Photo: FETHI BELAID/AFP/Getty Images
By: The opinion Posted 06 Sep 2023, 22:55 pm EDT
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), as the European Union program for observing and monitoring the Earth is called, announced that our planet has experienced the three hottest months ever recorded, marking an alarming milestone in global climate change.
According to this agency, “global sea surface temperatures are at unprecedented levels for the third consecutive month and Antarctic sea ice extent remains at a record low for the time of year“.
The planet had, with the month of August, the three hottest consecutive months since there are records, according to data confirmed by the service dedicated to climate change Copernicus. https://t.co/P0JZ5YXQ3n
– EFE News (@EFEnoticias) September 6, 2023
Furthermore, according to the analysis, Greenhouse gas levels have reached record highs by 2022, with unprecedented concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The global annual mean concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide was 417.1 parts per million (ppm), which represents a significant increase over pre-industrial levels.
The month of August 2023 became the hottest on record, surpassing all previous marks. It is estimated that it was around 1.5°C warmer than the pre-industrial average for 1850-1900.
From January through August 2023, ranks as the second warmest year on recordsecond only to 2016, which was marked by a strong El Niño warming event.
Antarctic sea ice extent is also at record levels, 12% below average, representing the “largest negative anomaly for August since satellite observations began in the late 1970s.”
According to a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UK Met Office, there is a 98% chance that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on recordwhich underscores the urgency of tackling climate change.
UN Secretary General António Guterres urged immediate action, declaring: “Climate breakdown has begun. Leaders must increase the pressure now to find climate solutions. We can still avoid the worst of the climate chaos and we don’t have a moment to lose.”
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