Scientists from around the world have documented record after record in the Earth’s climate system in what’s known as the State of the Climate Report.
The international report confirms record-high greenhouse gasses, record high global sea levels, and record ocean heat in 2022.
The annual review is led by NOAA and the American Meteorological Society, with more than 570 scientists in over 60 countries.
We often hear about carbon dioxide concentrations from the burning of fossil fuels, transportation, changing up the land. But what about methane and nitrous oxide that also hit new highs?
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The sources of these are huge in the agricultural sector. When a cow burps or releases gas, that releases methane. So maybe changing up our diets, wasting less food, using less fertilizer could be kicked into high gear to tackle the emission levels in 2023 and beyond. As far as CO2, consider biking or walking, it’s not only good for the planet, but good for your health.
The year 2022 was among the six warmest years since records began in the mid-to-late 1800s.
And while most people can find a cooling center, or turn on the AC in your home or car, or drive to a nice coastline for relief. For others, particularly poorer nations or people of color, that’s not as easy.
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“You’re seeing more and more air conditioning, which is prevalent in the United States, not an option for many people in India, for example, where hundreds of millions lack electricity," said Rob Jackson, climate scientists at Stanford University. "So we just have to think about using trees and natural solutions more and always reducing fossil fuel use."
Our oceans are hitting a breaking point, and the evidence is crystal clear when people in the gulf coast dip their toes in the waters running 80, 90, to 100 degrees.
“That’s almost warm enough to cook fish and the ocean will keep on absorbing carbon dioxide, keep on taking up our pollution, keep on getting more and more acidic, which also harms organisms in the oceans,” said Jackson.
It was the fifth-warmest year in the 123-year record and the amount of multiyear ice — ice that survives at least one summer melt season — continued to decline.
So only a slice of ice older than four years old remains in the arctic year-round, meaning that the area is not cold enough.
“Most of the people watching this interview are likely to see the arctic be free of ice in summer," said Jackson. "The arctic is a part of the world changing the fastest and it will have enormous consequences, is having enormous consequences even though it's a long way away from many of us."
Overall, 2022 was unusual, 2023 even weirder as we wrap up the hottest summer on record.
The State of the Climate Report will serve us and future generations to continue documenting and sharing the rapidly changing conditions in our warming world.
