2014 has gone down in the records as the hottest year on Earth since 1880, according to US space agency NASA and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Both organizations have come to the same conclusion based on separate analyses. Except for 1998, 10 of the warmest years were recorded from 2000 onward. NASA’s GISS (Goddard Institute of Space Studies) have made these claims on the basis of surface temperature measurements.
The temperature analysis was produced by collecting data from weather stations located all around the world. Since the scientists started noting down temperatures in 1880, the global average has shown an increase by 1.4 degrees Farenheit. It does not sound like a big deal, though this perception is far from the truth. The year 2014 holding the record for the hottest year on Earth proves the trend displays long-term warming of the planet.
The heating up of Earth’s atmosphere is caused by natural as well as human induced activities. Gavin Schmidt from NASA GISS explains that more and more carbon-dioxide is being released into the atmosphere and thus warming it up since we’re digging up carbon in the form of oil, coal, natural gas and so on, and then burning it for energy. This contributes to the greenhouse effect, which means heat remains trapped within our atmosphere.
Also see: NASA uses data from ocean weather balloons to find what ‘paused’ global warming
Developed countries are receiving a lot of flak from developing countries for insisting that the use of cheap sources of energy such as coal needs to be cut down drastically. On top of this, there are many dissenters who believe global warming is not caused by man and NASA as well as the most powerful governments in the world are simply cooking up such evidence to prevent poorer economies from growing, or for other political purposes.
While it might be a little careless to say the Earth is getting hotter based on year-on-year changes, long-term data covering decades might seem more believable. Evidence of 2014 being the hottest is the latest is a series of warm years in a series of warm decades.