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Bad News: Climate.gov Reports on Global Temperature Increase (2024)

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Bad News: Climate.gov Reports on Global Temperature Increase (2024)

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https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature

Blue bars indicate cooler-than-average years; red bars show warmer-than-average years. NOAA Climate.gov graph, based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Graph indicates increasing rates of global temperature increase within the past several years

Effects of Global Temperature Increase:

Frequent regional and national temperature extremes

Reduction in snow cover and sea ice

Intensifying heavy rainfall

Changing habitat/tolerance ranges for plants and animals

tolerance range = the range of environmental conditions (like temperature, salinity, pH, etc.) that an organism can survive and thrive within

Causes of Global Temperature Increase:

"Human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850-1900 in 2011-2020" - International Panel on Climate Change.

In 2024, burning fossil fuels and clearing forests add about 11 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere each year

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Earth's surface temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the start of the NOAA record in 1880.

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Overview/summary of the news stories

APES course content/topics (this may require dipping out of Unit 9).

Underlying mechanisms, effects, consequences should all be covered.

Use relevant vocabulary/terminology (ex: pollutant vs pollution).

Refer to relevant laws and legislation.

Write/Develop five exam questions based on your selections, these will be a part of the question pool that makes up Unit 9 exam

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Good News - Scotland's Re-wilding Project

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Good News - Scotland's Re-wilding Project

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The implementation of diverse plants attracted thousands of pollinators, increasing the population of bumblebees and regrowing the biodiversity of Scotland.

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Bumblebees Increase by More than 100x in ‘Remarkable’ Scotland Rewilding Project–From 35 Bees to over 4,000 - Regeneration International

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A Scottish field once home to mono-crop barley has become a pollinator’s paradise after intervention from a local trust saw bumblebee numbers increase 100-fold. Entitled Rewilding Denmarkfield, and run by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, the project has also seen a sharp increase in the number of species passing through the rolling meadows after they were reclaimed by dozens of wildflower species.

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The increase in quality of beekeeping and apiculture has significantly impacted the bumble bee population by increasing. "The FAO estimated the number of bee colonies worldwide to be around 101.6 million in 2021. Compared to 1990, this corresponded to an increase of 47%. Most bee colonies in 2021 were in Asia (45.3 million)."

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Bee colonies: Worldwide population on the rise

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Bees not only provide honey but are also irreplaceable as pollinators of many plants in agriculture, fruit growing and horticulture. The worldwide population is on the rise.

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Earth in 2024 was about 2.65 degrees F warmer than during the mid-19th century average (1850-1900)

temperatures around the world have increased 1 to 2 degrees F, affecting the global temperature rates since the late 1900s

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Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí.

Earth's average surface temperature in 2024 was the warmest on record, according to an analysis led by NASA scientists.

Global temperatures in 2024 were 2.30 degrees Fahrenheit (1.28 degrees Celsius) above the agency's 20th-century baseline (1951-1980), which tops the record set in 2023. The new record comes after 15 consecutive months (June 2023 through August 2024) of monthly temperature records - an unprecedented heat streak.

"Once again, the temperature record has been shattered - 2024 was the hottest year since record keeping began in 1880," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Between record breaking temperatures and wildfires currently threatening our centers and workforce in California, it has never been more important to understand our changing planet."

NASA scientists further estimate Earth in 2024 was about 2.65 degrees Fahrenheit (1.47 degrees Celsius) warmer than the mid-19th century average (1850-1900). For more than half of 2024, average temperatures were more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the baseline, and the annual average, with mathematical uncertainties, may have exceeded the level for the first time.

"The Paris Agreement on climate change sets forth efforts to remain below 1.5 degrees Celsius over the long term. To put that in perspective, temperatures during the warm periods on Earth three million years ago - when sea levels were dozens of feet higher than today - were only around 3 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels," said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. "We are halfway to Pliocene-level warmth in just 150 years."

Scientists have concluded the warming trend of recent decades is driven by heat-trapping carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases. In 2022 and 2023, Earth saw record increases in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, according to a recent international analysis. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from pre-industrial levels in the 18th century of approximately 278 parts per million to about 420 parts per million today.

NASA and other federal agencies regularly collect data on greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions. These data are available at the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center, a multi-agency effort that consolidates information from observations and models, with a goal of providing decision-makers with one location for data and analysis.
Exceptional heat trends
The temperatures of individual years can be influenced by natural climate fluctuations such as El Niño and La Niña, which alternately warm and cool the tropical Pacific Ocean. The strong El Niño that began in fall 2023 helped nudge global temperatures above previous records.

The heat surge that began in 2023 continued to exceed expectations in 2024, Schmidt said, even though El Niño abated. Researchers are working to identify contributing factors, including possible climate impacts of the January 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption and reductions in pollution, which may change cloud cover and how solar energy is reflected back into space.

"Not every year is going to break records, but the long-term trend is clear," Schmidt said. "We're already seeing the impact in extreme rainfall, heat waves, and increased flood risk, which are going to keep getting worse as long as emissions continue."
Seeing changes locally
NASA assembles its temperature record using surface air temperature data collected from tens of thousands of meteorological stations, as well as sea surface temperature data acquired by ship- and buoy-based instruments. This data is analyzed using methods that account for the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and for urban heating effects that could skew the calculations.

