Global Warming Statistics

Whether global warming is really happening or it's just a hype created by some people for their selfish gains is one of the most intricate questions in the world today. On one hand, we have the critics of global warming continuously rambling that the computer models used to study global warming and climate change are too crude to be taken seriously. On the other, we have the scientists who claim that this phenomenon is really occurring and we need to find a solution for the same as soon as possible. The end result is confusion all around, especially for the layman who is not at all aware of various geographical occurrences and their implications on the planet. One of the easiest ways to understand that 'global warming is occurring' is to go through the compilation of global warming statistics. Owing to our ignorance about global warming facts and statistics, we have been contributing to this hazardous phenomena indirectly since a long time. It's high time we take a note of these statistics on global warming and put in efforts to reduce the intensity of global warming effects on Earth.

Global Warming and Rising Temperature

Global warming statistics compiled by NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) has revealed that the average global temperatures have soared by 0.8°F over the last century alone. Even more chilling is the fact that temperatures are increasing at an alarming rate of 0.36°F per decade. The first decade of this century has been the warmest decade ever, with 2005 getting the distinction of being the hottest year in the history of the planet. A report compiled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) revealed that as many as 11 of the last 12 years feature in the list of 12 hottest years that the planet has ever experienced.

Global Warming and Carbon Dioxide

When it comes to interpretation of global warming statistics, charts and graphs tend to play a crucial role. Irrespective of which chart or graph you resort to, you will find carbon dioxide concentration topping the causes of global warming. An enormous amount of carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere as a result of numerous anthropogenic activities, including use of vehicles and industrial waste. The statistics which highlight the global warming and carbon dioxide relationship reveal that coal alone constitutes for about 90 percent of the carbon concentration in the Earth's atmosphere. On a serious note, carbon dioxide is just one of the numerous greenhouse gases which have the tendency to cause global warming.

Global Warming and Methane Gas

Other than carbon dioxide, the relationship between methane and global warming has also become quite prominent over the last few decades. Methane concentration in the Earth's atmosphere has increased from 700 parts per billion (PPB) in 1750s to 1745 parts per billion (PPB) in 1990s. With a life span of 7 years, methane plays a significant role in inducing global warming. If we stop all the activities which release methane in the atmosphere this very moment, it will take us 7 years to get rid of all the methane in the Earth's atmosphere.

Global Warming and Melting Glaciers

Melting glaciers is one of the most prominent evidence of global warming. The Glacier National Park in Montana, USA, which boasted of 150 glaciers in 1910 is left with a mere 27 glaciers today. The same condition is experienced in various other parts of the world, including the polar regions. Various regions along the Himalayan mountain range have been subjected to frequent flash floods as a result of increase in glacier melting here. A recent study related to global warming and melting glaciers by the IPCC revealed that the Himalayan glaciers will be gone by 2035 if global warming continues at the rate at which it is happening.

Global Warming and Extreme Weather

Nothing highlights the occurrence of global warming as the prevalence of extremities in the weather does. The most obvious abnormalities in weather can be seen in context of drought and precipitation patterns. Estimates suggest that 30-60 percent of the United States is subjected to drought at some or the other point of the time every year. While the world has experienced a rise in the amount of precipitation by 2 percent per decade, the same for the United States has been approximately 6 percent per decade. Similarly, the frequency of heat waves in the United States which had gone down in 1960s and 1970s has suddenly undergone a rapid increase.

Global Warming and Hurricanes

The rise in frequency of hurricanes is yet another obvious evidence of global warming. This rise suggests that increasing near-surface temperature of the planet is providing ideal conditions for hurricanes to flourish. Global warming statistics published in the environmental journal - Nature, revealed that the frequency as well as the intensity of hurricane storms has increased by a significant extent over the last 30 years. It is estimated that every 1.8ºF rise in the surface temperature of the ocean will result in an increase in the intensity of hurricanes by 5 percent.

Global Warming and Environmental Changes

Everybody is bearing the brunt of climate change, and plant and animal species on the planet are no exception. Over the last 150 years, the planet has lost around 40 percent of its forest cover, and experienced a rise of 30 percent in terms of desertification. A look at the list of extinct animals in the last 100 years reveals that more than 40 animal species have become extinct over the last century alone. With global warming continued unabated, more of such casualties in Kingdom Animalia cannot be ruled out in near future.

For some people this compilation of global warming statistics would come as a real eye opener about what will happen if global warming continues. While many people may dismiss these stats as mere presumptions or publicity stunts, the fact is that global warming is happening and it's becoming more and more obvious with every passing day. That leaves us with only one option - save the planet. There are numerous ways to stop global warming, and resorting to these very global warming solutions can make any difference for us as well as the various other lifeforms on the planet. It's high time we understand that if we don't curb global warming right now, doomsday for us is just round the corner.