Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Global Warming B.Windham(Ed.)
The 5 warmest years in recorded history have occured since 1997 and the 10 warmest have all been since 1990. The 1990s was the warmest decade in recorded history(19,67,78,83,84), with 1998 the warmest in recorded history and each month of 1998 setting all time highs(79). But the current decade appears it may surpass the 90s. 2003 and 2002 were the 2 nd and 3 rd warmest years in history, with 2000 and 2001 also among the warmest years in history(84,94). The global average temperature has increased about 1.5 degree Celsius since 1880, and 0.7 degrees Celsius since 1975(29,16,36, 40,41,42,49,90,94). An even greater warming is seen in global average minimum temperatures which have increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius since 1950(77). There is strong evidence that this warming trend is due to the greenhouse effect related to a buildup of carbon dioxide and similar greenhouse chemicals related to manmade increases in fossil fuel emissions and atmospheric release of other chemicals(16,84). And experts expect a much more rapid increase in the near future(100). A dramatic warming of ground surface temperatures has occurred in areas such as the North slope of Alaska and areas of Canada(38,49). | |
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