The chart below shows how global surface temperatures have varied from the long-term averages since 1880. These record-breaking temperatures become crystal clear when they're displayed visually. Last year was the hottest year on record, and 2016 is on pace to be even warmer. It’s no secret that 14 of the 15 hottest years ever recorded have occurred since 2001. Global Surface Temperatures Are Increasing Since then, more and more manufacturers from BMW to Kia to Mercedes Benz have launched their own electric vehicles, taking the technology mainstream and reaching 1 million sales globally in September 2015. Tesla’s first electric car, the Tesla Roadster, launched to the public in 2008 and dramatically shifted how consumers views these vehicles. You know what happens after that.įast forward to 2003 when Tesla Motors launched, a company that set out to prove electric cars could be a more efficient and environmentally-friendly option than gasoline-powered cars. Gasoline-powered cars hadn’t gained much traction yet, but by the 1930s, engine improvements and the invention of the electric starter made gasoline-fueled cars a better, cheaper option. But while electric cars have gained exceptional notoriety in the past decade, they’re actually a novelty of the past.īritish engineer, Thomas Parker, invented the first electric car in 1884, which used rechargeable batteries. You might have started spotting electric cars on the road more and more in recent years as both major manufacturers like Chevrolet and Nissan and boutique firms like Tesla Motors have seen their real market potential. But what’s scary is that in the last 11 years alone, CO2 levels have increased 5.5 percent, jumping from 382 parts-per-million (PPM) in July 2006 to 404 PPM in April 2016. Which means more heat trapped in our atmosphere.Įlectric Cars Have Taken the World by Storm While natural variance in the Earth’s carbon cycle leads to some fluctuations in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, overall, we can see a clear connection between fossil fuels and these levels, which have increased about 40 percent since pre-industrial times. We could go on (and on) about the rapid growth and benefits of solar energy, but you get the idea: solar is here to stay.Ĭarbon emissions account for between 65–76 percent of the greenhouse gases from human activity, causing the Earth's temperature to rise at its fastest rate in millions of years. And according to a report by GTM Research, the US solar market is projected to grow 119 percent in 2016 alone – adding more than double the amount of capacity installed last year. It gets better. Solar reached a new record in early 2016 when the one-millionth solar installation came online in the US. That's more than a 6,800-percent increase. In 2015, the US installed 7,260 megawatts direct current (MWdc) of photovoltaic solar which was the largest annual total in history and a giant leap from the 105 MWdc installed in 2006. One of the biggest success stories in climate solutions is the growth of solar power. Let’s take a look at what’s changed – for better or for worse – in the fight against the climate crisis over the past 11 years. Electric cars are even becoming mainstream (well, for some).īut as much progress as we’ve seen over the past decade, there’s still a lot of work to do to build the sustainable future our planet needs. Renewable energy, such as solar and wind, is cheaper than fossil fuel-based electricity in many parts of the world. Climate science has made major advances, helping us better understand the challenge we face. And in the decade since, a lot has changed as a result. Fortunately.Įleven years ago the groundbreaking film prompted millions to start asking questions about the climate crisis and doing something about it, helping shape the modern climate movement we know today. Questions like, “What can we do?” “What can I do?” If you saw An Inconvenient Truth featuring former Vice President Al Gore back in 2006, chances are you left the theater a little stunned and asking a whole lot of questions. Janu| 12:00 PM An Inconvenient Truth Then and Now: What’s Changed for Our Climate Since 2006? Here’s what’s changed for our planet since An Inconvenient Truth sparked a global movement against the climate crisis a decade ago.Īn Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power will be released in theaters July 28, 2017.
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