During a recent seminar, NASA climate scientist Patrick Taylor highlighted the urgent need to combat climate change and protect the planet’s crucial systems. He showcased NASA’s Earth-observing fleet, which monitors vital climate indicators and provides a comprehensive perspective on Earth’s climate.

Taylor emphasized the alarming decline in Arctic Sea ice and the melting of land ice, which accounts for around 25% of global sea-level rise. He cited evidence of climate change caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting warming effect known as the greenhouse effect.

The seminar, hosted by US Black Engineer magazine, focused on the interconnectedness of our world. Taylor stressed the importance of taking proactive measures to safeguard critical systems like food, water, energy, and health.

He presented compelling visuals generated by NASA’s Group on Earth Observations modeling system, demonstrating the repercussions of choices made in one part of the world.

Taylor reflected on his journey as a climate scientist and emphasized the need to understand and predict climate change for societal resilience.

Taylor underscored the significance of NASA’s Earth-observing fleet, consisting of over 20 satellites that monitor crucial climate indicators such as temperature, clouds, sea level, and ice. These satellites offer a comprehensive perspective on Earth’s climate, enabling scientists to track long-term changes.

Taylor highlighted that the Greenland ice sheet has lost an average of 279 gigatons of ice annually since May 2002, accounting for around 25% of global sea-level rise. He also drew attention to the alarming loss of sea ice, four times the size of Texas, in the last forty years.

The data from NASA’s GRACE supports the evidence of climate change caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions, which trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to the warming effect known as the greenhouse effect.

Climate warming, a rise in average global temperatures over a prolonged period, is a consequence of climate change resulting from the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

As these gases accumulate, they trap more heat, causing a gradual increase in temperatures worldwide. Read more in this Climate issue published by Career Communications Group.