'State of the Climate' Report: 2015 Set Multiple Records

2015 was basically the Michael Phelps of climate change, according to a new report.

1 minute read

August 5, 2016, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Climate CHange

Ryan Rodrick Beiler / Shutterstock

"Last year officially surpassed 2014 as the warmest year ever noted on record," according to an article by Madeleine Thomas. But that's not the only climate-related record that fell in 2015. "Rising oceans, accumulating atmospheric greenhouse gasses, and escalating temperatures on both sea and land all reached new record highs in 2015," adds Thomas

That documentation of these new milestones are presented in the "State of the Climate" report, by the American Meteorological Society and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information, released on August 2, 2016.

The report is described as an "annual physical" for the planet, with findings generated by 450 scientists from 62 countries. Thomas summarizes some of the most significant milestones revealed by the report in the article. For an example of the alarms sounded by the report, Thomas writes that in 2015, "annual average atmospheric C02 levels passed 400 ppm for the first time in more than three million years."

Wednesday, August 3, 2016 in Pacific Standard

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive