Climate change skeptics constantly point to the fluctuating temperatures, even fluctuating Arctic sea ice, attempting to prove that it’s all part of the regular climate cycle.
Temperatures in 2013 were moderate in comparison to 2012, according to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), and even fairly cool when compare to the last six years. Some climate change skeptics have pointed this out, but one year doesn’t change the long-term trends.
One indicator of the warming trend can be seen in Arctic sea ice, which fluctuates from season to season, the minimum sea ice occurring in the summer. The NOAA has been tracking Arctic temperatures since 1900, and sea ice levels since 1979. Arctic sea ice in the summer of 2012 was the lowest ever measured, and summer 2013 was the sixth lowest. The Arctic is far from recovery, as the seven lowest summer sea ice levels have been in the last seven years. A one-year reversal doesn’t even begin to touch the overall warming trend that is part of the climate change phenomenon.
As the data shows, the overall trend in Arctic summer sea ice is down, and it doesn’t seem that the trend is reversing anytime soon. Climate change isn’t going to reverse overnight, and a one-year reprieve for the Arctic, such as experienced in the summer of 2013, cannot indicate otherwise. Warm-water species are moving north, and cold-water species are losing habitat, and at an alarming rate.
Image © NOAA
CO2Insanity LoneWolffe thanks for pointing to these articles.
CO2Insanity LoneWolffe Honestly, I’ve never read anything by Al Gore. I’m just looking at the data I have access to. The trend points to climate change.
As far as condemning billions of children, I’m doing no such thing. Millions of vehicles, power plants, and industry is doing that.
TimJonson “form every year” at the North Pole? i stand corrected. thanks for pointing out the NPEO information. Still, the NOAA ice limits data is pretty telling. the last seven years of summer ice limits have been the lowest on record since the 1970s. are you telling me that is part of the natural cycle?
“The North Pole Environmental Observatory, the organization that set up the webcams, received so many requests for information about the images from its cameras that it put up a page on its website explaining them. Melt ponds, the NPEO said, have “always been a key feature of the summer season on sea ice,” and “form every year.” Indeed, the NPEO says that the melt pond in the picture “looks pretty typical for this time of year and this location.” The NPEO also said that the melt pond was “not specifically” due to global warming.”
LoneWolffe You’re obviously still in the 20th Century believing Al Gore’s BS. Here’s one of his great predictions he pulled out of his ….
Al Gore Predicted Arctic Summer Ice Could Disappear In 2013
LoneWolffe CO2Insanity If you read the whole article it was noted this happens frequently during the summer. You should read news that doesn’t conveniently leave facts out.
“Despite the enthusiasm for FtF’s post, conditions like those shown in the picture are not “unprecedented.” They have been observed for as long as mankind has had the technology to visit the North Pole in the summer. Furthermore, the picture actually does not show the North Pole but an area that is more than 300 miles from it.”
Surce: http://www.justfactsdaily.com/has-global-warming-turned-the-north-pole-into-a-lake
LoneWolffe CO2Insanity the monitoring station drifted south, it says so right in the very article you cited. And you’re pointing to a single spot, while ‘CO2insanity” cited data of the entire arctic. Much better data.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/12/13/study-earth-was-warmer-in-roman-medieval-times/
CO2Insanity Did you forget that the North Pole turned into a LAKE this year? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/north-pole-melting-leaves_n_3652373.html
DavidNutzuki Let’s get into the 21st Century, shall we? It’s no longer “could be,” but “is.”
What ice melt? http://arctic-roos.org/observations/satellite-data/sea-ice/observation_images/ssmi1_ice_ext.png
If you still choose to condemn billions of innocent children to a deadly crisis that science only agrees “could” happen and NEVER “will” be a crisis, YOU cannot tell our children it WILL be a crisis, only “could” be just like science has for 30 years and not one IPCC warning says; “will be a crisis” or is; “inevitable”. Now who’s the fear monger?