A new report reveals that 98% of the world population experienced an alarming trend this summer: “Almost nobody on Earth managed to escape.”
The effects of rising temperatures on the earth in 2023 and how humans are contributing to the issue have been made clear by a recent study by Climate Central.
The results are startling and serve as a reminder of our collective responsibility to reduce the planet’s global warming.
What was found in the study?
The research group Climate Central reports that 98% of the world’s population experienced warmer-than-average temperatures between June and August of this year and that the likelihood that these temperatures were caused by pollution from human activity was doubled. The study was peer-reviewed and was summarised by Euronews Green and Reuters.
The study looked at global heat events and used modeling to estimate potential high temperatures in the absence of human influence on pollution.
An estimated 6.2 billion people experienced at least one day of high average temperatures, which would have been difficult to achieve without the effects of carbon pollution, based on data from 180 countries and 22 territories. The likelihood of those temperatures resulting from human impact was five times higher.
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According to Climate Central’s vice president for science Andrew Pershing, “virtually no one on Earth escaped the influence of global warming during the past three months,” as reported by Reuters and Euronews Green.
According to the study, August had an average temperature that was 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than it was in August of the year before industrial activity became widespread. July was the hottest month on Earth since records have been kept.
Why is this a cause for concern?
“We observed temperatures that would be difficult — and in some cases nearly impossible — without human-caused climate change in every country we could analyze, including the Southern Hemisphere, where this is the coolest time of year,” Pershing said.
It’s a concerning statement, particularly in light of the catastrophic heat waves and wildfires that will strike southern Europe and the United States in 2023.
According to Euronews Green, climate scientist Friederike Otto of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment observed that the planet’s overheating made isolated heat waves “infinitely more likely.”
How can we lessen the impact of humans on the climate?
The study continuously identifies pollution from human activity as the cause of these unsettling heat trends.
In light of this, minimizing the dangerous gases we emit into the atmosphere is essential to averting additional startling increases in temperature.
It’s a great idea to start changing your lifestyle by walking, biking, or taking public transport rather than driving a car that burns dirty fuel.
Reducing the amount of meat in your weekly diet can also help the environment because, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the agriculture associated with the supply chain for beef, pork, and chicken greatly contributes to global pollution and deforestation.
By 2023, 98% of the world’s population will have experienced higher temperatures, so it is in everyone’s best interest to stop the causes of this phenomenon.
