Global Warming Impacted Majority of World’s Population in Hottest Summer on Record – Research Report
- Advertisement -
Global Warming Impacts Majority of the World’s Population
A recent research report has shown that global warming, caused by human-induced climate change, had a significant impact on the majority of the world’s population between June and August.
Hottest Summer on Record
The summer of 2023 in the Northern Hemisphere was the hottest ever recorded, with prolonged heat waves in North America and southern Europe leading to devastating wildfires and an increase in death rates.
Record-Breaking Temperatures
July reached record-breaking temperatures, and average temperatures in August were 1.5°C warmer than pre-industrial levels.
Climate Central Study
- Advertisement -
A study conducted by Climate Central, a US-based research group, examined temperatures in 180 countries and 22 regions. The study found that 98% of the world’s population experienced temperatures at least twice as likely to be caused by carbon dioxide pollution.
Widespread Impact
Andrew Pershing, vice president of Climate Science Central, stated, “Almost no one on Earth has been unaffected by global warming over the past three months.” The study observed temperatures in every country, including the Southern Hemisphere, where it is typically the coldest time of the year. These temperatures would have been challenging, if not impossible, without human-caused climate change.
Assessing Heat Events
Climate Central evaluates the likelihood of heat events being caused by climate change by comparing observed temperatures with those generated by models that exclude the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. The study revealed that as many as 6.2 billion people experienced average temperatures that were at least five times more likely to result from climate change.
Expert Opinion
Frederic Otto, a climate scientist at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, emphasized that the heatwaves witnessed in North America and southern Europe would have been impossible without climate change. She stated, “It’s not just five times more likely; it’s infinitely more likely because it wouldn’t have occurred without climate change.”