Post by jorinaparvin147 on Feb 25, 2024 2:07:31 GMT -5
UN releases landmark report warning of “rising hunger, displacement and loss of life due to extreme temperatures and flooding around the world.” The world may be on the cusp of a global pandemic, but the scale of the climate crisis presents a greater long-term threat and political and business leaders should not “divert from climate action” as they seek to contain the worsening outbreak. . That was the stark warning issued yesterday by the UN as it published the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Annual Statement on the State of the Global Climate , confirming that a record year of climate extremes in 2019 directly contributed to "increased hunger, displacement and loss of life. Speaking at the launch of the report yesterday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rejected suggestions that the coronavirus outbreak could provide a silver lining for the climate in the form of lower greenhouse gas emissions this year.
We will not fight climate change with a virus," he said, adding that both emergencies "require a determined response, both must be defeated." The economic slowdown and travel limitations resulting from the coronavirus outbreak are expected to lead to lower emissions this year, but experts have warned that any carbon savings will likely be short-lived as governments seek to stimulate their economies in the next few months. As such, Guterres argued that the virus should not be allowed to distract from action to address long-term risks such as climate change, warning that climate Job Function Email List impacts "will remain with us for decades and will require sustained action." The comments came as the WMO's latest annual update documented how global climate impacts continue to intensify, while the global economy remains "a long way off" from meeting decarbonization targets that could help stabilize the climate. The report confirms that a large number of temperature records have been broken in recent years and decades, with 2019 the second warmest year on record and 2010 to 2019 the warmest decade on record. Since the 1980s, each successive decade has been warmer than any previous decade since 1850 The historic UN report says Rising temperatures and associated impacts will continue, as greenhouse gas levels continue to rise, warming will continue.
A recent decade forecast indicates that a new annual global temperature record is likely within the next five years. It's a matter of time. Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General, The report also highlights how localized extreme weather is having significant environmental and economic impacts. Australia's 2018-2019 summer was the hottest on record, while heat records were also broken in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, and Siberia and Alaska saw unusually high levels of fire activity, along with large parts of the Southeast Asia and South America. Greenhouse gas emissions continued to grow in 2019, leading to increased ocean heat and phenomena such as rising sea levels, altered ocean currents, melting floating ice shelves, and changes dramatic in marine ecosystems. HIM Meanwhile, many parts of the world experienced extreme weather events that were "unprecedented in scale," causing severe flooding in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Iran and parts of South America. By contrast, Australia had its driest year on record, and southern Africa, Central America, and parts of South America received abnormally low rainfall. "The changing climate is affecting the health of the world's population," the UN said, with the report highlighting how record high temperatures led to more than 100 deaths in Japan and 1,462 deaths in France.