Tag Archives: climate change

The Paris Climate Change Agreement is Signed at UN on Earth Day

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On this Earth Day, government officials from around the globe are gathered at the UN headquarters in New York City to sign the historic climate change deal that was hammered out in Paris last December. This signing ceremony is one of several steps needed to put the global accord into effect.

Known as the Paris Agreement, the deal aims to limit global warming to 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels. To achieve this goal, countries submitted individual five-year plans called “intended nationally determined contributions” or INDCs. They essentially spell out how much CO2 a country plans to cut based on its own political and economic situation. Under the current collection of national plans, however, the Paris Agreement will only cut greenhouse gas emissions by about half of what is necessary to reach the 2°C (3.6°F) goal. That said, the agreement does legally obligate countries to reconvene every five years to present updated plans detailing how they will deepen their emissions cuts.

The next step in the UN process requires participating countries to formally pledge that they will adopt the agreement within their own legal systems. The final step – known as “entering into force” – will happen when at least 55 countries, which together represent at least 55% of global emissions, adopt the agreement domestically. This last part is likely to take a few years.

A today’s ceremony, 155 countries are expected to sign the agreement.  This will set a new record for the number of signatories on an international accord. The previous record was held by the 1982 Montego Bay Law of the Sea agreement, which had 119 signatories.

Credit: UN

Credit: UN

Earth Day 2016

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Everyday is Earth Day, as the saying goes. But, today marks the official celebration.

The first Earth Day – spearheaded by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin – was held on April 22,1970.  An estimated 20 million people attended rallies across the US to protest against rampant industrial pollution and the deterioration of the nation’s natural environment. Raising public awareness and shifting the political tide, these events helped put environmental issues on the national agenda. They led to the creation of the EPA and the passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

Forty-six years after the original, Earth Day celebrations are now held in nearly 200 countries. This year, the date is more significant than ever as hundreds of government officials from around the world gathered at the UN to sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Image Credit: William Anders/NASA

“Earth Rise” from 1968 highlighted how fragile and unique the Earth really is.                              Credit: William Anders/NASA

March 2016: Warmest March on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with March 2016 marking the warmest March ever recorded on this planet.

According to the State of the Climate report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 57.1°F. That is a staggering 2.20°F above the 20th century average and 0.54°F above the former record that was set last year. This temperature was also the highest departure from average for any month on record, surpassing the previous record that was set just last month.  Moreover, March 2016 marked the 11th month in a row to break a monthly global temperature record.

While heat dominated most of the planet, some places were particularly warm, including much of North America and Scandinavia. Here in the contiguous US, it was our 4th warmest March on record.

These soaring temperatures, scientists say, were fueled by a combination of El Niño, which is now fading, and the long-term trend of human-caused climate change. Research by Climate Central’s World Weather Attribution Program shows that while El Niño gives global temperatures a boost, the majority of the temperature increase is due to rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It should also be noted that no other strong El Niño event has produced temperature anomalies as large as the ones seen recently.

Year to date, the first three months of 2016 were the warmest such period on record. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

march 2016 was the 11th consecutive month to break a monthly temperature record. Credit: NOAA

March 2016 was the 11th consecutive month to break a monthly global temperature record.  Credit: NOAA

Speaking Event: The Art and Science of Climate Change

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Climate change is a complex scientific subject with a plethora of data-rich reports that detail its causation and diverse impacts. But, not everyone responds to facts and figures or charts and graphs. That is why art can help broaden the public conversation and help create new pathways to understanding this critical issue.

On Friday, April 15th, I will be giving a presentation that I developed called The Art and Science of Climate Change at New York University (NYU). Blending my two passions, it introduces the basic science of climate change and explores how artists from around the globe are reacting to its various impacts and possible solutions.

Please contact me to arrange a presentation for your school or organization.

Warmest February and Warmest Winter on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with February 2016 marking the warmest February on record and closing out the warmest meteorological winter ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to the State of the Climate report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for February – over both land and sea surfaces – was 56.08°F, which is a staggering 2.18°F above the 20th century average. This marks the highest departure from average for any month on record, surpassing the previous record set just two months ago in December 2015 by 0.16°F.  February 2016 was also the 10th month is a row to break a monthly temperature record.

The three-month period of December, January, and February – known as meteorological winter in the northern hemisphere – was also a record breaker. NOAA reports that Earth’s average temperature for the season was 2.03°F above the 20th century average.  That is 0.52°F above the previous record that was set last year.

While heat dominated most of the planet this winter, some places were particularly warm, including much of North America and Europe. Here in the contiguous US, it was our warmest winter on record.

These soaring temperatures, scientists say, were fueled by a combination of the current El Niño – a natural periodic climate phenomenon in the Pacific that boosts global temperatures – and the long-term trend of human-caused climate change. While not to discount the strong influence El Niño has on the climate, it should be noted that no other El Niño event of comparable strength has produced temperature anomalies as large as the ones seen recently. Also, it is important to remember that fifteen of the sixteen warmest years on record have occurred this century and they were not all El Niño years.

