With the goal of keeping global warming to 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels set by the Paris Agreement, nature has sent a clear message about how urgent action is needed. The earth saw its hottest day in a hundred years this year, which has raised concerns about the speed at which climate change is happening around the world.
This year’s July 4th saw an unusual milestone of 17.23° (63.01°F) global temperatures. This intense heat is a component of a larger trend brought about by human activity, particularly deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. Globally, the ensuing heatwave has caused serious wildfires, droughts, and health emergencies.
The atmosphere’s rising concentration of greenhouse gases is the cause of the record temperatures.Now, more carbon dioxide than ever before—420 parts per million—than ever before in human history. The amounts of nitrous oxide and methane have also increased dramatically, trapping heat and warming the earth.
It has long been anticipated by climate models that increased greenhouse gas emissions will result in more frequent and extreme heatwaves. These forecasts are supported by the most recent temperature data. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issues a warning that extreme weather events could become more frequent if present emission trends continue, leading to a 1.5°C rise in global temperatures over the course of the next ten years.
The repercussions of this unusually hot weather are already noticeable. Wildfires have destroyed forests and wildlife habitats in areas including Australia, the Western United States, and the Mediterranean. Heat and drought have caused crop failures in numerous places, endangering food supplies.
