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FOUR KEY CLIMATE change indicators all set new record highs in 2021, the United Nations said today, warning that the global energy system was driving humanity towards catastrophe.
Greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification all set new records last year, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in its “State of the Global Climate in 2021″ report.
The annual overview is “a dismal litany of humanity’s failure to tackle climate disruption”, UN chief Antonio Guterres said.
“The global energy system is broken and bringing us ever closer to climate catastrophe.
“We must end fossil fuel pollution and accelerate the renewable energy transition before we incinerate our only home.”
The WMO said human activity was causing planetary-scale changes on land, in the ocean and in the atmosphere, with harmful and long-lasting ramifications for ecosystems.
Record heat
The report confirmed that the past seven years were the top seven hottest years on record.
Back-to-back La Nina events at the start and end of 2021 had a cooling effect on global temperatures last year.
Even so, it was still one of the warmest years ever recorded, with the average global temperature in 2021 about 1.11 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.
The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change saw countries agree to cap global warming at “well below” 2C above average levels measured between 1850 and 1900 — and 1.5C if possible.
“Our climate is changing before our eyes,” said WMO chief Petteri Taalas.
“The heat trapped by human-induced greenhouse gases will warm the planet for many generations to come. Sea level rise, ocean heat and acidification will continue for hundreds of years unless means to remove carbon from the atmosphere are invented.”
‘Consistent picture of warming world’
Four key indicators of climate change “build a consistent picture of a warming world that touches all parts of the Earth system”, the report said.
Greenhouse gas concentrations reached a new global high in 2020, when the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) reached 413.2 parts per million (ppm) globally, or 149% of the pre-industrial level.
Data indicate that they continued to increase in 2021 and early 2022, with monthly average CO2 at Mauna Loa in Hawaii reaching 416.45 ppm in April 2020, 419.05 ppm in April 2021, and 420.23 ppm in April 2022, the report said.
Global mean sea level reached a new record high in 2021, rising an average of 4.5 millimetres per year throughout 2013 to 2021, the report said.
GMSL rose by 2.1 mm per year between 1993 and 2002, with the increase between the two time periods “mostly due to the accelerated loss of ice mass from the ice sheets”, it said.
Signs in the seas
Ocean heat hit a record high last year, exceeding the 2020 value, the report said.
And it is expected that the upper 2,000 metres of the ocean will continue to warm in the future — “a change which is irreversible on centennial to millennial timescales”, said the WMO, adding that the warmth was penetrating to ever deeper levels.
The ocean absorbs around 23% of the annual emissions of human-caused CO2 into the atmosphere. While this slows the rise of atmospheric CO2 concentrations, CO2 reacts with seawater and leads to ocean acidification.
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded with “very high confidence” that open ocean surface acidity is at the highest “for at least 26,000 years”.
Meanwhile the report said the Antarctic ozone hole reached an “unusually deep and large” maximum area of 24.8 million square kilometres in 2021, driven by a strong and stable polar vortex.
Guterres proposed five actions to jump-start the transition to renewable energy “before it’s too late”.
Among them, he suggested ending fossil fuel subsidies, tripling investments in renewable energy and making renewable energy technologies, such as battery storage, freely-available global public goods.
“If we act together, the renewable energy transformation can be the peace project of the 21st century,” Guterres said.
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Cairns voted for the proposed new ‘Hate Speech’ laws. Remember her calling for tougher and longer lockdowns during the covid bollocks. Pushed the ‘safe and effective’ pharma product. Yeah one to watch alright.
@TG McMahon: She sounds pretty reasonable to me so.
@TG McMahon: Anyone you know die from the vaccine? Not someone you read about but somebody you actually know? I know of none. Nobody I know is aware of anyone they know that has died from it. All in all, as best I can tell, looking at actual data and not nutjobs on youtube/Facebook etc, it seemed to perform quite well. So I agree, to say she applied common sense to her decision making certainly makes her one to watch.
@TG McMahon: another one to mute into obscurity.
I like Holly Cairns. She seems to be a genuine woman, who cares about people she represents. However, the social Democrats won’t be kingmakers in the next election, no matter how much the media want it to be the case.
She gets an extraordinary amount of media attention considering she’s the leader of a party which managed to get 2.9% of the vote at the last election . Seems to be like the media are hoping to build her profile so to split the left wing vote and ultimately prevent a SF majority.
@Michael OKelly: Jesus they can’t win can they. If they didn’t give her as much coverage, you would be on here claiming the media are trying to suppress her.
@Michael OKelly:The idea of Sinn Fein or any political party winning an overall majority in 2023 is for the birds. They would have secure 2xTDs across 39 constituencies and some , you need 81 of 160 seats for a majority . SF can certainly win a large number seats if they manage the vote and secure the votes in the next GE as per the current opinion polls , but long gone are days of single party government. FF are only party ever to achieve it and the last one in 1977 …which was a the result of giveaway election promises almost broke the country in the 1980s. Ireland from here on is going to be governed by multi party coalition governments, but let’s hope no party gets too big , we need learn from past history.
