Summer 2023 was the hottest on record – yes, it’s climate change, but don’t call it ‘the new normal’

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Conversation or enjoy below

🗞️ Driving the news: Summer 2023 experienced unprecedented heat, setting temperature records across Europe, Japan, and the U.S., with extreme fires in Canada and devastation in Hawaii
• These climate disasters are often referred to as the "new normal", but this terminology can be misleading by suggesting we've stabilized climatically when in reality the conditions will just continue to get worse

🔭 The context: While the El Niño phenomenon contributed to this year's extreme heat, the primary causes are the heat-trapping gasses from global coal, oil, and gas consumption

🌎 Why it matters for the planet: The phrase "new normal" inaccurately suggests a stable climate state, whereas ongoing CO2 emissions will continue to intensify extreme weather events like rainfalls, floods, mudslides, droughts, and wildfires

⏭️ What's next: To combat the intensifying effects of climate change, as evidenced by the extreme summer of 2023, it's imperative to transition swiftly to affordable clean energy alternatives
• Some important actions include leveraging the cost-effectiveness of solar and wind power and reallocating subsidies currently directed at fossil fuels toward sustainable initiatives

💬 One quote: "Unprecedented heat and downpours and drought and wildfires aren’t 'caused by climate change' – they are climate change" (Scott Denning, Professor of Atmospheric Science)

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