Global Warming by the Numbers
280 Parts Per Million:
Amount of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere in 1750 [1]
385 Parts Per Million (and Rising):
Amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, 2008 [2]
Percent of change: +37
+1.3 Degrees F:
Change in average surface temperature of the Earth since 1895 [3] [Global Climate Change: NASA's Eyes on the Earth, http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov/]
7.04 Million Square Kilometers (2.70 Million Square Miles):
Average extent of Arctic summer sea ice, 1979-2000 [4]
4.28 Million Square Kilometers (1.65 Million Square Miles):
Extent of Arctic sea ice, September 2007 [5]
Percent of change: -39
2007:
Year that extent of summer sea ice shattered all previous recorded lows, since satellite measurements began in 1979 [6]
2008:
Year of second-lowest recorded extent of Arctic summer sea ice [8]
+2 to 7 Degrees F:
Change in average surface temperature across the Arctic since 1895 [9]
11:
The number of years out of the past 12 that have been the warmest on record, since accurate recordkeeping began in 1850 [10]
280 parts per million
Level carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere in 1750 [11]
350 parts per million:
Amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere believed by some scientists to be the safe upper limit to prevent "runaway" climate destabilization [12]
385 parts per million:
Amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, 2008 [13]
20.68 Million Barrels:
Average amount of oil consumed daily in the U.S. in 2007 [14]
20.20 Million Barrels:
Average amount of oil consumed daily in the U.S. in 2008, projected [15]
$60.08:
Average price for a barrel of oil in 2007 [16]
$112.68:
Average price of a barrel of oil in 2008, projected [17]
Percent change: +87
About 25 Percent:
Amount of world oil supply consumed by United States [18]
4.56 Percent:
Size of U.S. population, relative to total global population [19]
40, 23, 22, 8, 7:
Percentages of U.S. energy supply derived from, respectively petroleum, coal, natural gas, nuclear power and renewable sources (solar energy, hydroelectric, geothermal energy, biomass, wind energy) in 2007 [20]
97 Percent:
Extent to which U.S. transportation is powered by oil [21]
References:
[1]
"Chapter 1 Historical Overview of Climate Change Science". Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007-02-05) p. 100.
[2]
"Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Mauna Loa," NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Global Monitoring Division, http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/
[3]
Global Climate Change: NASA's Eyes on the Earth, http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov/
[4], [5], [6]
"Arctic Sea Ice News Fall 2007," National Snow and Ice Data Center, http://nsidc.org/news/press/2007_seaiceminimum/20071001_pressrelease.html
[7]
"NSIDC Tracks Record Shattering Summer for Arctic Sea Ice," NSIDC Notes, Issue. No. 61, Fall 2007 http://nsidc.org/pubs/notes/61/Notes_61_web.pdf
[8]
"Arctic Sea Ice Down to Second-Lowest Extent," National Snow and Ice Data Center, October 2, 2008 http://nsidc.org/news/press/20081002_seaice_pressrelease.html
[9]
"Arctic Sea Ice Shatters All Previous Record Lows," National Snow and Ice Data Center, October 1, 2007 http://nsidc.org/news/press/2007_seaiceminimum/20071001_pressrelease.html
[10]
"Summary for Policymakers". Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007-02-05) pp. 5, 7
[11]
"Chapter 1 Historical Overview of Climate Change Science". Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007-02-05) p. 100
[12] "Target atmospheric CO2: where should humanity aim?" J. Hansen, M. Sato, P. Kharecha, D. Beerling, R. Berner, V. Masson-Delmotte, M. Raymo, D.L. Royer, J.C. Zachos, http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.1126 and http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.1135
[13]
"Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Mauna Loa," NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Global Monitoring Division http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/
[14], [15], [16], [17]
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook, Tables Only, dated Aug 12, 2008 http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/aug08_tables.pdf
[18]
A Path Out of the Desert, Ch. 1, by Kenneth Pollack, online at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/books/chapters/chapter-out-of-the-desert.html
[19]
U.S. Census Bureau, World Population Clock http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
[20]
"Renewable Energy Consumption and Electricity Preliminary 2007 Statistics, Table 1: U.S. energy Consumption by Energy Source, 2003-2008. " U.S. Energy Information Administration, May, 2008. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/renewable_energy.cfm
[21]
A Path Out of the Desert, Ch. 1, by Kenneth Pollack, online at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/books/chapters/chapter-out-of-the-desert.html
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