This year 'virtually certain' to be warmest in 125,000 years: scientists
Korea HeraldOCT 20 2023
October 2023 exceeded previous temperature records by 0.4 degrees Celsius, reaching 1.7 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service.Carbon dioxide concentrations have risen by 11.4 percent in just 20 years, reaching levels 51 percent higher than pre-industrial times, while methane is 165 percent higher than in 1750.
The combination of greenhouse gas emissions and El Niño weather patterns has pushed 2023 to become the warmest year in 125,000 years of recorded history.The world's fifty richest billionaires generate more carbon emissions in under three hours than the average British person produces in their entire lifetime, primarily through private jets and luxury yachts.
Global surface temperatures in 2023 are currently averaging 1.43C above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the previous record set in 2016 by 0.1C.The consumption emissions of the wealthiest 1 percent are projected to cause 1.5 million excess deaths in the coming century and have already led to crop losses equivalent to feeding 14.5 million people annually.
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The economic and policy challenges of rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors require balanced consideration, as current emission reduction targets have not yet resulted in actual decreases, highlighting the complexity of implementing effective climate policies.