In January, scientists recognized as the hottest year on record.
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That report, from researchers at the World Meteorological Organization — the United Nation’s weather and climate body — found that the average temperature across the globe last year was about 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. The last 10 years clocked in at the 10 hottest on record.
That changing climate has impacts. It increases the frequency and intensity of heat waves, droughts and floods, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It can increase the spread of diseases and lead to more exposure to poor air quality, per the U.S. Climate Assessment. And under-resourced and overburdened communities, which have already faced the worst impacts of a changing climate, continue to see inequities.
Meanwhile, polls have found that people care about climate change and its impacts. A study published in Nature Communications in found that between 66% and 80% support major climate change mitigation policies in the United States; and the People’s Climate Vote, a global poll from the United Nations, found that for 53% of respondents, concern about climate change increased from the year before.
But people aren’t talking about it. That same Nature Communications study found that Americans estimated between 37% and 43% of their peers to also support climate action. According to the study, supporters of climate policy outnumbered opponents two-to-one, but falsely believe that nearly the opposite is true.
In recognition of Earth Day next week, April 22, the Banner is looking to start new conversations about climate change and the environment by launching Encyclopedia Climatica, a new effort featuring the burning questions our readers have about the climate and environment.
Are you curious about how coastal flooding or urban heat will impact your neighborhood? Are you wondering about what is being done to address a changing climate? Have you heard about a potential solution to a climate or environmental challenge and you’re wondering how it works? Have a question but you don’t think it’s what we’re looking for? Send it in anyway.
Submit any and all of your questions about climate and the environment to the Banner online at tinyurl.com/banner-climate-questions or send an to our science editor, Avery Bleichfeld, at . We’ll take a look and if your question is chosen we’ll put together reporting on the answer.
Got climate questions? Let’s talk about it.
What do you need to know about climate change?
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We’re already seeing the effects of human-caused climate change — but nature can help. Protecting nature today ensures a more sustainable future.
In , the average concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere was 421.73 ppmJump to references1 — the highest in human history and more than 50% higher than pre-industrial levels of CO2. Tweet this fact
Analysis by NOAA shows that average global temperatures in were 2.3 degrees F (1.28 degrees C) warmer than the 20th-century average — beating the record set in .Jump to references2 This follows 15 consecutive months of monthly temperature records. Tweet this fact
As much as 20 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans are due to deforestationJump to references3 — exceeding the emissions from all of the passenger vehicles on the planet.Jump to references4 Tweet this fact
Tropical forests are incredibly effective at storing carbon, providing at least a third of the mitigation action neededJump to references5 to prevent the worst climate change scenarios. Yet nature-based solutions receive only 3 percent of all climate funding.Jump to references6 Tweet this fact
Scaling up natural climate solutions, such as restoring degraded forests, could create as many as 20 million new jobs.Jump to references7 In total, ecosystem restoration creates 3.7 times as many jobs as oil and gas production per dollar.Jump to references8 Tweet this fact
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According to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, the average global temperature for June was higher than any June on recordJump to references9 — and July 22, was the hottest day the world has seen since , when recording started.Jump to references10 Tweet this fact
As many as 3.6 billion people live in areas of high vulnerability to climate change impactsJump to references11 such as droughts, floods, heat waves, extreme weather events and sea-level rise. Tweet this fact
In a single square mile, mangroves hold as much carbon as the annual emissions of 90,000 cars. If they are destroyed, all that carbon is released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.Jump to references12 Tweet this fact
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