|
Listen to this article here
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
November had the highest land and ocean surface temperature of any November in NOAA’s 174-year recorded history.
The month marked the end of record highs for the year. The average temperature in 2023 was 2.07 degrees F higher than the previous century’s average of 55.2 degrees. In May, atmospheric presence of carbon dioxide peaked at 424 parts per million, 50% higher than the pre-industrial era.
High Temperatures Cause Ecosystem Devastation
This trend of rising temperatures influenced the sixth warmest recorded Arctic Summer. It has impacted global fisheries leading to a decrease in Chinook and chum salmon populations. These species are important food sources for Indigenous communities near the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. The warming of the Arctic is evidence that effects of climate change are accelerating.
Increased rainfall between October and November impacted several countries in the Horn of Africa. Half a million people were displaced and at least 130 deaths were recorded across Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya. Food security for the region has been greatly impacted.
Coastal countries and communities are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Rising sea levels, increased severity of tropical storms, and damage to coastal ecosystems are particularly detrimental to community resilience. Sea levels have risen at least 4 inches over the last 30 years.
Related Stories
Global Intervention on Climate Change
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad has stated that federal agencies must start working to build climate resiliency in state and tribal communities.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2023, held in Dubai, concluded on Dec. 12th.
In his closing remarks UN Climate Secretary Simon Stiell cited the lack of clear proclamation regarding the necessity to end the fossil fuel era. Leading countries, including the U.S., have pledged many federal climate change initiatives, but Stiell stated that these lack action.
“COP28 (28th Conference of Parties) also needed to signal a hard stop to humanity’s core climate problem – fossil fuels and their planet-burning pollution.”
The International Panel on Climate Change 2021 report determined that humans are “unequivocally to blame for rising temperatures.”
It has been the collective consensus that significant measures be taken to prevent warming from reaching over 5º C. To achieve this goal, global governments are working to limit greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane. Carbon offsetting can be mitigated by natural elements such as coral reefs and forests. However, to fully address human-induced climate change, human intervention is needed.
National Intervention on Climate Change
On Dec. 2 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established a rule that limits methane emissions. Although methane has a short atmospheric life compared to carbon dioxide (9 years vs. thousands) it is 28 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
The rule specifically targets natural gas production. It will implement a phase-out period for natural gas flaring and a program that identifies “super emitters.”
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Transportation has a new initiative that works with states to maintain carbon reduction strategies.
The Carbon Reduction Program will bring federal funding to states and tribal nations to reduce carbon emissions from roadway sources.
The Administration is also investing billions of dollars into public transportation. This includes transitioning buses to electronic vehicles, investments in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and establishing a national network of EV charging stations.
Leave a comment