“Risks are highest where species and people exist close to their upper thermal limits, along coastlines, in close association with ice or seasonal rivers (high confidence). Many of these risks are unavoidable in the near-term, irrespective of emissions scenario (high confidence).”
IPCC Summary for Policymakers, Working Group II, Sixth Assessment Report
Examples of extreme weather events in the first half of April 2023:
“People who exist close to their upper thermal limits”:
- Worst April heat wave in Asian history ongoing in more than a dozen countries 44.0C in Pakistan, 43.5C in India, 45.6C in Thailand, 43.3C in Myanmar, 41.7C in Bangladesh, 42C in Central Asia. Also hottest day on records at Sayabouri, Laos. (Source)
“People living along coastlines”
- Fort Lauderdale was slammed with 65.91cm of rainfall in 24 hours. Some areas received 50.8cm of rain in six hours. Hollywood and South Miami received at least 22.86cm of rain. (See first hand impact footage here)
“People in close association with seasonal rivers”
- In Tanzania the Talanda and Ruvuma rivers broke their banks destroying homes and displacing thousands (See FloodList)
The is all before we even get to 1.5° of warming. We are currently on track for a catastrophic 3.3-4°C warmer world.
We can stop that reality by slamming the brakes on our current emissions. Everyone everywhere needs to play their part in this.
What will yours be?
Start by doing your fossil fuel touch-point audit. Then examine all the alternatives that are available to you and begin to decouple from those touch points in real earnest.