Climate change deniers look no further than our oceans for proof that global temperatures are rising to dangerous new heights. A new study published in the journal Science Advances revealed that the world’s oceans have stored staggering amount of energy since 1960. And, of the 337 zetajoules of energy added, a large majority of it has occurred since 1980.
What’s most alarming about the study’s findings is that the new value is far greater than past estimates. In fact, oceans are warming a whole 13 percent faster than previously thought. While that may be good news for beach bums looking to go for an early swim in the Pacific, it doesn’t bode well for the future of our planet, and should be something of a wake up call not only to climate change deniers, but for those who forget that the extra warmth in our atmosphere from greenhouse gas emissions is only a fraction of what’s stored in our oceans.
It doesn’t help that according to The Washington Post, the Trump administration recently proposed major budget cuts for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The primary research arm for the NOAA would lose 26 percent of its funding, which, according to the study’s co-author Kevin Trenberth, could prove disastrous for future studies. “As a result the information will not even be there," Trenberth told The Post. "That would be tragic."
