2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record
- Two new reports show Earth is moving dangerously close to the 1.5 C mark
- If the climate warms beyond 1.5 C, it will have dangerous consequences
- Climate scientists say urgent action is needed to prevent damage
FILE – A man rides his bike on a small road in the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, as the sun rises on July 9, 2023. Scientists say crushing temperatures that blanketed Europe last summer may have led to more than 61,000 heat-related deaths, highlighting the need for governments to address the health impacts of global warming. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)
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(NewsNation) — The Earth is experiencing what is virtually certain to be the hottest year on record, which puts the planet dangerously close to exceeding the 1.5 C threshold that would help us avoid climate change’s most damaging and irreversible impacts.
Two new climate reports found recent months have been some of the hottest recorded, with the global temperature rising 1.3 to 1.4 degrees above preindustrial levels. That’s dangerously close to the 1.5 C benchmark where scientists have warned climate change could irreversibly damage or destroy ecosystems.
Climate scientists have been raising the alarm about rising temperatures with increased urgency in recent years. While scientific papers have traditionally steered away from language that could be seen as political or alarmist, an increasing number of scientists are using terms like “emergency” and “crisis” to describe the current situation.
That is partially because more restrained language failed to motivate governments to take significant action to slow climate change early enough for change to come gradually. With the Earth moving closer and closer to the 1.5 C mark, much more dramatic changes are needed to avoid exceeding the limit.
The urgency from scientists is in sharp contrast to that of governments and people. A recent UN report found that nations are expected to produce 110% more fossil fuels in 2030 than would be needed to limit global warming.
Pew Research found that fewer than 40% of Americans think climate change is a top priority for governments. Interviews with respondents found people opposed government action on climate change they felt infringed on individual freedoms or had financial impacts on citizens.
Without dramatic changes, scientists warn the world won’t be able to avoid heating beyond 1.5 degrees. They caution that doesn’t mean giving up when efforts to reduce consumption can still help blunt the impacts of a warming climate.