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Arctic Posts Second Warmest Year On Record In 2018, NOAA Says (reuters.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the one-for-the-record-books dept.

According to a new report released on Tuesday by the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the Arctic had its second-hottest year on record in 2018. "Arctic air temperatures for the past five years have exceeded all previous records since 1900," according to the annual NOAA study, the 2018 Arctic Report Card, which said the year was second only to 2016 in overall warmth in the region. Reuters reports: The study said the Arctic warming continues at about double the rate of the rest of the planet, and that the trend appears to be altering the shape and strength of the jet stream air current that influences weather in the Northern Hemisphere. "Growing atmospheric warmth in the Arctic results in a sluggish and unusually wavy jet-stream that coincided with abnormal weather events," it said, noting that the changing patterns have often brought unusually frigid temperatures to areas south of the Arctic Circle. Some examples are "a swarm of severe winter storms in the eastern United States in 2018, and the extreme cold outbreak in Europe in March 2018 known as 'the Beast from the East.'"

8 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. Responsible coastal development by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Maybe, we should not socialize the losses of coastal properties via our National Flood Insurance program? For all the talk of climate change, I see homes swept away by hurricanes and then even bigger ones replace them in under two years. In my lifetime NJ beachfronts now look like a glass wall with massive homes built as close to the beach as possible.

    If the government insures a property and it is lost to floodwaters - a condition of claim payment should be that the property becomes prohibited to future development. If private landowners and private insurers want to take on this risk - good for them.

    Building these homes over and over again sticks the taxpayer with the disaster bill.

  2. Branson has the right idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Being all doom and gloom about it doesn't help. IMHO Branson has the right idea when he offered $3 million for airconditioning that's 5x as energy efficient.

    https://globalcoolingprize.org/prize-details/criteria/

    i.e. the solution is a million little improvements not one magic one. Air-conditioning being a huge energy waster that could easily be improved. If you can make a fridge to turn a heat difference into cold, you can make an air conditioner that can, so you can make a solar (heat) driven air conditioning. It just needs the initial funding.

    1. Re:Branson has the right idea by Freischutz · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Being all doom and gloom about it doesn't help. IMHO Branson has the right idea when he offered $3 million for airconditioning that's 5x as energy efficient.

      https://globalcoolingprize.org/prize-details/criteria/

      i.e. the solution is a million little improvements not one magic one. Air-conditioning being a huge energy waster that could easily be improved. If you can make a fridge to turn a heat difference into cold, you can make an air conditioner that can, so you can make a solar (heat) driven air conditioning. It just needs the initial funding.

      What really gets me is that Florida is importing coal and natural gas to fire power plants of whom several are dedicated to producing energy for air conditioning systems much of the year. You'd think that the idea of powering their air conditioning using solar panels would catch on down there. The same is basically true for Puerto Rico, it's sunny there or partially sunny something like 70% of the year and when it isn't sunny the wind is blowing and yet, the latest and greatest idea out of Washington is turning Puerto Rico into a imported natural gas powered fossil fuel energy hub for the region ... abundant local energy sources ... anybody?

  3. Re:I thought Obama fixed climate change though by GameboyRMH · · Score: 4, Interesting

    He did a good number of things to help reduce global warming: Restrict coal power plant emissions, improve automotive fleet emissions standards, sign the Paris climate accord, and subsidize renewable energy and EV sales. All things Trump has undone or is working on undoing.

    China will have the US over a barrel once global carbon trading is mandatory. I'd say that you collectively deserve it, but on the other hand most Americans who voted didn't vote for this.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  4. AGW Denier trolls are out in force by hyades1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's sad to see Slashdot taken over by anti-science scumbags, posting as "Anonymous Cowards" and lying that Global Warming isn't happening even with evidence all over the place. And then there's the overwhelming support for GW in the scientific community. What do they know!

    I have to admire the plucky band of billionaires, conspiracy nutbars and oil companies bravely fighting back against all that nasty, evil science. Of course, the downside is that their kids will line up to piss on their graves.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:AGW Denier trolls are out in force by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It's sad to see Slashdot taken over by anti-science scumbags, posting as "Anonymous Cowards" and lying that Global Warming isn't happening even with evidence all over the place. And then there's the overwhelming support for GW in the scientific community. What do they know!

      I have to admire the plucky band of billionaires, conspiracy nutbars and oil companies bravely fighting back against all that nasty, evil science. Of course, the downside is that their kids will line up to piss on their graves.

      Browse with only +2 visible and you won't see most of that.

      As far as the PR effort goes, global warning was way oversold initially and the early dire predictions (that were sold via the media) didn't happen, or didn't happen anything like they were sold. That had a crying wolf effect.

      Also, demonizing people and calling them stupid isn't a great way to win them over.

      That said, any solution is going to be technological. Top down command and control isn't doing what you want it to do; it isn't succeeding (and yes, succeeding politically and socially is part of succeeding).

  5. No large drop in ice extent or area? by Straumli+Perversion · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's interesting that there was no large drop in sea ice extent or area this year to match the exceptional warming. The numbers came in around where the last few years have, and much higher than 2016 or 2012.

    Sea Ice Area: https://web.nersc.no/WebData/a...
    Sea Ice Extent: https://web.nersc.no/WebData/a...

  6. Re:"On record" = laughable by greythax · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm going to ignore the rest of the shocking ignorance of this post and ask what makes you think we have to halt all technological progress to correct AGW? The tech that is causing the problem was literally invented in the 19th century! If anything, combating AGW will force us to use 21st century tech.

    Also, a little fact about the economy, it works best when the money keeps moving. Like when you replace all your old crap by buying new crap.