Meteorologists Unite For Climate Communication
Image: “Warming Stripes” climate visualization based on research by Ed Hawkins
On Friday, June 21, the Summer Solstice, meteorologists across the world will join together to show their support in communicating climate. You’ll see many meteorologists wearing a similar pattern to call attention to the effort.
The design (shown above) by University of Reading climate scientist, Ed Hawkins, is a visualization of the global temperature since records began in the mid 1800s. The colors are simple, showing red (warm) and blue (cool), with each stripe representing the temperature “anomaly” of a single year, ordered from the earliest available data to now. This shows Earth’s accelerating warming!
You may see meteorologists wearing items with the visualization (be it a neck tie, earrings, or a coffee mug) to show support in the #MetsUnite movement on Friday, June 21.
More than 100 meteorologists across the globe participated last year.
We interviewed Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli about the initiative this year. He has been the coordinator of the event both last year and again in 2019.
“My hope is that it goes way beyond TV meteorologists this year,” explains Berardelli. “Last year meteorologists led the way. This year we have opened it up to the climate-conscious masses by making local stripe visuals for 100’s of cities and countries. We hope it sends a united message on how humans have become a force of nature and how fast things are changing.”
Related Link: Find your city’s stripes here!
“There is still a lack of urgency in the US and worldwide,” says Berardelli. “We need as much attention on the the climate challenge as we can to galvanize support for transformative change. Last year we had over 100 TV meteorologists. This year we will have 1000’s of both TV mets and regular folks who simply care about the Earth and the future habitability of our planet.”
If you’d like to follow along with the conversation, learn more about it, or simply see your local meteorologist participating then follow the hashtag #ShowYourStripes and/or #MetsUnite on social media.
Here are some of the Tweets of broadcast meteorologists in the ‘Show Your Stripes’ initiative of 2019, and also last year (2018):
#ShowYourStripes #MetsUnite @EricZerkel @ClimateCentral @ed_hawkins @BernadetteWoods More info https://t.co/fVdSFXXdp7 https://t.co/lJAOwxM5Bd and https://t.co/vQm5Go1M4q pic.twitter.com/GEVgr0fdJt
— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) June 21, 2019
Thank you @alroker #ShowYourStripes #MetsUnite pic.twitter.com/5iTqaFTiWt
— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) June 21, 2019
Today, meteorologists around the world join #MetsUnite We are showing our temperature stripes #ShowYourStripes This is how temperature has been changing throughout the years in #PuertoRico … becoming warmer and hotter. #climatechange is happening now. #StripesfortheSolstice pic.twitter.com/Vj8Yjds6EQ
— Ada Monzón (@adamonzon) June 21, 2019
It's time to #ShowYourStripes on the first day of summer! I'm joining other mets across the country to bring awareness to climate change and our warming planet. #MetsUnite #warmingstripes @WeatherProf @ed_hawkins pic.twitter.com/o784PLHf8z
— Lauren Olesky (@LoleskyWX) June 21, 2019
As we welcome summer 2018, I’m wearing a special pin to show temperatures from the years 1850 to 2017. The red shows the warmer than normal acceleration in temps. Earth is heating up rather quickly. #MetsUnite pic.twitter.com/8IQEvQxVh5
— Frank Cavallaro (@fcavallarocbc) June 21, 2018
The #warmingstripes showing #GlobalWarming since 1850 made for a stellar background as @nbc6 joined hundreds of stations around the world to send a united message on #ClimateChange: It’s Real. It’s Us. It’s Serious. #MetsUnite
(I’m trying to show the cufflinks) pic.twitter.com/rlAJMpM0Ht
— John Morales (@JohnMoralesNBC6) June 21, 2018
Happy #summer! Hot summer days increasing in SpringMO since 1970 & we’re not alone. My necklace shows global temp trend from 1850, mix of blues turns red hot in recent decades. Thanks @ed_hawkins for the visual & @WeatherProf for nerdiest necklace ever! #MetsUnite #ClimateMatters pic.twitter.com/aff0SJV7jY
— Elisa Raffa (@Elisa_Raffa) June 21, 2018
This pin represents global temperatures over the last 150 years, from top to to bottom. #Climatechange is very real. Today, #MetsUnite across the country by wearing this pattern to spread awareness. Thanks to @ed_hawkins for designing & @WeatherProf for getting the word out! pic.twitter.com/IrRDQ6ToRF
— Geoff Bansen (@WeatherGeoff) June 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/JillPeetersWX/status/1009750564735995905
You may see these stripes today for the #solstice. They represent @ed_hawkins visualization of the global temperature from 1850-2017. Notice how the blues fluctuate hues and then transition to orange and then dark orange, representing warming trend. #metsunite #climatematters pic.twitter.com/imDtW3W1mj
— Maureen McCann (@MaureenMcCann13) June 21, 2018
#MetsUnite pic.twitter.com/ShnzBj2fnB
— Dan Satterfield (@wildweatherdan) June 21, 2018
Sporting my #MetsUnite lapel to show the global temperature trend since 1850. Notice how we’ve gone from cooler than average in the mid-19th century (blue stripes) to well above average today (orange stripes).
All science. All data. (h/t @ed_hawkins & @WeatherProf) pic.twitter.com/xqgDth98is
— Jorge Torres (@JorgeTWeather) June 21, 2018
#MetsUnite on the #SummerSoltice (and #NationalSelfieDay2018). Turn to your trusted local meteorologist for the real facts on #climatechange! pic.twitter.com/ZOhZ0ljb8t
— Erica Grow (@Erica4NY) June 21, 2018
For WeatherNation, Meteorologist Steve Glazier