The year 2021 tied as the sixth-hottest year on record, according to NASA data released today. That’s despite the fact that it was a La Niña year, which generally has a cooling effect. The Earth has warmed roughly 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1800s. This may not sound like a lot, but The World’s environment correspondent reports that an increase in global surface temperature is only a small part of the climate change story.
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