A new WMO report reveals 2024 as the hottest year recorded, amidst shifting political attitudes towards climate action, especially in the UK and the US. Despite some leaders’ reluctance, significant environmental changes underscore the urgent need for comprehensive climate plans. The report indicates record high carbon dioxide levels, unprecedented ocean heat, and alarming trends in Arctic ice and sea level rise, resulting in severe weather events and displacements worldwide.
A recent report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has unveiled startling evidence of rapid climate change, marking 2024 as the hottest year on record in 175 years. This report arrives during a period of shifting political discourse in the UK, where Tory leader Kemi Badenoch questions the urgency of climate action, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s attempt to dismantle US climate regulations.
According to the WMO analysis, the last decade has seen all ten years ranked among the warmest ever recorded, contrasting previous periods that included cooler years. Professor Chris Hewitt, WMO’s director of climate services, highlighted, “That has never happened before, going back to 1850.” The team’s findings were further compounded by unusually high temperatures extending well into the final months of 2024, despite the conclusion of the El Niño phenomenon, described by Dr. John Kennedy as “really quite extraordinary.”
The report also outlines alarming environmental indicators, including record-high carbon dioxide levels not seen in 800,000 years. Additionally, ocean temperatures have reached unprecedented levels in the past eight years, and all eighteen of the lowest summer sea ice levels in the Arctic have occurred within the last eighteen years. Moreover, glaciers have experienced significant ice loss in the past three years, and the rate of sea level rise has notably doubled since satellite measurements began.
The UK Met Office’s Professor Stephen Belcher described Earth as “profoundly ill” in light of these findings. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed this sentiment, stating the planet is “issuing more distress signals” and implored leaders to enhance their national climate plans as urgency only grows. This backdrop contrasts with a retreat from climate initiatives by some leaders, including Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and Argentina’s exit from last year’s negotiations.
In a more hopeful note, the UK climate envoy remarked that several nations remain committed to green initiatives, not debating if but how to proceed. For instance, in 2023, China, the largest contributor to emissions, installed a record amount of wind and solar energy, surpassing the global output of such energy. Nonetheless, extreme weather events from the previous year have led to significant displacement and destruction, impacting infrastructure and biodiversity.
In the United States, Hurricanes Helene and Milton wreaked havoc, causing billions in damages and claiming over 200 lives. Tropical Cyclone Chido similarly devastated Mozambique and Malawi, displacing around 100,000 individuals. Bob Ward from the London School of Economics noted, “Even the United States, the richest country in the world, cannot escape these growing impacts… which are causing suffering for increasing numbers of Americans.”
The recent WMO report highlights alarming trends in global warming, including record temperatures and unprecedented environmental changes. While some political leaders resist climate action, the commitment to address climate change remains strong among others, with notable advancements in green energy. Nevertheless, extreme weather incidents emphasize the urgent need for decisive action, as the repercussions of climate change intensify across the globe, affecting vulnerable populations and ecosystems alike.
Original Source: www.gaydio.co.uk
