A Conversation on Climate Change with MSU Geographer Jeff Andresen

<p>“One thing is unequivocal,” says Andresen. “That's the word that's used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); the world's getting warmer. Michigan and the Great Lakes are also getting warmer. And perhaps more significant is it's getting wetter here locally. That's a regional trend; there are regional differences around the world. But globally, temperatures have warmed up a little over one degree Celsius. So a couple degrees Fahrenheit over the last century or so. It's a rapid increase relative to what we know about the Earth's geologic history.</p><p>“The last decade is the warmest that we've seen over at least 100,000 years. The world is getting warmer. There are all sorts of other variables-related to that. The ice is melting. The sea levels are increasing, and all of these things are consistent with a warmer world. That's true here in the Upper Midwest and in the Great Lakes region too.”</p><p>Andresen says Michigan has gained about a two degrees Fahrenheit over the last 30 to 40 years. </p><p>“There've been some seasonal differences and there's been more warming in the cool season, especially during the winter season and that's warmed more than the summer. The other interesting thing is that our nighttime temperatures have warmed more quickly than our daytime temperatures. So, the difference between the two, the diurnal range it's called, is shrinking or decreasing with time. And that's something we see in other parts of the world. It’s the warmest we have been in basically our recorded history.”</p><p>He talks about the rise in extreme events we’re seeing.</p><p>“Unfortunately, the extreme events are projected to continue. Projections that were made 10 years ago and even longer than that are pretty consistent with what we've observed. We're on a warmer and wetter trajectory. And unfortunately, most of these projections call for an increase in extremes.”</p><p>Andresen talks about the latest climate assessment from the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">IPCC</a>.</p><p>“The projecti