One of the most notable issues about Earth in 2024 is climate change bringing many global disasters and other extreme weather events.
The consequences of the flood killed more than 200 people in Spain. Image: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Stringer
Climate change brings many disasters globally, indirectly causing floods, droughts, and forest fires, according to Live Science on December 27. This year is likely to be the hottest year on record and the first year global temperatures have increased more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times.
In May, atmospheric CO2 concentrations – measured from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Mauna Loa Observatory – reached a record high of 426.90 ppm. “CO2 levels are not only the highest they have been in millions of years, but they are rising faster than ever,” Ralph Keeling, director of the Scripps CO2 Program, said in May. Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels also reached a new record high.
Warming is causing catastrophic impacts on weather around the world. This year started with one of the strongest El Nino events on record. That led to an intense hurricane season with the deadliest storm to hit the US in decades. El Nino also caused a severe drought in the Amazon. This prolonged drought makes the rainforest more flammable, leading to the worst wildfire season in nearly 20 years.
In Spain, heavy rains led to flash floods, killing more than 200 people. Scientists believe that this unusual weather event is related to climate change.
Boat ran aground on Lake Aleixo due to severe drought in Amazonas state, Brazil. Image: AFP
This year, the scientific community also made a number of predictions and warnings about the disasters that could occur if carbon emissions are not stopped into the atmosphere. A study published in June found that ecological tipping points – such as the Greenland Ice Sheet collapsing or the Amazon rainforest turning into savanna – could occur in just 15 years if climate change is left unchecked. control.
In October, scientists wrote an open letter warning of the risk of a key current in the Atlantic Ocean collapsing. In it, they call on policymakers to address the threat posed by the weakening AMOC current. This is a giant ocean “conveyor belt” that transports heat to the Northern Hemisphere. Its collapse could cause temperatures across Europe to plummet.
Experts also warn that humans are facing a global water crisis, partly due to climate change and poor resource management. “For the first time in human history, we are pushing the global water cycle out of balance. Rainfall, the source of fresh water, is no longer reliable due to climate change and changing purposes.” “Human-made land use undermines the foundations of human development and the global economy,” said Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and co-chair of the Global Commission on Climate Change. Water Economics, said.
It is not too late to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, according to professor Michael Mann, director of the Center for Science, Sustainability and Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. “We will decide the severity of the climate crisis. There is still time to protect the ‘fragile moment’, but the window of opportunity is narrowing. Reducing carbon emissions is urgent,” he said. speak.