Putting The Earth In Earth Day

Earth Day 2019: High temperatures, rising waters, wild weather – who is to blame? We are.

Doyle Rice and Elizabeth Weise, April 21, 2019 (USA Today)

“…There's a 99.9999% chance that humans are the cause of global warming… Humans burn fossil fuels…[That releases] carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and other gases into the Earth's atmosphere and oceans….Based on five separate data sets that keep track of the Earth's climate, the global average temperature for the first 10 months of 2018 was about 1.8 degrees above what it was in the late 1800s. That was when industry started to emit large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere…Increasing amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases being released into the atmosphere by industry, transportation and energy production from burning fossil fuels are enhancing what's known as the planet's natural greenhouse effect.

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The atmospheric carbon dioxide level for March was 411.97 parts per million and continue to rise. It has now reached levels in the atmosphere not seen in 3 million years…That's an increase of 46% from just before the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, when CO2 levels were around 280 parts per million…Scientists say to keep a livable planet, we need to cut the level to 350 parts per million…Extreme weather events exacerbated in part by climate change killed almost 250 Americans and cost the nation at least $91 billion in 2018, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration…[W]estern states endured their costliest wildfire season on record: $24 billion in damage…Hurricanes Michael, resulting in $25 billion damages, and Florence, with $24 billion in costs, were the other two big weather disasters in 2018…” click here for more

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