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"[C]limate change is just a very, very expensive form of tax."

"I believe in climate change caused by human beings. What I'm skeptical about is the glib notion that it means the end of the world as we know it."

"The clock is no longer just ticking, it is banging."

"There is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change."

"The time for seeking global solutions [to climate change] is running out."

"The climate crisis is the existential threat. That's not hyperbole; it's a fact."

"[W]e are killing our planet."

Climate change is "above all, an existential crisis."

"Climate change is one of the greatest challenges mankind faces."

"If we don't take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon."

"Humanity is on thin ice — and that ice is melting fast."

"We haven't yet exceeded the bounds of viable human civilisation, but we're getting close."

Is Climate Change an Existential Threat?

New Scientist

New Scientist #2447

NBC #3486

Global temperatures between November 2022 and October 2023 reached 1.32 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, marking the hottest 12-month period in approximately 125,000 years.

Nearly 90% of the world's population experienced at least ten days of extreme heat that would have been unlikely without climate change's influence during this period.

Washington Post

Washington Post #4801

July through October 2023 each set record-high average global temperatures, with October averaging 1.7 degrees Celsius above preindustrial norms.

The warming trend has affected eleven European and North African countries, which have already exceeded the crucial 1.5-degree Celsius threshold established in climate agreements.

Climate change-intensified weather events have led to widespread hospital admissions, thousands of deaths, millions of displaced people, and left 23 million in Africa facing food insecurity.

In the United States, Phoenix experienced temperatures above 110°F for more than three weeks, while Maricopa County reported at least 569 heat-associated deaths this season.

The unprecedented temperature rise demands immediate action to phase out fossil fuels, as current conditions will seem cool compared to future years without intervention. The situation has reached a critical point that threatens to irreversibly damage entire ecosystems, making the upcoming COP 28 conference crucial for global climate action.

You’ve just lived through Earth’s hottest 12 months on record

Governments worldwide are currently planning to extract and produce twice the amount of fossil fuels needed to maintain the 1.5-degree Celsius target, while El Niño's peak influence hasn't yet arrived. The combination of continued fossil fuel production and natural climate patterns suggests even higher temperatures ahead, regardless of immediate action.

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2023 Shatters Global Temperature Records, Scientists Warn

20242023 'VirtuallyShatters Certain'Global toTemperature be hottest year on recordRecords, EUScientists scientists sayWarn

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