Humanity just lived through the hottest 12 months in at least 125,000 years

Summary

Global heat records have been shattered in the past 12 months, with the period from November 2022 to October 2023 being the hottest 12 months in at least 125,000 years. The heat has been felt across most of the world, with 7.3 billion people, or 90% of the global population, experiencing at least 10 days of high temperatures. This heat is due to climate change, primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels, and is expected to get worse with the El Nino pattern beginning to boost temperatures. The record-breaking heat brings extra urgency to the upcoming UN COP28 climate conference in Dubai, where countries will take stock of their progress towards meeting the Paris Climate Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.

Q&As

AI Comments

👍 This article provides a clear and detailed overview of the current climate crisis and how it is affecting both the global population and planet.

👎 This article fails to provide any concrete solutions to the climate crisis and instead only focuses on the negative effects of global warming.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how the world just experienced the hottest 12 months in at least 125,000 years. The article discusses the implications of climate change and the effects that it has had on the planet, including record-breaking temperatures, fierce wildfires, powerful storms, and devastating floods.

Friend: Wow, that's really alarming. What are some of the long-term implications of this record-breaking heat that the article mentions?

Me: The article mentions that the long-term trend of global warming is primarily driven by the burning of planet-heating fossil fuels. It also states that the vast majority of humanity was affected by the unusual heat, with 7.3 billion people experiencing at least 10 days of high temperatures. In addition, the article mentions that ocean temperatures have been consistently at record-high levels since the beginning of May, fueling an explosive development of hurricanes and tropical storms around the planet. Finally, the article states that the unprecedented global heat adds extra urgency to the upcoming UN COP28 climate conference in Dubai, where countries will take stock of their progress towards meeting the Paris Climate Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.

Action items

• Educate yourself and others on the impacts of climate change and the importance of reducing emissions.
• Take action to reduce your own carbon footprint, such as switching to renewable energy sources, reducing your consumption of animal products, and using public transportation.
• Advocate for climate action in your community by writing to your local representatives and participating in climate-focused protests and events.

Technical terms

Pre-industrial levels

The average global temperature before the industrial revolution began in the 18th century.

El Nino

A natural ocean and weather pattern in the tropical Pacific.

Fossil fuels

Fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas that are formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.

Paris Climate Agreement

An international agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

UN COP28

The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will take place in Dubai in December 2023.

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