Link: It’s ‘virtually certain’ the world has already breached 1.5 C

The world may have missed the opportunity to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, as outlined by the Paris Agreement. Two studies in Nature Climate Change suggest we've already entered a 20-year period exceeding this threshold.

"Every increment of warming above 1.5 degrees results in more severe climate extremes," explained Alex Cannon, highlighting the worsening consequences. The urgency to reduce carbon emissions is more critical than ever.

In 2024, global temperatures reached 1.5 C for the first time in a full year, much earlier than the previous Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projections. These studies try to predict if we're amidst a 20-year span with an average above 1.5 C using current data and models.

"I pronounce the 1.5 C target mostly dead," stated Kate Marvel from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, not involved in the studies. Despite occasional yearly peaks above 1.5 C, projections indicate a likely long-term average breach.

Heating has accelerated, even with natural cooling phenomena like La Niña, which brought record temperatures this January. Both Cannon and Bevacqua's studies emphasize the essential role of drastic reductions in fossil fuel use to mitigate further warming.

While the Trump administration and other global leaders have undermined climate action, it's crucial for world policies to aggressively cut emissions. This needs to happen soon to prevent irreversible damage and maintain a stable climate, despite current politics. #

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Yoooo, this is a quick note on a link that made me go, WTF? Find all past links here.