Global warming is becoming reality as 2024 set to be the hottest year on record
As global temperatures soar to unprecedented levels, 2024 is shaping up to be the hottest year on record, a grim milestone that underscores the accelerating crisis of climate change. European Union scientists have confirmed that the first eleven months of 2024 have set a new high, making this year the warmest since records began. This will be the first year where the global average temperature surpasses 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a threshold that world leaders have long warned could trigger catastrophic climate impacts. With this alarming reality, the world faces a rapidly intensifying climate emergency, one that requires immediate and drastic action. The impacts of global warming are already being felt around the world. In 2024, extreme weather events have ravaged communities, causing widespread devastation. Severe droughts have gripped Italy and South America, while fatal floods in Nepal, Sudan and Europe have displaced thousands. Heatwaves in regions like Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Mali have killed thousands of people, while cyclones have torn through the United States and the Philippines. These events are not just random occurrences; scientific studies confirm that they bear the unmistakable fingerprint of human-caused climate change.
The overwhelming cause of global warming is carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. These emissions trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise at an alarming rate. The most effective way to curb this warming is by reducing emissions to net-zero levels, a goal that many nations have pledged to achieve in the coming decades. However, despite these green pledges, global CO2 emissions are on track to hit record highs this year. This contradictory trend highlights the gap between political promises and the real, tangible actions needed to mitigate climate change. This year’s UN climate talks produced a $300-billion deal aimed at addressing the global climate crisis. However, poorer countries have criticised this deal, arguing that it is insufficient to cover the soaring costs of climate-related disasters. While this deal may have made some progress, it is clear that the global response is not yet enough to prevent further warming. The rise of climate change deniers, particularly within the political sphere, has made it even harder to combat this crisis. US President-elect Donald Trump, in particular, has consistently downplayed the severity of global warming and rolled back numerous environmental regulations during his previous term. Under Trump’s leadership, the US withdrew from the Paris Agreement, a global pact aimed at reducing emissions and limiting global temperature rise. Such actions would undoubtedly exacerbate the climate crisis, making it even harder to reduce emissions and avoid the most catastrophic effects of global warming. The time to act is now, and the window for meaningful change is rapidly closing.
