The voices of our climate change deniers seem to be fading as it’s become more difficult to deny reality when it’s on our doorstep.
Although it’s easy to remain oblivious to climate change elsewhere in the world, the drought signs flashing around town this summer have been hard to miss.
Due to extremely low water levels caused by record-breaking dry weather conditions and the absence of any significant snowpack over the winter, the City of Parksville moved to Stage 4 Water Conservation, on July 8 this year. Our average rainfall from January through August has been 471 mm. In 2015, our total rainfall through August was only 320 mm as measured at the public works yard and 290 mm at the community park. How about on this planet we all inhabit together?
The first seven months of 2015 were the hottest January-to-July span on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The seven-month average temperature of 14.7 Celsius (58.43 F) is 0.85 degrees warmer than the 20th-century average.
The year 2014 was the warmest across the globe in 134 years of records, according to the NOAA. Given that the temperatures have already been so high already — especially the oceans, which are slow to cool — NOAA climate scientist Jessica Blunden said she is “99 per cent certain” that 2015 will be the hottest on record for the globe. The oceans would have to cool dramatically to prevent it, and they are trending warmer, not cooler, she said. For the oceans, the July global sea surface temperature was 0.75°C (1.35°F) above the 20th century average of 16.4°C (61.5°F), the highest departure not only for July, but for any month on record. The 10 highest monthly departures from average for the oceans have all occurred in the past 16 months (since April 2014, NOAA Global Analysis July, 2015).
Perhaps if any remaining climate change deniers would band together as a group and put a more concerted effort into their illusions they could actually affect reality. Come on guys, we need you.
John SeelandNanoose Bay
