle of our home. It takes a few fires before the bricks begin to radiate heat. And then, when all the bricks are warm, it takes hours and days after the last wood has burned for the brick structure to come back to room temperature.
Some things are changing already. There never used to be any thought of the Arctic Ocean being clear of ice. Now it is a question of when, not if. The large Arctic ice mass is an important part of reflecting heat back into space. There are more large wildfires, more extreme storms, heat waves have been more intense. Maybe these are normal weather fluctuations, but more and more meteorologists are saying this is part of the larger climate change. As the oceans absorb more carbon dioxide, the water becomes more acidic.
Some regions may benefit from a rising average temperature, up to a point. Growing seasons may get longer in some regions. Other regions will become unbearable. Precipitation may not be as predictable as it was. Ocean levels are rising, not a question of if, only how much. A two degree rise in average temperature would bring more dramatic changes.
Climate and the environment are intricately and solidly tied together. La Nina and El Nino - strong interactions between parts of the Pacific Ocean and the atmosphere - have major effects on weather in North America. The Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, moving water from the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of North America to northern Europe, is slowing down. This affects water levels and weather patterns.
Imagine. Imagine ways to cool Earth by half a degree.
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