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2014 heading to be the hottest year on record

U.S., British data show 2014 could be hottest year on record Thu Nov 27, 2014

* Warm ending to year could make 2014 hottest after 2010

* U.N. to publish preliminary ranking on Dec. 3

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent OSLO, Nov 27 (Reuters) – This year may eclipse 2010 as the hottest since records began in the 19th century, a sign long-term global warming is being stoked by rising greenhouse gas emissions, scientists said.

The period of January to October 2014 is already among the warmest ever recorded, and a warm ending to the year could easily make it top, according to U.S. and British data.

Sceptics who doubt the necessity of a shift away from fossil fuels to stop the Earth’s climate from heating up point out that world average temperatures have not risen much since 1998, despite rising greenhouse gas emissions.

But the final ranking for 2014, due next year, may influence public and businessperceptions about the severity of climate change. Almost 200 governments are due to agree a U.N. deal to combat global warming in Paris in December next year.

“2014 is more likely than not to be the warmest year,” Tim Osborn, a professor at the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, told Reuters, saying manmade greenhouse gas emissions are tending to push up temperatures…….http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/11/27/climatechange-heat-idUKL6N0TG1VV20141127

December 1, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, climate change