Warmest April, January-April on Record

Here is the latest temperature update from the NOAA, with new temperature records being set, on course for a record-breaking 2010.  It’s also pasted below.  To see past NOAA updates, see here.

Global Highlights

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for April 2010 was the warmest on record at 14.5°C (58.1°F), which is 0.76°C (1.37°F) above the 20^thcentury average of 13.7°C (56.7°F). This was also the 34^th consecutive April with global land and ocean temperatures above the 20^th century average.
• The worldwide ocean surface temperature was 0.57°C (1.03°F) above the 20^th century average of 16.0°C (60.9°F) and the warmest April on record. The warmth was most pronounced in the equatorial portions of the major oceans, especially the Atlantic.
• The April worldwide land surface temperature was 1.29°C (2.32°F) above the 20^thcentury average of 8.1°C (46.5 °F)—the third warmest on record.
• For the year-to-date, the global combined land and ocean surface temperature of 13.3°C (56.0°F) was the warmest January-April period. This value is 0.69°C (1.24°F) above the 20^th century average.

Breaking News: Montgomery County Passes Nation’s First Carbon Tax

Hats off to the Montgomery County Council in Maryland for passing the nation’s first carbon tax.  Here is a copy of the legislation.  Below is a summary of the hearing by Clean Currents, a local clean energy business.  CCAN also has an official statement on this legislation.  Also, here is CCAN’s press release on the passage, which I’ve posted below the Clean Currents Statement.

Its official: today, the Montgomery County Council passed a carbon tax bill- the first of its kind in the United States! The bill, proposed by County Councilman Roger Berliner, taxes stationary emitters in Montgomery County that release more than one million tons of co2 into the atmosphere annually. Currently, there is only one such emitter- a coal plant owned by Mirant Corporation. At a hearing yesterday, Mirant Corporation officials spoke against the legislation claiming it would only lead to rate hikes for consumers. However, Councilman Berliner said the $5/ton tax would not have an impact on ratepayers for numerous reasons.  This amount is marginal compared to the profits Mirant makes from the facility. The tax revenues will go to funding clean energy and other programs that are facing funding cuts during tough budgetary conditions.