With heat records being broken worldwide, countries like Denmark are stepping up much-needed support towards efforts to combat the triple planetary crisis.#Partners4Planet info: https://t.co/svCMPIq6qy pic.twitter.com/JMXcKfcS5E
— UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) August 24, 2024
The Earth experienced unprecedented climate changes in 2023, according to a comprehensive review released by the American Meteorological Society on Thursday. The report, which is likened to an “annual physical” for the planet, confirms that several climate records were shattered last year. Sea levels reached new highs for the 12th consecutive year, with the year-over-year rise from 2022 being one of the highest recorded at 8.1 millimeters.
The mean global sea surface temperature averaged over the last three months remained the highest on record relative to any other May to July period…
Data from @NOAA ERSSTv5: https://t.co/V8F2MhaASY pic.twitter.com/8xfTO2vM5C
— Zack Labe (@ZLabe) August 25, 2024
Global temperatures across land and ocean also set new records, with the annual global surface temperature being between 0.99 to 1.08 degrees Fahrenheit above the 1991–2020 average. Greenhouse gas concentrations, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, reached all-time highs in 2023. The annual growth rate of global mean CO2 increased from 0.6 parts per million (ppm) per year in the early 1960s to an average of 2.5 ppm per year from 2014 to 2023.
SO many takeaways in NOAA's State of the Climate in 2023. The TL;DR:
🌡️ 2023 confirmed as the warmest year on record
🌡️ Ocean heat and global sea level were the highest on record
🌡️ Heatwaves and droughts contributed to massive wildfires around the worldhttps://t.co/7CqSnQFNsR pic.twitter.com/PaVmQNCrOz— EDF (@EnvDefenseFund) August 23, 2024
The report also highlighted the severe wildfire season in Canada, where almost 60,000 square miles of forest burned last year, exacerbated by pre-existing drought conditions. More than 200,000 people were evacuated from fire-threatened zones, including all 20,000 residents of Yellowknife.
Unprecedented climate records shattered
"Taking the Long View on Climate Change" by Janis Petzel for @GreenEnrgyTimes: https://t.co/RLWb7kScLF pic.twitter.com/VYtNTEQU73
— Prof Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) August 26, 2024
In addition, the skies above cleared in 2023, making it the least cloudy year on record since detailed measurements started in 1980. The reduced cloud coverage weakened clouds’ cooling effect, as they reflected the least amount of incoming solar energy to space on record. Almost every variable you look at in the report has a record broken, and it’s not a surprise,” said Sarah Das, a climate scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
“We continue to pump planet-heating gases into the atmosphere at unprecedented rates, year after year, and that has consequences.”
Some scientists were taken aback by the extent of the changes noted in 2023. Tim Boyer, a junior editor and coauthor of the report, expressed concern over the unexpected severity of many climatic changes. “2023 is a cliffhanger,” Boyer said, noting that these patterns could indicate evolving trends in climate behavior.
The findings serve as a crucial marker for current and future generations in understanding and addressing global climate change. “These extremes should be a call to action,” scientists assert. “We must accept that this is what the future holds, and take dramatic action quickly,” said Sarah Das.
Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
