This year is poised to become the hottest recorded.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2014 is on pace to either tie or surpass the current global record. Last month was the hottest September on record worldwide. Before that, both August and the entire summer of 2014 were also the hottest ever recorded.
New studies about the warming of the planet and the risk of massive release of methane from the Arctic are worse than previously thought.
The Arctic is "ground zero" for the risk of a massive release of methane. In point of fact, if only a tiny percentage - maybe only one per cent - of the ancient deposits of methane trapped under, and within, ice in the Arctic is released, everyone will suddenly know all about runaway global warming.
All they will have to do is go outdoors, and/or, depending upon whether they live in a coastal region, wade through waste-deep water.
The climate change issue, because of overexposure and because of denial by leading politicians, results in a complacent public.
As such, it is vulnerable to political grandstanding, an easy target for political manipulation by vested interests of, on behalf of, and paid for by fossil fuel interests now, and forever.
Although, forever is probably not an option … not even close.
Alan Hinnrichs,
2 Gillespie Terrace,
Dundee.
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