The Earth is warming rapidly
2008 was the coolest year since 2000, according to the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. I can just see the climate change deniers rubbing their hands in glee at that. Not so fast, dumbasses: 2008 was also the ninth warmest year since 1880 when instrumental measurements began. 2005 is the hottest year on record, and 2007 is tied with 1998 for second place. And if there is any doubt about global warming, Earth is “experiencing the warmest level of the current interglacial period, or interval between ice ages, which has lasted nearly 12,000 years”.
This video is an animation of five-year global temperature anomalies from 1880 to 2008. What is really alarming is to see the hot and cold spots flip-flopping around up until about 30 years ago. And then a rapid warming trend ensues. The animation shows a colour-coded map displaying a long term progression of changing global surface temperatures for the period. Dark red indicates the greatest warming and dark blue indicates the greatest cooling.
Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio Data provided by Robert B. Schmunk (NASA/GSFC GISS)
This data corresponds closely with that used by Sir David Attenborough, in this video:
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