CNN reports today that a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research report claims the extreme heat in 2006 was caused by human activity. The analysis will appear in the September issue of Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union.
“In January, NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center reported that 2006 was the warmest year on record over the 48 contiguous states with an average temperature 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal and 0.07 degree warmer than 1998, the previous warmest year on record.
In May, however, NOAA revised the 2006 ranking to the second warmest year after updated statistics showed the year was actually .08 F cooler than 1998.”
The researchers, led by Martin Hoerling of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, “ran 42 different tests using complex computer models to simulate changes in the atmosphere under various conditions and concluded that the “2006 warmth was primarily due to human influences.”
So, are you still struggling to get a grip on just how YOU are causing all this mayhem and havoc on the planet? Well then, the Alliance for Climate Protection has a visual aid to help you understand.
How many black balloons are you floating?
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Filed under: conservation, global climate change
