The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. But scientists worry that what’s behind those numbers could be even worse.

The Associated Press asked more than three dozen scientists in interviews and emails what the smashed records mean. Most said they fear acceleration of climate change that is already right at the edge of the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) increase since pre-industrial times that nations had hoped to stay within.

“The heat over the last calendar year was a dramatic message from Mother Nature,” said University of Arizona climate scientist Katharine Jacobs. Scientists say warming air and water is making deadly and costly heat waves, floods, droughts, storms and wildfires more intense and more likely.

  • GluWu
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    We need to mass sequester carbon right now if we want our great-great- great grand children to be able to live in the climates we currently know. We need to put more carbon in the gound than any of your “progressive” personal carbon plans claim to do.

    • grue@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      In order to get out of a hole, one must first stop digging themselves deeper. Changing zoning laws is that necessary first step.

      Seriously, sane zoning should be the easiest low-hanging fruit to accomplish, since all it requires is the stroke of a pen (as opposed to speculative inventing or spending tons of cash). If we can’t even manage to get that done, it bodes really poorly for our ability to execute hail-mary tactics like carbon capture.

      • GluWu
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        There are a hundred low hanging fruit that we humans are just going to let fall and rot. But at this point I think that’ll be better than allowing what is “traditional”.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      Yeah,I think we’re there too. While we desperately need to stop making it worse, and sequestering carbon is not an effective way, we’re at the point of trying more desperate measures. I’d even say we’re close to the point where we need to try larger scale geo engineering