· 2 min read
illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The New York Times or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: January 2024 has been recorded as the hottest January ever, with ocean surface temperatures also hitting record highs
• This continued warmth follows the exceptional heat experienced globally last summer, marking a trend of rising temperatures across the planet
🔭 The context: The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service highlights that this trend is driven by human activities such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation, alongside the current El Niño weather cycle
• This prolonged period of warmth is contributing to a series of environmental challenges, including more intense hurricanes, disrupted marine life, and increased forest fires in regions like central Chile
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The oceans, absorbing most of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions, serve as a critical indicator of the accelerating pace of global warming
• This situation underscores the urgent need for rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to prevent further temperature increases and mitigate the impacts on the planet's climate and ecosystems
⏭️ What's next: Scientists are debating the specific reasons for the recent sustained high temperatures, suggesting that less predictable factors may also be influencing the climate
• Continued research and data collection are essential to understand these dynamics fully and to inform effective climate action strategies
💬 One quote: "Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to stop global temperatures increasing," (Samantha Burgess, Copernicus’s deputy director)
📈 One stat: January 2024 saw sea surface temperatures just slightly lower than in August 2023, the oceans' warmest month on record, indicating the unprecedented extent of the warming trend
Click for more news covering the latest on climate change
