What is worrying is that June marked the 12th consecutive month on Earth when global temperatures rose by 1.5 degrees Celsius or more. Internationally accepted limits To avoid the worst effects of climate change.
A stifling month marked by heat waves And heat deathsJune 2023 was about a quarter of a degree warmer than the previous warmest June recorded, according to a report by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. 13th consecutive month to break its own monthly heat record.
Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo said in a statement that the planet’s steadily rising temperatures “are more than a statistical anomaly and highlight a major and ongoing change in our climate.”
“Even if this specific sequence of extremes ends at some point, we will certainly see new records being broken as the climate warms,” he said. “This is inevitable, unless we stop adding (greenhouse gases) to the atmosphere and oceans.”
A limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is approximately 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, was established. 2015 Paris AgreementUnder that agreement, the United States and nearly 200 other countries agreed to limit the global average temperature rise to a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — and preferably well below 1.5 degrees Celsius — to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
The pre-industrial era refers to the era before humans began significantly altering the planet’s climate through burning fossil fuels and other heat-trapping emissions, and is typically measured using temperature data between 1850 and 1900. According to Copernicus, June’s global average temperature of 16.66 degrees Celsius (61.98 degrees Fahrenheit) was exactly 1.5 degrees Celsius above the estimated pre-industrial average.
The unprecedented year-long period is “very remarkable and troubling,” said Brenda Acqurzel, senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a national nonprofit.
However, warming above 1.5 °C for one year does not necessarily mean that humanity has failed to reach its goal, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has not officially defined how many years of warming above 1.5 °C would be needed to cross the threshold.
Akwurzel said this is the subject of considerable scientific debate, but many experts have suggested the limit should be raised. Refer to a period of at least 10 years There is a high chance of overheating at that temperature.
“For humanity — for all life on the planet — it’s striking that we’re hovering around the limit set by the Paris Agreement, and this may be the first year of that 10-year average,” he said. “That means we’ve already entered one year in that logbook.”
This standard is not merely symbolic. 2018 Special Report The IPCC projects a dire future based on a 1.5°C temperature rise, in which various emissions scenarios would lead to deadly heat waves, droughts, floods, famines, ecosystem destruction, public unrest and political instability, among other consequences.
Already, rising global temperatures have contributed to an increase in the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths, including: 1,300 people died during Hajj this year Record breaking earnings in Saudi Arabia last year 31 days of extreme heat in Phoenix An estimated 645 deaths occurred, while California is expected to see extreme heat in 2022 An estimated 395 people were killed,
“We still haven’t changed our cultural patterns to accommodate the reality of climate change,” Akwurzel said. “The timing of our sporting events, the timing of when we do certain cultural activities, were based on ancient temperatures.”
It’s not just the land surface that’s boiling. Copernicus said the non-polar sea surface temperature in June was 69.53 degrees, the highest ever for the month. It was the 15th consecutive month in which sea surface temperatures were the highest on record.
The rise in temperatures comes despite the waning of El Niño – a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific that is linked to rising global temperatures. Scientists say El Niño has produced record heat on the planet in recent months, and its end is expected to bring a slight cooling.
This could be the case in the coming months, especially because La Nina pattern will develop later this yearBut persistent heat is a sign of “moving away from the natural cycle,” Akwurzel said.
“Once you heat the ocean, it’s very hard to cool it down because it has a very high heat capacity,” he said. Warmer ocean water can be dangerous for marine life and people on land, he said, because it can lead to more powerful winds, storms and waves.
There is a possibility of landslide in the Atlantic Ocean. Active hurricane season this yearHurricane Beryl has already become the earliest hurricane to reach Category 5 in the Caribbean.
Seasonal forecasts indicate that high temperatures will persist in the coming months. Nearly all of America According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, above-average temperatures are expected in July, August and September, with above-normal conditions most likely in the Four Corners region and the Far Southeast.
A Dangerous heat wave begins in California Last week, temperatures reached triple digits across the state and incidents of forest fires increased.
The high temperatures have also prompted a federal response. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration passed a resolution last week. Proposal to establish heat standards Led by California, for 35 million indoor and outdoor workers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency also faces increasing pressure. Broaden your definition of “major disasters”” It would also cover extreme heat, which advocates say would open up new avenues of funding for cities and states struggling to deal with the growing threat.
Akwurzel said it is still not too late for humanity to change its path and avoid the 1.5 degree Celsius limit. However, immediate action and reduction in emissions will be needed.
“The Earth, the oceans and the atmosphere are telling us that we have to act very quickly if we are to have any chance, and many people are losing hope,” he said. “We must adapt to this 1.5°C world. Many people say this is probably the coldest decade of the 21st century.”
