Year	Temperature in Degrees Fahrenheit
1990	59.81
1981, 1988	59.64
1987	59.56
1980, 1983	59.51
1989	59.45
1973	59.31
1977, 1986	59.30

Source: The New York Times, January 10, 1991, p. A1 from NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies

The table above shows the years in which the world temperature has been the highest.  At the top is 1990, which was the warmest year on record at 59.81^o Fahrenheit.

The warmest year throughout this period was in 1990, even though only one year was measured.  The next six warmest years were all in the 1980s, then after that the next warmest are in the 1970s.

Many people may find these statistics highly alarming.  They clearly show that the world is getting hotter, and has been hotter in recent decades than ever before.  They also show that the temperature is continuing to increase from decade to decade.

This effect is known as global warming.  It has many causes, including the escape of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

If temperatures are allowed to continue to rise, the polar ice caps could melt.  The effects of large-scale global warming could prove to be disastrous.