Year to date, the first two months of 2016 were the warmest such period on record. Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA

February 2016. Credit: NOAA

Winter 2015-2016. Credit: NOAA

Winter 2015-2016. Credit: NOAA

Winter 2015-16: Warmest Winter on Record in Contiguous US

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Its official!  Winter 2015-2016 was the warmest ever recorded in the continental US.

The average temperature of the lower 48 states this meteorological winter (Dec-Feb), according to NOAA’s National Centers of Environmental Information, was 36.8°F. That is a whopping 4.6°F above the 20th century average and surpasses the previous record of 36.5°F that was set in the winter of 1999-2000. The considerable warmth in both December 2015 (warmest December on record) and February 2016 (7th warmest February on record) helped boost the season’s overall average.

Across the country, 46 states posted above average seasonal temperatures and no state was cooler than normal. In New England, it was particularly warm with all six states in the region reporting record high temperatures. Alaska – considered separately from the lower 48 by NOAA – saw its second warmest winter on record.

This exceptional warmth, scientists say, was driven by strong El Niño conditions in the Pacific acting on top of continued global warming.

Weather records for the contiguous United States date back to 1895.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

Speaking Event: The Art and Science of Climate Change

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Climate change is a complex scientific subject with a plethora of data-rich reports that detail its causes and diverse impacts. Not everyone, however, responds to facts and figures or charts and graphs. That is why art can help broaden the public conversation and help create new pathways to understanding this critical issue.

On Sunday, February 28th, I will be giving my presentation, The Art and Science of Climate Change, at the Rockefeller State Park Preserve Art Gallery in Westchester County, NY. Blending my two passions, it introduces the basic science of climate change and explores how artists from around the globe are reacting to its various impacts and possible solutions.

Currently on view in the gallery is Climatic Visions, a group exhibition in which I am showing images from a number of different projects, including my ongoing series American Glaciers. Audrey Leeds curated the show, which runs through March 7th.

If you are in the area, please stop in and say hello. The program begins at 3:30 PM.

Rockefeller State Park Preserve Art Gallery
125 Phelps Way
Pleasantville, NY 10570

Please contact me to arrange a presentation for your organization.

January 2016: Warmest January on Record for Planet Earth

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Our global temperature continued its upward trend last month with January 2016 marking the warmest January ever recorded for the entire planet.

According to the State of the Climate report by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Earth’s combined average temperature for the month – over both land and sea surfaces – was 55.47°F, which is a whopping 1.87°F above the 20th century average. It surpassed the previous record set in January 2007 by 0.29°F. It also marked the second highest departure from average for any month on record, trailing only December 2015 which was 2°F above its long-term norm.

Continuing the trend from 2015 – the warmest year ever recorded – January 2016 was the ninth consecutive month to set a monthly temperature record. It was also the fourteenth consecutive month that the global temperature ranked in the top three for its respective month.

This record warmth, scientists say, was fueled by a combination of continued global warming and El Niño.  Not to discount the strong influence El Niño has on the climate, it should be noted that no other El Niño year has produced temperature anomalies as large as the ones seen recently.

Global temperature records date back to 1880.

Credit: NOAA

Credit: NOAA

Speaking Event: The Art + Science of Climate Change

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Climate change is a complex scientific subject with a plethora of data-rich reports that detail its diverse impacts. Not everyone, however, responds to facts and figures or charts and graphs. That is why art can help broaden the public conversation and help create new pathways to understanding this critical issue.

On Monday, February 15th, I will be giving my presentation called The Art and Science of Climate Change for the Park West Camera Club at Soho Photo Gallery in NYC. Blending my two worlds, it introduces the basic science of climate change and explores how artists from around the globe are reacting to its various impacts and possible solutions.

If you are in the area, please stop in and say hello. The program begins at 7 PM.

PWCC
Soho Photo Gallery
15 White Street
New York, NY 10013

Please contact me to arrange a presentation for your organization.

Snow Does Not Disprove Climate Change

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Given the fact that 2015 surpassed 2014 as the hottest year on record and that nearly 200 countries signed an agreement to limit their greenhouse gas emissions this past December, you would think that climate change is an accepted reality. But, it seems that cold weather and snow can still lead some people to question its validity.

While walking across mid-town Manhattan recently, I saw an example of this literally written in snow (see photo below). It is hard to say if the person who wrote it was joking or trying to be ironic, but it made me think of the Arnold H. Glasgow quote, “The fewer the facts, the stronger the opinion.”

For more information on how arctic outbreaks and snow events do not disprove global warming, please read my previous post: Cold Winters and Climate Change.

Global warming message written in snow on the back of a car parked mid-town Manhattan, Winter 2016. Photo Credit: Melissa Fleming

Global warming message written in snow on the back of a car parked mid-town Manhattan, Winter 2016. Photo Credit: Melissa Fleming