COLORADO SPRINGS — 2021 tied with 2018 as Earth’s 6th warmest year on record according to a recent report from NOAA and NASA scientists.
Scientists believe humans continue to impact the planet's temperature, dating back to the start of the industrial revolution. NASA's temperature record reported Earth was 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit above its late 19th-century average.
I spoke with Lesley Ott, a NASA Climate scientist with 20 years of experience. She says because NASA has workers that operate out of Colorado, they have been paying close attention to the impacts of climate change in our state.
“Changes in snowpack, changes in the seasonality, how long is the period that we are getting snow every year? We are starting to see those changes in these long-term records that we have in Colorado,” said Ott.
“We also are incredibly concerned about water resources in Colorado. That’s one of the reasons why the Marshall Fire was so dangerous. It’s so dry that when you had this emission, it went up and spread really, really, rapidly and threatened populated areas.”
Those at NASA say this can sound disheartening when you hear about climate change impacting your home state, and the planet. However, they say the main cause is human emissions. Ott says since we know the reason behind the warming of our planet, we can work to combat it.
While scientists tackle the climate crisis, Leslie says those at home who are concerned should mitigate their properties to be better prepared for wildfires and reach out into the community to find ways to help combat climate change.
