Previously, when the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) buoys detected a reading over 35 degrees Celsius, the reading was assumed to be a possible sign of instrument damage or malfunction.
But this may be the new normal.
Earlier this week, the CDIP 256 buoy — located in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana — clocked a record reading of 35.0 degrees Celsius, or 95 degrees Fahrenheit; the warmest detected sea-surface temperature in the history of CDIP.
View the data here:
I’ve been listening to several things on the collapse of the Old Kingdom in Ancient Egypt, which occurred as a result of droughts caused by Atlantic current disruptions that were less severe than is looking likely within the next 25 years. Disruption in food systems destroys civilisations.
I think a lot about Tolkien’s thoughts on despair and how it drains the ability to fight for the future. I am aware that, as a Northern European, I am very literally in a better place to survive this than people in the Global South, many of whom are already suffering the impacts of climate change.
About the best thing I can say, if you also live in the Global North, is to be galvanised by our responsibility to help people who need to flee uninhabitable areas however we can, whether that’s political or personal (or ofc both). We need to step up in building stronger communities *and* on putting pressure on the state to arrest and reverse their fascist leanings. And we need to be there for refugees and work on actively accepting and absorbing people into our communities, including old and poor and disabled people.
We need to *help*. And if we despair we won’t.
The way we survive as humans is by doing things for each other. And if we die, which we will eventually no matter what we do, we hopefully help there to be a world where there are still humans, and there are still other creatures we value too.
I’m thinking a lot about “Let this radicalise you rather than lead you to despair.” It’s the best thing that’s working for me so far about taking this in.
We can’t despair. There is work to be done.
The Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) specializes in wave measurement, swell modeling and forecasting, and the analysis of coastal env