Interactive Map Shows How the U.S. Has Warmed Since the First Earth Day

Since the very first Earth Day was celebrated in the United States in 1970, average temperatures across the U.S. have increased markedly. A new interactive graphic from Climate Central, a nonprofit research and journalism organization, shows a state-by-state breakdown of those temperature trends.

According to Climate Central, average temperatures in the lower 48 states have increased at a rate of about 0.13 degrees Fahrenheit per decade. This is consistent with global trends during the same period, due to both manmade climate change and natural climate variability. Since the 1970s, warming in the U.S. has accelerated, with every state in the continental U.S. seeing an increase in average temperatures during that period Read more...