A new assessment published earlier this year by scientists at the Colorado School of Mines, National Science Foundation, the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), and NASA further increases confidence in the agency's global and regional temperature data.

"When changes happen in the climate, you see it first in the global mean, then you see it at the continental scale and then at the regional scale. Now, we're seeing it at the local level," Schmidt said. "The changes occurring in people's everyday weather experiences have become abundantly clear."

Independent analyses by NOAA, Berkeley Earth, the Hadley Centre (part of the United Kingdom's weather forecasting Met Office) and Copernicus Climate Services in Europe have also concluded that the global surface temperatures for 2024 were the highest since modern record-keeping began. These scientists use much of the same temperature data in their analyses but use different methodologies and models. Each shows the same ongoing warming trend.

NASA's full dataset of global surface temperatures, as well as details of how NASA scientists conducted the analysis, are publicly available from GISS, a NASA laboratory managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

For more information about NASA's Earth science programs, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/earth
-end-

Liz Vlock
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov

Peter Jacobs
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-0535
peter.jacobs@nasa.gov

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Temperatures Rising: NASA Confirms 2024 Warmest Year on Record - NASA

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Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí.

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Legislation Regarding Global Warming from the EPA

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Legislation Regarding Global Warming from the EPA

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Clean Air Act (1970, amended 1990)

Allows the EPA to regulate air pollutants that endanger public health.

Key Climate Milestone:

In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts v. EPA that greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

In 2009, the EPA issued the Endangerment Finding, stating that GHGs threaten public health and welfare.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulations

Vehicle Emissions Standards:

EPA and the Department of Transportation set fuel economy and GHG emission standards for cars and trucks (most recently updated for model years 2023–2026).

Power Plant Emissions:

Clean Power Plan (2015) (under Obama): Proposed limits on carbon emissions from power plants. Never fully implemented due to legal challenges.

Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule (2019) (under Trump): Replaced the Clean Power Plan, offered more flexibility to states, but was also challenged.

New EPA Rule (2023) (under Biden): Proposed stricter emissions limits for power plants, focusing on technologies like carbon capture.

Methane Emissions

EPA has updated rules to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.

Reporting and Monitoring

Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (2009–present):
Requires large emitters to report GHG emissions annually.

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Bumblebees play a strong role in influencing the community's biodiversity by their acts of transferring pollen grains between plants for fertilization and the production of seeds.

According to Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, "Bees and other pollinators contribute to 35 percent of the world’s total crop production, pollinating 87 of 115 leading food crops worldwide. Pollination is responsible for nearly 90 percent of wildflower plants and 75 percent of edible plantation."

Increases the species and ecosystem diversity, especially among other plants and species that feed on pollen, such as birds, insects, and bugs.

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Why are bees so important for biodiversity?

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There’s a buzz in the air. And that can only mean one thing. A chance to celebrate the pollinating exploits of the humble bumble bee. They may be small, but bees play a big role in protecting people and planet. Learn more…

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Exam Question 1: Which of the following is the most direct cause of increase in global temperatures?

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Exam Question 1: Which of the following is the most direct cause of increase in global temperatures?

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A) Increase in volcanic activity, releasing ash into atmosphere

B) Deforestation, decreasing the oxygen production

C) Increase in human activity, releasing greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere

D) Increase in water vapor concentrations, releasing carbon emissions

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In 2024, the global temperature has set records in facing one of the highest temperatures. Which of the following is the most likely effect from this?

i) The Earth is revolving at a faster rate than before.

ii) There is an increase in human population that is causing for an increase in air pollution around many countries.

iii) The decrease in snow coverage /sea ice and increase in heavy rainfalls.

iv) The increase in greenhouse gas emissions are creating warmer temperatures.

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Exam Question 2: What has the Clean Air Act regulated in terms of human activity?

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Exam Question 2: What has the Clean Air Act regulated in terms of human activity?

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A) Setting fuel economy and GHG emission standards for cars and trucks

B) Recycling materials to reduce landfill volume

C) Regulating oil maintenance in oil industries

D) Setting curfews to limit the amount of cars on roads

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Exam Question 3: How does an organism, like a bumble bee, contribute to biodiversity?

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Exam Question 3: How does an organism, like a bumble bee, contribute to biodiversity?

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A) Controlling flower and vegetation population from overgrowing

B) Pollinating from different areas and transferring their pollen grains to produce more vegetation

C) Providing food for its predators and becoming its prey

D) Playing a role in the food chain

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How does the restoration of bumblebees increase the overall biodiversity of an ecosystem?

i) The more bumblebees there are, the more plants are pollinated, increasing the fertilization and production of seeds.

ii) Bumblebees directly eliminate predators from the ecosystem, increasing species richness.

iii) Restoring bumblebees decreases competition among plant species, allowing invasive species to thrive.

iv) Bumblebees produce honey, which provides food for all herbivores in the ecosystem.