WisBiz Green Blog
The Heat Is On
By Gregg Hoffmann
This blog is being written on the hottest weekend of the year so far in the Midwest. It is in the high 90s with nightly lows predicted to set records because they are not really low at all.
WisBiz Green, the portal, has already linked to stories about 2024 being the hottest on record. We also had several links that have reported record months.
But, now we have a report that Earth has undergone its hottest decade on record. The years from 2015 to 2024 recorded the warmest temps in 200 years of record-keeping.
That’s according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Stephen King wrote about the report in Hasan Jasmin, a web platform “where creativity meets knowledge, and ideas turn into inspiration!”
“This disturbing trend is not only persistent but accelerating,” King wrote. “The State of the Global Climate report, widely regarded as the most trusted source of climate data, paints a dire picture: global warming is intensifying, sea levels are rising at unprecedented rates, and greenhouse gas concentrations have reached record highs.”
When these type of reports come out, naysayers often point to the actual degrees of warming and argue they are not that significant. In this case, for the first time global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (1850–1900 baseline). As King wrote, “While this doesn’t mean we’ve permanently breached the threshold set under the Paris Agreement, scientists warn we are dangerously close.”
You can argue all day about the exact temperature and causes of global warming. You can even argue about the term “global warming.” This writer prefers to concentrate on consequences that can be scientifically linked to the warming, and the “climate change” that is being caused.
King wrote: “The rise in global temperatures is primarily attributed to the record concentrations of greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide — now at their highest levels in 800,000 years. The situation was worsened by a short-term El Niño event, which contributed to warmer waters in the Pacific Ocean….
“One of the most alarming consequences of rising air temperatures is the increase in ocean heat. Oceans absorb 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, and each of the past eight years has set new records for ocean warmth.
“This has triggered widespread coral bleaching, intensified tropical storms, and accelerated the melting of sea ice. In 2024 alone, the rate of sea-level rise reached a record high, now more than doubling since the first satellite measurements began in 1993.”
This sea warming has created problems with rising water levels intruding on coastal communities, sea water mixing with fresh water, glaciers meltdowns and contributes to drastic swings in weather.
King wrote: “The number of people displaced by climate-related disasters in 2024 was the highest in 16 years. Tropical cyclones, droughts, floods, wildfires, and extreme heat events forced millions from their homes.”
Again, as I write this, the area around Silver City, New Mexico, is threatened by wildfires. We have spent parts of several winters there, hiked in the Gila forest and now are concerned about wonderful folks who rented us cabins. Smoke from wildfires in Canada has resulted in several days of poor air quality, in our area, that is hundreds of miles from urban centers, often seen as sources of poor air.
King wrote: “Despite the urgency of these findings, scientists remain skeptical that global leaders will act swiftly enough. The State of the Global Climate report lays bare a world teetering on the brink, but the political will to change remains elusive.
“Climate change may be part of Earth’s natural cycles — but what we are experiencing now is far more intense, rapid, and human-driven. The message is clear: the window for meaningful action is closing. The question that remains is — will we act in time?”
This writer could not agree more with King and experts he cites in his article. That’s why you are reading this blog in a cluster of e-sites named “Last Call From Nature.”
You can read the full article by King in a link on WisBiz Green that ran on June 21.