In 1988, NASA's top climate scientist made a bold prediction that would come back to haunt not just him but also the entire world.
Predicting Global Warming
James Hansen revealed in June 1988 that global warming had arrived on the planet, and it was already making its presence known. Hansen explained in a scientific report that global warming could strengthen its hold on the Earth depending on greenhouse gas emissions. Thirty years after he made that startling prediction, several members of the scientific community praised Hansen's efforts for correctly predicting the predicament given the 1980s technology.
However, Hansen lamented that he was correct and will not utter the phrase "I told you so." In a recent interview, the scientist noted that he was concerned with the rapid rate that both Antarctica and Greenland's ice was melting. The 77-year-old former NASA employee also stated that he wished that government leaders heeded his warnings and took appropriate actions.
Blaming World Leaders
Hansen stated that while world leaders agreed that something needs to be done to combat global warming during the 1992 Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the 2015 Paris Accords, he revealed that he was unhappy that California Governor Jerry Brown and Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel gave their people lip service as they ignored global warming. He announced his disappointment with former U.S. President Barack Obama and claimed that his climate change policies "failed miserably."
When he left the space agency in 2013, Hansen became an environmental activist. Currently, Hansen is suing the federal government over their failed attempts to take on global warming. Hansen, along with his granddaughter and 20 other plaintiffs, accuses the U.S. Government of putting the environment in danger.
"If scientists are not allowed to talk about the policy implications of the science, who is going to do that? People with financial interests?" asked Hansen in a statement to the Associated Press transcribed by Newsday.
Global Warming News
Scientists have noticed that only 1 percent of Japan's largest coral reef, Sekisei Lagoon, is healthy. The report blamed coral-eating starfish and rising water temperatures for causing the lagoon's coral population to shrink. The Japanese government also noted that massive bleaching of the lagoon occurred in 1988, 2001, 2007, and 2016.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration revealed that April was the 400th consecutive month that had warmer-than-average temperatures. The government agency announced in their climate report that Europe and South America had the warmest April they ever had. They also noted that on April 30, Pakistan recorded its hottest day of the month with 122.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Researchers also noted that record heat in 2017 played a role in strengthening the deadly Hurricane Harvey. They discovered that the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters supercharged the massive hurricane and gave it tons of moisture. They said that the moisture levels caused the devasting damage to the Houston, Texas, area.
