The numbers are in!
NASA and NOAA recently confirmed 2015 was the hottest year ever … or, at least since 1880.
“2015 was by far the hottest year on the records we’ve put together,” Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies said in a press conference this morning. “Even without El Niño, this would have been the warmest year on record. We’re looking at at long-term trend, and this is just a symptom.”
Scientists are more than 95% certain increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases and other human activities are at the source of global warming.
Take a look at the video below for an idea of how much the climate has changed over the past 130+ years.
“The factors causing this trend are continuing to accelerate,” Schmidt said, adding that there’s “no evidence that the long-term trend has paused, slowed, or hiatused anytime in the last few decades.”
If you’re looking for ways to help promote the health of the planet, consider reducing how often you use home appliances and electricity, public transportation, and recycling as much as possible.
Read more about this at Gizmodo.