Global average temperatures; What do you think will happen over the next couple of decades?

Question

As this decade draws to a close, it is clear that it will be warmer than the 2000 s, and by a similar margin to that of the 2000 s over the 1990 s.  (Still no sign of the imminent cooling that some on the "skeptics" side have been predicting)
  
But what about the next couple of decades?

Assuming things continue more or less as they have been, regarding GHG emissions, volcanic activity etc, (probably a reasonable assumption for a couple of decades of so) what do you expect to happen to the rate of warming?

... continue more or less as it has been for the last few decades?  ... increase?  ... decrease, stop or reverse? (cooling)

What do you think is most likely and what do you see as the main factors?

Finally, whatever your politics, religion and global warming views, please accept my best wishes for the season and for a prosperous 2020.

Thanks everyone.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

The current decade is the warmest on record.  It is warmer than the 2000s, which were warmer than the 1990s, which were warmer than the 1980s, which were warmer than the 1970s.  There is no reason to expect this trend won't continue forward over the next two decades. The solar output will probably go down a bit with the grand solar minimum expected, but from the calculations I've shown in here before that should not be enough to stop the warming.  It may slow it slightly, but probably not at a statistically significant level.

Hopefully we'll start to get a handle on emissions over the next two decades, but in the meantime things will just keep getting warmer.

Not sure what "imminent cooling" that Daro is talking about.  All the measures of global surface temperature have shown warming over the last 20 years--all of them. No cooling in sight.

JimZ · Answer

Based on the past trends, it appears that slight warming is most likely much to our great luck of being born in such wonder warm times.

? · Answer

The planet will keep warming

Anonymous · Answer

Same as the past   40  years   ,nothing

Anonymous · Answer

IDK and climate 'scientists' don't know either.  Global temperatures have risen far more slowly over the last 20 years than they predicted.

Mj · Answer

Mass extinction. Starvation. Migration wars. Violent weather. These things will increase much more rapidly than is being predicted.

I didn't say I thought it was good.

Daro · Answer

Actually saw the "imminent  cooling" during the last 20 years.

Even the UN leaders admitted to what they termed a "pause" in AGW.
.

Red Fox · Answer

Temperatures go up and down over the centuries and millennia. Nothing terrible happened, happens or will happen. And don't worry about "climate change": that's just what climate does: change! Check out the graph below. It's called "Nature". (source earthobservatory.nasa.gov) Best wishes! 🙂

Global average temperatures; What do you think will happen over the next couple of decades?

8 Answers