@XvSv: yes but the idea that Sinn Fein will be the single biggest party is not for the birds at all ….the two big parties basically joined forces after 100 years because the voters shifting to Donna genuinely is vast numbers ….they are polling as the most popular party since the last election and you’d be pretty dumb to vote against Mary Lou becoming the first female Taoiseach / for sure politics has moved into an era of coalitions / Sinn Fein more likely to be in the driving seat that either FFG , there’s definitely change coming because people are living through a decade of various crisis – health housing cost of living etc , of course the established parties will have to own this reality / they had the opportunity to reform all our govt dept to make fit for purpose and failed
@Dave Hammond: They might even insist on a full stop in a sentence
Once they get a taste of power, they change….They always change….
Isn’t she the one with the biggest travel expenses so far this year. Nice if you can get it.
@Michael Dowling: Is that how people pick their candidates now? Have a glance at their travel expenses and vote in those with the lowest?
Holly Cairns = Media Darling . Enough said .
@FixoUZLA: doesn’t someone have to be?
Why wouldn’t politicians expect constituents to protest outside their homes? The policies they enact in the Dail affect me, you, and everyone else in this country when we are in our homes or out on the street because we can no longer afford our homes. Do the TDs and senators care about that?
And I don’t want to see the blinkered “feminist” Cairns climb the ladder either. She’s just using gender to get future votes It’s toxic and divisive.
@DublinDan: toxic and divisive? Lololol
They had their chance last time and ran for the hills
I wrote to Ms Cairns over a year and a half ago on an issue. I have yet to receive even an acknowledgement of my correspondence. Doesn’t say much for her ‘new approach’. I’m thinking her party will go the same way as the greens into non existence. I’m open to admitting I’m wrong :)
@Brian Boru: in doing so you would show your hand in how politically immature you are. I listen to these parties regularly and their so called spokespersons and forgive me if i like to competent people running the country. Thats not to say we have competent people running it now but that lot your suggesting wouldn’t run a bath. We have one of the richest countries in the world we need to keep that & repair our social issues which with political will are not difficult.
I hardly think voting for a party to support feminism is the best use of a vote? I’m more concerned about policy and what they’re going to do for the average punter. As history shows, our female politicians are often as incompetent (thinking here of Harney & Martin to name two) as their male counterparts.
I’m sorry but when I see someone describe themselves as a feminist, I read misandry.
The FF team have driven the great party into the ground
@trebloc01: The current state of FF standing has nothing to with the current leadership. The simple reason is the catastrophic financial crash they presided over between 2008-2010. I came from a staunch FF family background , but 29NOV2010 ( which happened to my 44 Birthday) is a day that no one in Ireland should forget , a day of infamy, that was the day the IMF&Trioka arrived and took over the running of our country after it effectively collapsed after 12 years of mis-management by FF led governments. Everyone in the country was impacted, but unlike in the past , most people like me didn’t forget. FF thought after they were crushed in 2011 GE, things would go right back to normal in the next GE. But they failed to factor in that I like many people had decided never to FF ever again !!
@XvSv: Fair play to you. I know FF supporters and they will continue to support their party no matter what. If you bring up all the bad things they did in 2008 and before, they will say that wasn’t FF’s fault etc. It’s pitiful to see in fairness.
Cairns was pretty quiet on Owen Hanley. Not a great look.
@TG McMahon: A lot of political parties and other institutions seem to have difficulty in dealing with allegations like this. They are probably all advised to say nothing and let the media frenzy blow over. Whether it’s a good look or not this tactic seems to work for everyone.
@ Sal Paradise : Yeah , something like that . But without the need of armbands .
@FixoUZLA: Think we should go back further than great grandparents. I hope for your sake you don’t have any Viking immigrant blood. The true Irish people will have you kicked out.
@Jim Ryan: Assume you want us to leave the EU and take control of our borders like the UK and put a halt to all the economic migrants from other EU countries taking our jobs and houses, along with the current non-EU immigration?
Also, what is your definition of “Irish people”? Maybe we could force people, who can’t prove that at least their great grandparents were born on the Island of Ireland, to wear a black armband so we know they are not true Irish people.
@ Alan Leahy : I think Russia should be invited to join EU and NATO . Of course that would be something for Russian people themselves to debate and decide on .
@Brian Boru: generally knuckle draggers do indeed vote for knuckle dragging candidates and they get ANNIHILATED at the polls.
I can’t figure out if she’s either very bright and hides it behind a girly faux naive mask or if she’s actually not just inexperienced but stupid. One to watch.
Russias attempt to sow disharmony in the EU is a poorly thought out one. They obviously don’t think very much of us !!!!!
2 million Irish fled Ireland when the potatoe crop failed in the mid 19th century.
Holly Cairns has to get Elected first before She talks to anyone . That may not be that easy .
have your say