SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
No Need To Wait for the Future: Global Warming Impacts Are Happening Right Here, Right Now.
One thought hit me today, and it was not a very optimistic one. I thought that one may get so used to the fact that that month after month temperature records are being broken, that the issue of global warming would somehow become an afterthought, or a "cry wolf" phenomenon.
Sep 12, 2016
One thought hit me today, and it was not a very optimistic one. I thought that one may get so used to the fact that that month after month temperature records are being broken, that the issue of global warming would somehow become an afterthought, or a "cry wolf" phenomenon. After all, it is happening every month, right? Therefore, one would not give much thought to the fact that yet another month followed suit - NASA just released its global August measurement, and the value was 0.980C (1.760F) above the August 1951-1980 baseline average and 0.160C (0.290F) warmer than the previous warmest August, 2014. In fact, August 2016 tied July 2016 as the warmest month ever on record.
Record heat monthly temperatures are still big news
While there may be a tendency to be complacent about the recurring record temperatures, with each month come more climate-related consequences that cannot be ignored, and they make for big news stories. From wildfires and droughts to devastating floods, climate change fingerprint is all around us and does play a role in making events more extreme. An example are the recent Louisiana floods, caused by intense rains which, according to the science of attribution, were at least 40% more likely to happen because of climate change.
The impacts of climate change are not in some distant, blurry future
We are feeling climate change impacts right here, right now. A recent peer-reviewed study evaluated the effects of a warmer global temperature and estimated that "temperature depresses current U.S. maize yields roughly 48%, warming trends since 1980 elevated conflict risk in Africa by 11%, and future warming may slow global economic growth rates by 0.28 percentage points per year". These numbers are impressive and of great concern for global welfare - and they are based on analyses of current data, not future projections. Also of note is the range of effects - agriculture, economy, conflict risk, to name a few. Climate change has a reach that may not yet be fully realized by policy makers and others who think it is something that will happen "in the future".
How much climate will change is a risk in itself, and we must prepare
A lot of discussions in climate change studies revolve around the fact that the amount by which climate will change is not known, mainly because that depends on policies, responses, and attitudes taken now through the next decades. That is why models have a wide range of projected warming, to account for all possibilities. However, as I mentioned previously, the fact that we do not know the actual amount of future warming is not an excuse for inaction - in fact, it is the more reason to prepare for the range of impacts that may occur. Climate change is here, its effects are being already felt in a variety of ways (not only directly climate-related such as floods or wildfires), and we do not need to wait years or decades to see its effects. We should heed the warnings and act now, investing in preparedness and emissions reductions, so as to minimize possible added (and maybe worse) future risks and impacts.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
© 2023 Union of Concerned Scientists
Astrid Caldas
Astrid Caldas is a climate scientist with the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
One thought hit me today, and it was not a very optimistic one. I thought that one may get so used to the fact that that month after month temperature records are being broken, that the issue of global warming would somehow become an afterthought, or a "cry wolf" phenomenon. After all, it is happening every month, right? Therefore, one would not give much thought to the fact that yet another month followed suit - NASA just released its global August measurement, and the value was 0.980C (1.760F) above the August 1951-1980 baseline average and 0.160C (0.290F) warmer than the previous warmest August, 2014. In fact, August 2016 tied July 2016 as the warmest month ever on record.
Record heat monthly temperatures are still big news
While there may be a tendency to be complacent about the recurring record temperatures, with each month come more climate-related consequences that cannot be ignored, and they make for big news stories. From wildfires and droughts to devastating floods, climate change fingerprint is all around us and does play a role in making events more extreme. An example are the recent Louisiana floods, caused by intense rains which, according to the science of attribution, were at least 40% more likely to happen because of climate change.
The impacts of climate change are not in some distant, blurry future
We are feeling climate change impacts right here, right now. A recent peer-reviewed study evaluated the effects of a warmer global temperature and estimated that "temperature depresses current U.S. maize yields roughly 48%, warming trends since 1980 elevated conflict risk in Africa by 11%, and future warming may slow global economic growth rates by 0.28 percentage points per year". These numbers are impressive and of great concern for global welfare - and they are based on analyses of current data, not future projections. Also of note is the range of effects - agriculture, economy, conflict risk, to name a few. Climate change has a reach that may not yet be fully realized by policy makers and others who think it is something that will happen "in the future".
How much climate will change is a risk in itself, and we must prepare
A lot of discussions in climate change studies revolve around the fact that the amount by which climate will change is not known, mainly because that depends on policies, responses, and attitudes taken now through the next decades. That is why models have a wide range of projected warming, to account for all possibilities. However, as I mentioned previously, the fact that we do not know the actual amount of future warming is not an excuse for inaction - in fact, it is the more reason to prepare for the range of impacts that may occur. Climate change is here, its effects are being already felt in a variety of ways (not only directly climate-related such as floods or wildfires), and we do not need to wait years or decades to see its effects. We should heed the warnings and act now, investing in preparedness and emissions reductions, so as to minimize possible added (and maybe worse) future risks and impacts.
Astrid Caldas
Astrid Caldas is a climate scientist with the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
One thought hit me today, and it was not a very optimistic one. I thought that one may get so used to the fact that that month after month temperature records are being broken, that the issue of global warming would somehow become an afterthought, or a "cry wolf" phenomenon. After all, it is happening every month, right? Therefore, one would not give much thought to the fact that yet another month followed suit - NASA just released its global August measurement, and the value was 0.980C (1.760F) above the August 1951-1980 baseline average and 0.160C (0.290F) warmer than the previous warmest August, 2014. In fact, August 2016 tied July 2016 as the warmest month ever on record.
Record heat monthly temperatures are still big news
While there may be a tendency to be complacent about the recurring record temperatures, with each month come more climate-related consequences that cannot be ignored, and they make for big news stories. From wildfires and droughts to devastating floods, climate change fingerprint is all around us and does play a role in making events more extreme. An example are the recent Louisiana floods, caused by intense rains which, according to the science of attribution, were at least 40% more likely to happen because of climate change.
The impacts of climate change are not in some distant, blurry future
We are feeling climate change impacts right here, right now. A recent peer-reviewed study evaluated the effects of a warmer global temperature and estimated that "temperature depresses current U.S. maize yields roughly 48%, warming trends since 1980 elevated conflict risk in Africa by 11%, and future warming may slow global economic growth rates by 0.28 percentage points per year". These numbers are impressive and of great concern for global welfare - and they are based on analyses of current data, not future projections. Also of note is the range of effects - agriculture, economy, conflict risk, to name a few. Climate change has a reach that may not yet be fully realized by policy makers and others who think it is something that will happen "in the future".
How much climate will change is a risk in itself, and we must prepare
A lot of discussions in climate change studies revolve around the fact that the amount by which climate will change is not known, mainly because that depends on policies, responses, and attitudes taken now through the next decades. That is why models have a wide range of projected warming, to account for all possibilities. However, as I mentioned previously, the fact that we do not know the actual amount of future warming is not an excuse for inaction - in fact, it is the more reason to prepare for the range of impacts that may occur. Climate change is here, its effects are being already felt in a variety of ways (not only directly climate-related such as floods or wildfires), and we do not need to wait years or decades to see its effects. We should heed the warnings and act now, investing in preparedness and emissions reductions, so as to minimize possible added (and maybe worse) future risks and impacts.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.