Global Warming Tool Tracks Annapolis Area Temps Over Decades

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Dire warnings released recently show that, if drastic steps to tackle global warming aren't taken, the earth will see catastrophic effects within 12 years.

The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report showing the devastation that will be caused if the temperatures rise is not brought under control. Limiting warming to just 0.9 degrees F instead of the globally agreed-upon goal of 1.8 degrees would mean:

• Half as many people would suffer from lack of water.
• There would be fewer deaths and illnesses from heat, smog and infectious diseases.
• Seas would rise nearly 4 inches (0.1 meters) less.
• Half as many animals with back bones and plants would lose the majority of their habitats.
• There would be substantially fewer heat waves, downpours and droughts.
• The West Antarctic ice sheet might not kick into irreversible melting.
• And it just may be enough to save most of the world's coral reefs from dying.

But an interactive tool developed by the New York Times shows what a massive challenge that limit would be, based on how the climate has changed just in your lifetime.

The Times' tool allows readers to see how many more 90 degree days they bask in every year compared to the amount there were in the year they were born. It goes on to forecast how many there will be in the next 80 years.

A 30-year-old adult in Annapolis would have seen about 16 days over 90 degrees in the year they were born, the Times reports. Now they can expect 22.

By the time that person is 80, the New York Times' tool predicts Annapolis could be baking in 42 days above 90 degrees.

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The Times dataset stretches back to 1960. The authors noted that the rise in the number of hot days was much slower back then.

The predicted future temperatures could be even higher if countries' emissions continue at historically high rates. The future projection assumes countries will reduce greenhouse gas to levels outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement – though many are way behind and the Trump administration has refused to sign up to the agreement.

The Times article highlighted extreme examples in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. These countries could eventually expect to see extreme temperature days for most of the year. Even moderate places, such as Madrid, Spain, could expect to see the number of 90-degree days double or even triple by the end of the century.

The article comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump and former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt have sought to quell concerns about the dangers of climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency's own website removed its entry on the subject.

"Thank you for your interest in this topic. We are currently updating our website to reflect EPA's priorities under the leadership of President Trump and Administrator Pruitt," the site reads.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo of Sandy Point State Park by Patch Editor Emily Leayman