Last Decade Warmest On Record…So Far

According to the annual “State of the Climate” report, released Wednesday, the past decade has been the warmest on record. And, things are continuing to get worse.

The report, states MSNBC, is compiled by over 300 scientists in 48 countries. And they’re all saying the same thing: global warming is real.

The amount of temperature increase is fairly small: only 1/5 of a degree each decade. But, it adds up.

Over the past 50 years we’ve increased our average mean temperature by one degree. And look what’s happening: glaciers are melting, heat waves are becoming longer and hotter, storms are increasing intensity…

It’s not good.

The scientists also report that this past June was the warmest on record. And so far, July is shaping up to be the same.

What We Can Do to Slow Climate Change

I know this kind of news can leave us feeling a bit hopeless. After all, a problem this big seems insurmountable at times.

Here is one easy way we can make a big difference:

Switch to Renewable Energy

If you can make the transition to wind, solar or hydro power, then make this a first priority.

But if you can’t, there’s still something you can do to make the switch.

Many power companies now offer a “green” option for their customers. For instance, my own power company out of Detroit has a program called Green Currents. For a small fee (based on how many kWh I use per month) I can pay to get my power from a local wind farm.

I signed up last year. So far, I pay about $7 extra per month to be a part of this program.

What good is this doing?

Well, it means I’m using clean energy, not energy that comes from our local coal-fired power plant. This means that my home power use is not contributing greenhouses gases to the atmosphere.

Check with your energy provider to see if they offer a green program like this. You might be surprised at just how many companies are moving in this direction!