The world has just experienced its hottest decade
Earth Records Its Hottest Decade as Climate Crisis Accelerates
On the day of March 25. A report considered the world's most trusted source of climate updates has laid out the current state of the planet earth has recorded its 10 hottest years over the last decade. The World Meteorological Organization's State of the Global Climate report lists alarming records that scientists say should shock the world into taking drastic action but they warn they probably won't, given the lack of urgency displayed by global leaders to date. The report found the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide as well as methane and nitrous oxide are at the highest levels in the last 800,000 years.
Record-Breaking Global Temperatures
2024 set a new heat record in the world Last year was confirmed to be the hottest since records began 175 years ago, beating the previous record set in 2023. And 2024 was likely to be the first time global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above the baseline set in 1850-1900, according to the WMO. Scientists say that doesn't mean that we've permanently crossed global limits set under the Paris Agreement which the United States left on the first day of President Donald Trump's second term but we're getting close. Record levels of greenhouse gases were mostly to blame for higher temperatures, aided by a short term boost from El Niño, a weather pattern that creates warmer water in the eastern Pacific, the report said. Long term global warming is estimated to be between 1.34 and 1.41 degrees Celsius up on the preindustrial era, the WMO said. United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius was still possible, but "leaders must step up to make it happen."
Accelerating Ocean Warming and Sea Level Rise
Each of the past 8 years set a record for ocean warming Rising global temperatures inevitably mean warmer water, as oceans absorb 90% of the surplus heat. New heat records have been set for each of the last eight years, and the rate of ocean warming over the past two decades is more than twice that recorded from 1950 to 2005. Warm water has caused severe bleaching of coral reefs over the past year, fueled tropical and subtropical storms and exacerbated the loss of sea ice. The rate of sea level rise has doubled since satellite measurements began The rate of global mean sea level rise has doubled since the first satellite record in 1993, to reach a record high in 2024, the report said. The rise of 2.1 millimeters per year recorded between 1993 and 2002 has been dwarfed by a 4.7 millimeter increase between 2015 and 2024. Higher sea levels have knock on effects for coastal communities, including flooding, erosion and the salinization of groundwater. Sea level rise is exacerbated by sea ice melt, and there's no sign that's slowing. The three years since 2021 brought the biggest three year loss of Glacier mass on record. "Exceptionally negative" losses were recorded in Norway, Sweden, Svalbard and the tropical Andes, the WMO said.
Human Impact and Rising Displacement
In the year 2024 we saw the most anoumt of people displaced due to climate change impact in the past 16 years Tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, and other hazards in 2024 displaced the highest number of people since 2008, when 36 million people were forced from their homes. That year, around half 15 million were displaced in China after the Sichuan earthquake. Flooding also affected millions in India. In 2024, tropical cyclones and hurricanes brought destructive winds, severe rain and flooding. Dozens of unprecedent heatwaves were recorded including in Saudi Arabia where temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) during the Hajj pilgrimage. Wildfires and severe drought also raged through some countries, displacing people and disrupting food supplies. In eight countries, at least one million more people faced acute food insecurity compared with 2023, the WMO said.
Scientific Warnings and Urgent Calls for Action
Heres what scientists said about this. Sarah Perkins Kirkpatrick, a professor at the Australian National University's Fenner School of Environment and Society, said the world had reached a point where net zero emissions were no longer enough. "We need to stop hitting snooze on our alarm, which is the now regularly occurring record-breaking global temperatures," she said. "How much more do we need to scream and shout that climate change is happening, it's because of us, and without any serious action, it's only going to get worse? The longer this goes in, the harder it will be to make things better." Linden Ashcroft, a lecturer in climate science at The University of Melbourne, said not enough attention had been paid to warnings. "Unless we see real climate leadership from governments and businesses, I will save this response and send it through again next year."
Uncertainty Over Federal Payments
A North Dakota ag and conservation researcher is unsure if she will be able to complete some projects or start new ones due to delays in federal payments. Rebecca Phillips, who runs a nonprofit research business, received an email from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) informing her that payments had been paused following President Donald Trump's executive order giving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) authority.