Vox Sentences: Hottest. Year. Ever.

1. Hottest year ever

• 2014 was the hottest year since record-keeping began in 1880, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

  [Vox / Brad Plumer]

• The Japanese Meterological Agency has reached the same conclusion. The fourth major global temperature tracking group, the Met Office Hadley Centre in the UK, hasn't reported yet.

  [Vox / Brad Plumer]

• All four datasets rely on a mixture of measurements taken on land and sea, and with satellites.

  [Carbon Brief / Roz Pidcock]

• Temperatures have risen a little more slowly over the past 16 years than the 20 before that; we're not really sure why, but the trend is still upward, and concerning.

  [Vox / Brad Plumer]

• 2014 was much hotter than average on the West Coast, but colder than normal in the South and Midwest.

  [Washington Post / Philip Bump]

• That West Coast spike contributed to California's serious ongoing drought.

  [Vox / Brad Plumer]

• In other global warming news, Pope Francis has forcefully endorsed the scientific consensus that human activity is the main cause of global warming and urged world leaders to make a final deal at this December's Paris climate change summit.

  [Vox / Brad Plumer]

• Senate Democrats are planning to offer an amendment stating that global warming is real and human-caused, to get Republicans on the record on the issue.

  [Mashable / Andy Freedman]

2. Misc.

• Batteries are getting much cheaper — and we can expect electric cars to follow suit.

  [Bloomberg View / Noah Smith]

• One simple way to lower the sexual assault rate: increase the alcohol tax.

  [ NY Mag / Annie Lowrey]

• If we get rich enough to work way less, will that mean more creativity and progress outside of work — or just more TV watching?

  [The Atlantic / Greg Ferenstein]

• Thomas Piketty: the European left's only hope is a Eurozone parliament with real power.

  [Potemkin Review / Antoine Dolcerocca and Gokhan Terzioglu]

3. Verbatim

• "I obviously try to build as many cities as I can, that’s two points."

  [Green Bay Packers tight end Justin Perillo on Settlers of Catan, to WSJ / Kevin Clark]

• "If you read the article, you’ll note there’s a big 'if' before my not giving of said shit."

  [Medium / Evan Williams]

• "It’s hard for an ape to drive something in the ocean extinct."

  [Douglas McCauley to NYT / Carl Zimmer]

• "How far are you willing to push the Pareto principle?"

  [Marginal Revolution / Tyler Cowen]

• "'I love everything about Chinese culture,' Li ardently says. 'Everything?' I ask. 'Everything,' he responds in a sure voice. 'Even the Great Leap Forward? Even the Cultural Revolution?' Li closes his notebook without saying a word and leaves the room. I think he’s mad."

  [Die Zeit / Angela Köckritz]

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