This is depressing....

The Department of Energy program to monitor CO2 emissions has reported that they increased 6% from 2009 to 2010, an apparently unprecedented "monster" increase.  According to AP

The global output of heat-trapping carbon dioxide jumped by the biggest amount on record, the U.S. Department of Energy calculated,...The world pumped about 564 million more tons (512 million metric tons) of carbon into the air in 2010 than it did in 2009. That's an increase of 6 percent. That amount of extra pollution eclipses the individual emissions of all but three countries — China, the United States and India, the world's top producers of greenhouse gases.

The DOE program is located at Oak Ridge National Labs (hardly a hippie Biosphere 2 type place).

Climate in Graphic Form

The first motive I had for starting this blog was to recorde my thoughts and observations on the great challenges we face in the upcoming decade. In particular I focused on climate, energy, politics and higher ed.  From time to time then its useful to just look at what' going on.  Since a picture speaks a thousand words, we can often get a quick snapshot of the current state of affairs. Today I offer the state of the global climate in images.

First up, the global temperature anomalies for February 2011 compared to a 1951-1980 baseline. Map generated from NASA GISTEMP data:

February 2011 temperature anomaly.

As seen all winter, the polar regions have been warmer compared to the baseline.  This is reflected in the Arctic sea ice coverage, based on the National Snow and Ice Data Center's data

Maximum ice coverage for winter 2011.

The maximum extent was reached on March 7th, close to the record low and below the baseline.  Interestingly it has stabilized at its maximum.

Arctic sea ice extent compared to previous years, as of April 7, 2011.

Another interesting, and troubling, data set is the heat content of the oceans. The data is from the National Ocean Data Center and you can read how they gather and process the data here.  As a former sonar technician, I know that temperature measurements have been gathered continually since the beginning of the Cold War in other to determine ASW sonar ranges, so their has been a motivation to gather a robust and substantial data set.

The average of the global heat content of the oceans. Increased heat content means warmer oceans and with a greater volume (separate from any volume added from melting glacial ice).

Finally, the latest CO2 measurements, painstakingly gathered from the observatory on Mauna Loa, Hawaii:

Atmospheric carbon dioxide trends at Mauna Los, as of March 2011.

Regardless of paranoid, narcissistic-rage fueled denials, the global climate is changing, we know why, and nothing is being done about it.

Think its cold? Not so much in the Arctic.

Those who cannot accept a warming world probably take comfort in local cold and snow in the US and Europe, and use current local weather to dismiss reports that globally 2010 tied with 2005 for the hottest year on record . But what has this winter really been like from a global perspective.
Well here is November 2010's temperature anomaly (compared to 1951-1980 data):

Departure from 1951-1980 mean for November 2010, in degrees C Click for larger image..

 

 

And here's the same for December:

Departure from 1951-1980 mean for December 2010, in degrees C. Click for larger image.

Notice that the Arctic is significantly warmer than the reference period.  This is reflected by the near record low amount of Arctic sea ice. Here is the Arctic Sea ice coverage trend as of today from the National Snow and Ice Data Center:

Meanwhile, the observatory at Mauna Loa reports the mean atmospheric CO2 for December at 389.69 ppm. This continues the steady upward trend for the decade:

 

Now causality does not equal causation, but since we have established well back in the nineteenth that atmospheric carbon dioxide absorbs IR energy, a correlation between warming and CO2 is to be expected by the rational observer. This does not mean that the increase in CO2 for November and December are in lockstep, but the ever increasing carbon dioxide will be reflected over time by more and more positive temperature anomalies.

So right now, business as usual rules, in our actions and in the climatic response.

How's the ol' CO2 doin'?

Too good. Here's the current plot of atmospheric CO2 from Mauna Loa:

I'm actually surprised that a steady rise can be seen on such a short-term plot, I've always thought a distinct trend would only be noticeable on decade-long scales. Now I've always thought that the greenhouse effect is more of a blanket effect. Water vapor is like a comforter, thick (abundant) and CO2 is like thinner but very efficient blanket. Methane is like one of those space blankets, very thin, very efficient at trapping heat. Anyway adding CO2 is making the blanket it thicker, and we all know by experience how with some materials even a thin additional layer can make you feel much warmer.
The diagram below shows that CO2 has one of its absorption peaks right in the frequency range* of Earth's outgoing radiation:

Those of use who work on volcanic rocks already know this of course, since the absorption of infrared is one way measure the amount of CO2 dissolved in volcanic glasses. Some people (including, but not limited to cranks) embarrass themselves by not understanding this. BTW,  a similar diagram was used in nice rebuttal of just such an attempt to refute the importance of CO2.
Then there are more ridiculous denials of the importance of atmospheric CO2.
"CO2 is plant food". Plants use carbon dioxide, so what? That's like saying plants need water, so water cannot cause floods.
"The lethal concentration of CO2 is 5,000 ppm and there's only 390 ppm in the air." That's like saying dew can't promote rust because there's not enough water to drown you. So many more, all logical fallacies

Alas, such nonsense appeal to those in Western civilazation who are scientifically ignorant and trapped in the selfish spiral and think any discussion of global warming and needed mitigation are part of some totalitarian plot hatched by far-away elites targeted at them. You know, the folks who think any penny of tax or regulation that provides the slightest hinderance to their ability to buy any luxury is the equivalent to slavery or being sent to the death camps.Its like an autoimmune overreaction in these people's psyche, and of course those comparisons belittle the experiences and defames the memories of slaves and concentration camp inmates.

I don't waste my energy arguing with such people (and won't here). There's a reckoning ahead for them entirely of their own making.

*I know its lazy to use a wiki image, but unfortunately I'm too busy to make my own from primary sources right now.