Global Warming by the Numbers

by Emily Gertz

Published October 05, 2008 @ 08:24PM PT

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