2016 – Third Consecutive Year For Record Breaking Temperatures!

manatee-news-1-6-20172014, 2015 and 2016 consecutively recorded record-breaking temperatures. Photo Courtesy (NOAA)

Greetings and Happy New Year to you!

Unfortunately, I have to tell you 2016 was the third year in a row that set record global temperatures. There were many studies published in 2016 that clearly back this up. Dr. John Abraham, professor of thermal sciences and climate researcher in Africa, South America and Asia said, “…clearly show the world’s oceans are warming and that computer simulations have been spot-on in their predictions. Simply put, the Earth is warming and the models got it right.”

And as a result climate change, 2016 has been a year of crazy, wild weather we all should be concerned about. Dr. Abraham explains, “… in a warming world, there is increased evaporation, which tends to dry out areas and make droughts worse. But, in some parts of the world, the warming air has more water vapor (higher humidity) so that heavy rainfalls occur and more flooding happens. The general rule of thumb is that areas, which are currently dry, will become more dry. Areas that are currently wet become wetter. And rains will occur in heavier downpours. And that is just what we are seeing. In the United States, we have had a continuation of the terrible drought in California. We’ve had a new heat-wave drought in the southeastern part of the US and that led to terrible wildfires.”

Additionally, there was extreme flooding in Maryland, West Virginia, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Iowa and Mississippi. Dr. Abraham said, Outside the US, there has been an incredible heat wave in the Arctic which has led to the lowest ever wintertime ice ever recorded there. The Arctic is looking very precarious for the important summertime low ice extent. We have a good chance at breaking the record (again).”

Abraham continues and says, “Terrible flooding the UK, Myanmar, Argentina, Indonesia, Spain, and Egypt, and others. There have been simultaneous flooding and heat waves in Australia, crazy hot weather in India and the Middle East.

And typhoons and hurricanes are getting stronger because of climate change. As we warm the planet and its oceans, there is more energy available to fuel these hurricanes.”

On a much brighter note, there is some good news concerning climate change. Dr. Abraham explained that there continues to be cost reductions and giant installations of clean energy in the United States and also around the world. Also, internationally, the United States, China, and other countries ratified the Paris Climate Agreement!

If you see any sick or injured manatees, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at: 1-888-404-FWCC. They are the folks who are responsible for rescuing us in Florida.

Here’s the Save the Manatee Club link to learn more about us manatees …

www.savethemanatee.org

Here’s a cool link for you to learn more about how we’re rescued and brought into rehabilitation …

www.wildtracks.org

~ Kobee Manatee

 

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