I’ve come across some cool resources since the last post. The first is a state-by-state climate map of the U.S. from the NY Times. I just looked up Vermont and they’re the 5th fastest warming State, with an increase of 0.6 degrees F per decade. What’s really worth noting is that if you check out other states (say Georgia) you’ll notice there was a decrease in temperature and the State is only slightly above where it was in the 1920’s. This just goes to show you that scale matters and while warming is occuring everywhere, some places are experiencing higher rates of warming then others.
There was also a bit of disturbing news. Global coal consumption for energy has increased to 30.3%, the highest percent since 1969. Globally the use of coal is increasing, however, the increase is skewed to developing countries that rely on a cheaper energy source. Developed countries, like the US, have decreased the amount of coal consumed for energy. In fact the coal accounted for 34% of energy consumption just a few months ago. This according to the article linked above was the lowest level since 1973.
The good news is that Rio+20 is right around the corner. This gives countries from around the world an opportunity to address some of the disturbing trends in climate change. We should all hope that agreements can be reached that will address some of the concerns around global warming.