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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Global temperature records were set this month, an alarming sign of climate change, especially in the face of the El Nino phenomenon, which could make 2023 the hottest year on record.
For the month of June, global average temperatures are, so far, almost one degree Celsius higher than the corresponding values recorded since 1979. Experts in the field point out that these temperatures could make 2023 the hottest year on record, exceeded in 2016.
The warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels is expected to be exacerbated by El Nino, a natural phenomenon in which parts of the Pacific Ocean warm, causing a 0.1 to 0.2 degree Celsius increase in the average global temperature.
In a statement last week, the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed the presence of El Nino, while also predicting its continued escalation until early next year.
"Global surface temperature is shaping up to record highs, and 2023 is almost certain to be the warmest year on record," said Michael Mann, a climate change expert at the University of Pennsylvania.
This year has seen severe heat waves and record temperatures from Puerto Rico to Siberia, while the extreme heat also appears to have affected large fires in Canada that blanketed the skies of New York and Washington with toxic smoke. Scientists warn that the growing effects of the climate crisis are already clear and will not abate until there is a radical reduction in emissions.
"Without reductions in emissions, the changes we're seeing are just the beginning," said Natalie Mahoëald, an atmospheric scientist at Cornell University.
"This year and the extremes we've seen so far are a warning."
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