13 months of global temperature records have now come to an end. Here are five takeaways

NEW YORK (AP) — After 13 months of what felt like an endless streak of heat records, the streak came to an end last month — barely. Copernicus, the European Climate Agency, said on Thursday that July 2024’s average warming has been missed. July last year. While a slightly cooler month may be good news, scientists have warned that rising temperatures are at the root of climate change, while providing little relief for heat-prone people.

Here are five takeaways from the 13-month heat streak that just ended:

The extremes will continue

One factor in El Niño’s mild cooling is the naturally occurring warming pattern in the Pacific that alters weather patterns around the world. But even if that helps avoid breaking too many records soon, the upward trend in temperatures won’t stop. This is because the driver of global warming, greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, continues unabated. Effect: Extreme weather events etc Severe storms, Heat waves and lasting Drought will continue.

Warm oceans

Sometimes the focus on the heat around us is how warm the oceans are. Oceans absorb large amounts of CO2, making them important climate regulators. Beyond that, warmer oceans have catastrophic effects, from killing fish and other marine animals to creating prime conditions for powerful hurricanes. Ocean temperatures have risen so much that a few months ago scientists said the world was on the brink of the worst Coral bleaching phenomenon In history. This week, a new study found that temperatures on the Great Barrier Reef are hotter than those in Australia. In 400 years.

1.5 is not „alive”.

Going into the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world has set a goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) since the 1850s. In recent years, environmentalists to politicians have used the slogan „1.5 Stay Alive” in hopes of rallying governments to implement policy changes that would drastically reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Although the target will continue to be debated during the annual UN climate conference in Azerbaijan later this year, the past 13 months have shown that temperatures have been kept under it. The range is highly unlikely. Global warming is about 1.2 Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) and some parts of the world have already exceeded the 1.5 increase.

Governments are struggling

The heat of the past 13 months has exposed just how much governments around the world are struggling to help citizens adapt. Heating temperature. The challenge is very tough Developing countries There is no infrastructure or resources to protect citizens from exposure to extreme heat, which can eventually attack the organs causing death. But developed countries More buzz. Most deaths Happens indoors; It doesn’t matter if people don’t turn on the air conditioning because it’s too much Energy costsFor example.

Focused solutions

Warmer temperatures underscore the urgency to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from all aspects of human life, from transportation to heating and cooling, scientists say. Technologies for that are well established: solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal. In 2023, the world reached a milestone: 30% of electricity generation from renewable sources. At the UN climate talks in Dubai last year, the international community also agreed „Change” From fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Although significant progress has been made, there are major obstacles to the green energy transition, requiring trillions of dollars in investments from continued investment in fossil fuels such as natural gas.

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