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illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece in The Guardian or enjoy below
🗞️ Driving the news: The lethal heatwaves battering Europe, the US, and China are indisputably connected to the human-induced climate crisis, recent scientific studies affirm
• These extreme weather phenomena are clearly a consequence of burning fossil fuels
• The study underscores that climate change is already drastically impacting people's lives and livelihoods globally
🔭 The context: This summer, temperature records were broken globally: the first week of July observed the highest global temperatures ever recorded
• The studies show that greenhouse gas emissions made the heatwaves 2.5C hotter in Europe, 2C hotter in the US, and 1C hotter in China than if humanity hadn't altered the global atmosphere
🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: If global temperatures rise by 2C, these brutal heatwaves will occur every two to five years
• The findings underscore the time sensitivity of the energy transition that needs to occur
• Hundreds of thousands of people risk dying from heat-related causes each year without appropriate mitigation efforts
⏭️ What's next: The UN climate summit (COP28), beginning on 30th November, represents a critical opportunity for governments to commit to phasing out fossil fuels
• Sultan Al Jaber, the president of the summit and CEO of the host nation UAE's state-run oil and gas company, will play a significant role in guiding the discussions
💬 One quote: "Politicians often claim that they care about normal people and poor people, if we did value people, it’s pretty obvious what we need to do. I don’t think stronger evidence has ever been presented for a scientific question.” ( Dr. Friederike Otto, climatologist)
📈 One stat: More than 61,000 people perished in the European heatwaves of 2022, according to a recent study, with another study estimating that millions have died globally from heat over the last three decades due to the climate crisis
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