“Climate Change Is Out Of Control” – Events indicating Earth has entered uncharted territory

As an unofficial analysis of data showed average planetary temperatures in the seven days to Wednesday were the hottest week on record, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said “climate change is out of control”, calling for key measures to avoid a catastrophic situation.

While these records are a clear sign of how pollutants released by humans are warming the environment, they are also just one way the planet is telling us something is really wrong. “It’s never just the heat,” said Kim Cobb from Brown University.

Dying coral reefs and the wildfire smoke that continues to choke much of North America are among the many other signs of climate distress. Some recent events that indicate the Earth’s climate has entered uncharted territory:

Early Arrival Of El Nino

The current El Nino – a period of warming Pacific Ocean waters – formed a month or two earlier than usual. That means it will now have more time than usual to get stronger. There is a 98% chance at least one of the next five years will see the highest temperatures on record.

Wildfire Smoke

People in North America have lately been facing dangerous air quality levels as several rounds of wildfire smoke originate from Canada. Scientists believe climate change will make wildfires and smoke more intense and frequent, just like every other weather event.

Rising Ocean Temperatures

What’s more prevalent than pollution on Earth? It’s oceans, that have absorbed 90% of the recent warming caused by planet-warming gases. Global ocean temperature rose to 21.1 degrees Celsius in April, with emissions and the early El Nino formation blamed for it.

Shrinking Antarctic Sea Ice

Antarctic sea ice has been shrinking to record lows. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Centre, the 11.7 million sq km covered by the sheet on June 27 was almost 2.6 million sq km less than average for that date for the period from 1981 – 2010.