The final data and analyses are in. 2016 was the warmest year on record. Records were also set in:
- greenhouse gases (CO2 reached 402.9 parts per million)
- global surface temperatures
- lower troposphere (atmosphere) temperatures
- sea surface temperatures (+2.92F per century)
- global sea level (+ 3.2 inches since 1993)
- Arctic land surface temperature (+3.6F)
- smallest annual maximum sea ice extent (5.61M square miles in the Arctic)
- spring snow cover in North America
If there was only one record, it would be worth noting. So many records strongly suggest a systemic change is occurring. Such strong trends are unlikely to reverse without strong action. The amount of time and activity that went into creating this situation is probably a good measure of the time and activity required to reverse it, basically, undoing much of what we’ve done since the Industrial Revolution began.
Pretending Not To Panic 
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