Global Warming

Earth Day

Last year, records for sea level rise, glacier melt, and temperatures were broken, the World Meteorological Agency (WMO) warns in a new report. In the State of the Global Climate 2022 report released ahead of Earth Day, the UN agency highlighted the concerning trends marking the progression of climate change. These include Europe shattering records for glacier melt in 2022 and sea ice in Antarctica dropping to the lowest level on record in February 2022. On top of that, the ocean is becoming warmer, with the amount of heat stored at a new record high in 2022.

"We have stored more than 90 per cent of the excess heat that we have brought to the planet in the ocean and we have again broken new records in ocean heat content which is, for example, giving more energy for tropical storms, cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons," Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the WMO said at a press conference. The rate of global sea rise has also doubled since 1993, reaching a new record high as well.

Globally, the last eight years have been the warmest recorded since 1850 with temperatures at 1.15 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 average. But despite the continued broken records and advance of climate change, there were record high concentrations in 2021 of the three main greenhouse gasses, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, the report added.

Drought in East Africa, record-breaking rainfall in Pakistan, and heatwaves in China and Europe affected tens of millions of people and cost billions of euros in damage. Climate and weather-related conditions have led to more internal displacement, too. The worst drought in 40 years in the Horn of Africa resulted in population displacement as did heavy storms in Syria and record rainfall in Pakistan where flooding affected more than 30 million people.

From the air we breathe to the water we drink to the soil that grows our food – humanity's health depends on the health of Mother Earth, Humanity depends on Nature.