Hasta La Gadget!

Last year was really hot. I mean, did you see what Katy Perry wore to the Grammy’s? Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed this anecdotal evidence, reporting this week that 2010 was the hottest year on record, tying a record set in 2005. The total temperature for the year was 1.12 degree Fahrenheit above the average temperature for the 20th century.

The NOAA has been keeping data on the temperature since 1880. the organization has weather stations set up in more than 200 countries. According to the data, nine of the 10 hottest years have occurred in the last decade (1998 was the third hottest year). The last 34 years have all been above the 20th century average.

The scientists were, naturally, quick to draw a connection between the temperature rise and human impact. Says researcher David Easterling, “In my mind, it reinforces the notion that we’re seeing a signal from increasing greenhouse-gas emissions. If that weren’t a fact, we’d see temperatures tapering off and cooling, but we’re not seeing that.”