2015 Likely to Be Hottest Year Ever Recorded

James Swartz                                                                                                                       10/21/15

Biology       Current Event

2015 Likely to Be Hottest Year Ever Recorded

“The bottom line is that the world is warming,” said Jessica Blunden, a climate scientist with NOAA, in Asheville, N.C. NOAA, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is the American agency that tracks world wide temperatures. This past wednesday, the agency released a statement which said that this September has been the hottest September known to date since the worldwide temperatures began to be monitored in 1880. The immediate cause of the record-breaking warmth is a strong El Niño weather pattern which gives off great amounts of heat into the atmosphere. However, the temperature is much greater than the last strong El Niño, between 1997 and 1998, showing that the temperature increase is partially contributed to the unlying effects of the emissions of greenhouse gasses. Evidence for the rise in temperature can be seen in measurements of the surface temperature of major bodies of water worldwide where surface temperatures are as much as three degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average. The record setting year contradicts the theory which several Washington politician are preaching, that the emissions issue is not a real problem.  Climate scientists have not wavered in their view that the long-term temperature increase poses profound risks and that emissions must be brought under control.

The rise in temperature combined with the strong El Niño has had a devastating effect on the planet and only threatens to become worse. The combined efforts are likely contributing to dry weather and forest fires in Indonesia, to an incipient drought in Australia and to a developing food emergency across parts of Africa. On top of this, the heat epidemic is responsible for a heat wave in India and Pakistan earlier in the year, with temperatures reaching 118 degrees fahrenheit, which killed thousands. In response to this delegates to a global climate conference scheduled to meet in Paris in early December will almost certainly be convening to discuss ways in which emission can be lowered to quell this epidemic.

The author of the article, Justin Gillis, is a very well respected New York Times writer who has already written several article concerning the increasing trend in the climate. Not only did Gillis provide a thorough description of the issue and the causes and effects which came along with it, but he even included graphs which depicted the trend and showed the severity of this year’s increase as well as a video which explained the causes and effects of EL Niño. The only addition to this article that Gillis could have made would be possible solution to the problem which the convention in early December  may reach so that the reader may know what the convention may do. Still, this article was very well written and unbelievably helpful in understanding the issue of climate change.

Gillis, Justin. "2015 Likely to Be Hottest Year Ever Recorded." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Oct. 2015. Web. 21 Oct. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/science/2015-likely-to-be-hottest-year-ever-recorded.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0>.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/science/2015-likely-to-be-hottest-year-ever-recorded.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0