Report on the year’s climate change effects around the world by Climate Central
Climate Central is poised to unveil a recent report disclosing that a quarter of the global population encountered temperatures influenced by climate change on a daily basis throughout the months of June, July, and August, attributable to the combustion of fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal, alongside human activities.
Between June and August, more than 2 billion individuals endured over 30 days of temperatures posing serious health risks, significantly impacted by climate change.
Human-induced heat worsen drought conditions worldwide, spanning regions such as Russia, China, Italy, and Ghana, leading to crop failures, necessitating governmental emergency responses, and increase in export restrictions.
A total of 72 nations witnessed their hottest summer since at least 1970, mainly driven by climate change. Furthermore, 180 cities in the Northern Hemisphere encountered at least one extreme heatwave from June to August. These heatwaves are now, on average, 21 times more probable due to carbon emissions, primarily stemming from the combustion of coal, oil, and gas.
Andrew Pershing, Climate Central’s vice president for science, cautioned that “High temperatures, unmistakably influenced by climate change, imperiled the well-being of billions worldwide over the past three months. No region, country, or city remains immune to the perilous consequences engendered by fossil fuel combustion.”
In gauging the health risks posed by heat, researchers focused on days with temperatures significantly surpassing historical records – the so-called “risky heat” days. These temperatures exceed 90% of readings recorded in a given area over the 1991-2020 timeframe, representing a critical threshold where heat-related health risks escalate statistically.
Key Findings:
– Over 2 billion people (comprising 25% of the global population) encountered 30 or more days of risky heat, rendered at least three times more likely by climate change.
– On August 13, the peak of global heat, more than 4 billion individuals faced anomalous temperatures made at least three times more likely by climate change.
– Amidst this unprecedented season where 72 countries broke their heat records for the June-August period, few urban centers were spared from the repercussions of carbon emissions, predominantly stemming from fossil fuel combustion.
– The average individual experienced an additional 17 days of “risky heat” globally due to climate change, representing a looming threat to global health.
Climate Central, a non-advocacy, non-profit scientific and journalistic entity, furnishes authoritative information to assist both the general public and policymakers in making informed decisions regarding climate and energy matters.
