On the most recent Friday the 13th, the Environmental Defense Fund released 13 facts about global warming that are far scarier than any movie about this unlucky day.  If we don't soon take this scientific data seriously--Dr. Jim Hansen gives us just a few years to get this right--our inaction will seal the fate of our world, and the climate models of that fate are anything but pleasant.

 

35%  increase in the global carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since Kyoto Protocol in 1992.

 

388,57 ppm  average cncentration of carbon dioxide in atmosphere in May, 2008, a record high

 

541-970 ppm  projected concentration of CO2 in atmosphere by 2100 with business as usual

 

260-280 ppm  average concentration of CO2 prior to industrialization

 

50-200 years  length of time CO2 remains in atmosphere until absorbed in carbon sinks

 

1000 years  length of time changes in earth's surface temp, rainfall, and sea level will remain even after CO2 emissions are completely stopped

 

34%  percentage that 2008's Arctic seasonal sea ice melt outpaced normal levels

 

70%  increase in the rate of Greenland's ice melt over the last 5 years

 

1.7 days  number of days earlier seasons are coming than 50 years ago

 

1.5 million  number of acres of forests in Colorado destroyed by pine beetles because they can survive warmer winters

 

$427  million  amount spent by oil and coal industries in first 6 months of 2008 in political contributions, lobbying expenditures, and advertising to oppose climate action.

 

0  number of global warming bills passed by the Senate

 

0  number of global warming bills passed by the House