Medicine & TechnologyA team of climate scientists has reported that mankind is headed down the worst-case scenario, despite the progress made against our emissions curve.
In the midst of the United Nation's Climate Change Summit, held in New York City late last summer, many skeptics bolstered their opinions about the current climate change issues at hand. But with heat waves well into the 100's, the sounds of skepticism were silenced by the buzzing of air conditioners hanging near the window. And as it so happens, when researchers and politicians turned to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admistration (NOAA) for answers, a new study revealed that the blistering heat we felt was unlike anything we had ever seen before.
We have known for a while that massive volcanic eruptions, which eject massive amounts of gases into the atmosphere, can block enough solar radiation to have an effect on the climate. For example, scientists believe the explosion of the Indonesian volcano Mt. Tambora in 1815 caused the severe cold spell in 1816. But while scientists may have arrived at a consensus that our planet is warming, according to a new study published this week, some of the warming effects have been offset by small volcanic eruptions over the last decade. The vast quantities of ash and gases ejected from the volcanoes have had a remarkable cooling effect on the climate, by blocking solar radiation.
If 2014 made anything evident on the global stage, it’s that climate change is a serious issue and one that must be dealt with urgently. Many hope that the United Nations Summit in 2015 will bring some sort of international change, but with new research from the US space agency NASA, researchers are now saying that we may have some added help on our side—tropical rainforests.
As a small farm owner, many may feel that their impact as an individual dwarfs in comparison to corporate America, where large conglomerates rule. But in the view of nature, all individuals are equal when it comes to changing the face of our Earth, and small farmers are finding that together their unified voices and actions may help create a better climate for tomorrow.