Guterres declares the end of the era of global warming and the beginning of the era of global boiling

Weather of Arabia - The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, called for immediate and drastic action on climate change, stressing that the significant rise in temperatures in the current month of July indicates that we are entering the "era of global boiling."

In New York on Thursday, Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, expressed his concern about the terrifying heat waves in the Northern Hemisphere, noting that we are witnessing the end of the "era of global warming" and the entry of the "age of global boiling".

He stressed that climate change is terrifying, and that what we are witnessing now is just the beginning, which necessitates setting "new ambitious goals" related to reducing emissions by the G20 members.

In this context, Guterres called for the need for developed countries to present a clear and reliable road map to increase financing for adaptation to climate change by 2025. He also stressed that goals related to renewable energy should be ambitious and contribute to reducing the rise in global temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius.

He explained that the commitment of developed countries to achieving net zero carbon emissions must be ensured as soon as possible by 2040. He also called for the need for countries to stick to the promises they made in terms of providing international financing to combat climate change.

And the United Nations suggested that the current month of July will be the hottest month ever, in light of the spread of heat waves across large areas of the planet.

The World Meteorological Organization and the European Union's climate observatory Copernicus also confirmed these predictions, stating that "July 2023 is very likely to be the hottest month on record."

The repercussions of the heat wave, exacerbated by global warming, affected different regions in Europe, Asia and North America during this month. Wildfires also caused massive losses in Canada, southern Europe and northern Africa.

Beyond official figures, indirect climate data, such as tree rings that determine their age, indicate that the temperatures recorded in July 2023 may be "unprecedented in our history in the last few thousand years," according to Copernicus director Carlo Bontempo. .

Bontempo added that these temperatures may have been record even "about 100,000 years ago", which shows the seriousness of the current situation and the strong effects of climate change on the planet.

With an increase of about 1.2°C of global climate warming recorded since the late 19th century as a result of fossil fuel burning, heat waves are getting hotter, longer and more frequent, along with the intensification of other extreme weather events such as storms and floods.

With large swathes of the United States facing an unprecedented heat wave, US President Joe Biden said today, Thursday, that the rise in temperatures resulting from climate change poses an "existential threat."

"I don't think anyone can deny the impact of climate change right now," Biden said from the White House, announcing action to ensure the safety of people who work outdoors by increasing funding for the weather service.

He added that heat is the "number one weather-related killer" in the United States, killing about 600 people annually.

Scientists point to the need for the world to adapt to rising temperatures and other ramifications from emissions, and argue that carbon pollution must be significantly reduced during this decade to avoid more difficult scenarios in the future.

“The extreme weather conditions that affected millions of people in July unfortunately show the harsh reality of climate change and represent a brief glimpse into the future,” said Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the Meteorological Organization.

"The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever... climate action is no longer only an option, it has become a necessity," he added.

Members of the World Weather Attitudes group, which includes climate scientists, asserted this week that heatwaves in parts of Europe and North America would have been almost impossible without climate change. It is noteworthy that this group aims to clarify the link between extreme weather events and climate change.

Sources:

• wmo
• Al Jazeera