The term “global warming” is increasingly becoming part of our vernacular. From scientists to the casual news consumer, global warming has become the common term for climate change. But when was the last period of global warming? To answer this question, we must first understand what constitutes global warming and how such a phenomenon is determined.
The simplest definition of global warming is the process of Earth’s average temperature, overall and over a period of time, rising. As such, global warming describes a environment where both the continents and oceans experience a rising temperature. This phenomena is typically attributed to the increase of carbon dioxide and other green house gasses released during human activities.
In order to accurately identify when the last period of global warming began, scientists use cycles of natural temperature fluctuations in a given region, known as fluctuations in the temperature of climate proxies. Generally, these proxies collect information about the temperature based on data from tree rings, ice cores, and other environmental records. By comparing the current temperature against past levels of temperatures, a chart of warming can be created.
The most recent period of global warming began in the late 19th century, around the year 1850. This period of global warming is often referred to as the “Little Ice Age,” as the majority of the world experienced a cooling period followed by a marked increase in temperatures. As temperatures rose, industrialized nations experienced an unprecedented growth in economic output – a highly positive outcome of the global warming trend. However, this period of global warming was soon accompanied by a wave of environmental destruction caused by people’s disregard for the perils of their activities.
In the late 20th century, a later period of global warming began in earnest. The most drastic uptick in global temperatures ever recorded, this period of global warming was driven largely by human emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses. These emissions magnitude and intensity ever since, resulting in a continued trend of rising temperatures and an increasing rate of destruction to the environment. In fact, the most recent period of global warming – one in which temperatures have risen between 0.5 and 1.0 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times – is now viewed as one of the most pressing issues facing modern society.
Given the increasingly clear evidence that global warming is real and, to some degree, caused by human activities, it is easy to understand why it has become such a controversial issue. The impacts of global warming, however, are indisputable: from increased droughts, wildfires and extreme weather events, to rising sea levels, changes in seasonal climates and a decrease in snowfall in some regions, the effects of global warming are being felt around the world.Indeed, global warming has been termed a “planetary emergency” by some climate experts, and the urgency of tackling it has been highlighted by the recent signing of the Paris Agreement by a number of countries.
The last period of global warming began in the late 19th century and continues today. As temperatures continue to rise and more and more evidence points to human activities being the cause of this phenomenon, it become ever more important to meaningfully address global warming in order to prevent further damage to our environment. Governments, scientists and citizens of all nations must therefore come together in order to meaningfully tackle the challenge of global warming, while also considering how best to both reduce the impact of climate change and adapt to it.