Summary
Recent observations reveal alarming trends in the Earth's climate, particularly concerning sea ice levels. A viral plot shared online shows a significant decline in global sea ice coverage, prompting scrutiny and verification from experts. An astronomer independently confirmed the data, noting that the Arctic's average temperature is currently several degrees Celsius above normal, with some days recording temperatures up to 20 degrees Celsius higher than usual. This unusual warmth correlates with record low sea ice levels, raising concerns about the implications for climate stability.
The data combines metrics from both the Arctic and Antarctic, which typically behave independently. While the Antarctic is losing ice as it enters summer, the Arctic is failing to recover its ice during the winter months at expected rates. This unprecedented situation could either indicate a natural climate cycle or suggest that the planet is approaching a tipping point due to human-induced climate change. The consensus among scientists is that human activity is significantly contributing to rising carbon dioxide levels, which in turn affects global temperatures.
The discussion emphasizes that climate change should not be viewed through a political lens but rather as a scientific issue with serious consequences for human life and civilization. The urgency for action is clear, as the potential for catastrophic outcomes looms if significant measures are not taken to transition to a carbon-neutral economy. The message is one of awareness and proactive engagement to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect future generations.
Show Notes
This week a plot showing the global sea ice over time went viral due to shockingly low levels, smashing previous records. The plot was so weird that we decided to check out the data for ourselves and see if it was legit. Indeed, we can reproduce this alarming plot and provide some links and scripts for any of you who want to go ahead and try yourselves. Here we get into why we think these kinds of weird observations may become more common in the future.::More about this Video::► National Sea and Ice Data Center archive of sea ice extent data: https://nsidc.org/data/docs/noaa/g02135_seaice_index/► My Mathematica script used to generate a confirming plot: https://github.com/davidkipping/seaiceextent► Two of the first tweets publicizing the viral plot, Zach Labe (https://twitter.com/ZLabe/status/798913080168095744) and Eric Holthaus (https://twitter.com/EricHolthaus/status/800067428419940352).► Wipneus archive of plots: https://sites.google.com/site/arctischepinguin/home/sea-ice-extent-area/grf► Eric Holthaus blog article about the viral plot: http://tinyletter.com/sciencebyericholthaus/letters/today-in-weather-climate-sea-ice-tipping-point-edition-monday-november-21th► Guardian article on record Arctic temperatures: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/22/extraordinarily-hot-arctic-temperatures-alarm-scientists► CNN article on record Arctic temperatures: http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/18/world/sea-ice-arctic-antarctic-lows/► Conrath at al. (1970), "The Infrared Interferometer Experiment on Nimbus 3": http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/JC075i030p05831/abstract► Gavin Schmidt explains "How we know that the Earth's climate is changing": https://youtu.be/mkT7IyUSjq0► Video background music by Nick Caville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv2WSDMBRxA::Playlists For Channel::Latest Cool Worlds Videos ► http://bit.ly/NewCoolWorldsCool Worlds Research ► http://bit.ly/CoolWorldsResearchGuest Videos ► http://bit.ly/CoolWorldsGuestsQ&A Videos ►http://bit.ly/CoolWorldsQAScience of TV/Film ► http://bit.ly/ScienceMovies::Follow us::SUBSCRIBE to the channel http://bit.ly/CoolWorldsSubscribeCool Worlds Lab http://coolworlds.astro.columbia.eduTwitter https://twitter.com/david_kippingInstagram https://www.instagram.com/cool.worldsTHANKS FOR WATCHING!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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