🌡️ What’s With All These Climate Records, and Who’s To Blame?

Hey there! Today’s newsletter takes a different turn. Instead of the usual mix of upbeat science stories, I’m dedicating this issue to a single topic: climate change.

Warmest April

April 2024 turned a typical spring bloom into a global heatwave. It smashed temperature records, marking the eleventh consecutive month of unprecedented warmth. At 15.03 degrees Celsius, it was significantly warmer than averages from the last century.

The past 12 months have been the warmest recorded period, with temperatures soaring 1.61 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This warming was especially pronounced in Eastern Europe and across northern and northeastern North America, Greenland, eastern Asia, the northwest Middle East, parts of South America, and most of Africa. Meanwhile, Norway, Sweden, and Finland—parts of a region known as Fennoscandia—experienced colder conditions. 

Sea temperatures also hit a record high for April at 21.04 degrees Celsius, continuing a 13-month streak of oceanic warmth. Despite a weakening El Niño in the Pacific, marine temperatures stayed unusually high, signalling persistent global warming trends.

This recent temperature surge has puzzled climate scientists because current models did not predict such extreme heat anomalies. Researchers considered several possible explanations, including a volcanic eruption in Tonga and the reduction of sulfur emissions, which generally have a cooling effect on the atmosphere. Ironically, this reduction is partly due to the shipping industry switching to cleaner fuels.

Climate Costs

As extreme weather becomes more common, the financial toll of these changes is becoming increasingly apparent. Researchers estimate that by 2049, climate change damages could reach $38 trillion annually. This figure is six times higher than the cost of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius. The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research team based their projection on an analysis of climate-related expenses across 1,600 regions, focusing on changes in rainfall and temperature. The financial impact will hit tropical countries hardest, as they are already experiencing rising temperatures.

Emission Offenders

Okay, things look grim, but do we know who to blame? Spoiler alert: we certainly do.

Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, just 57 companies, mostly in fossil fuels and cement, have been responsible for 80 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. 

A new report from the London-based think tank InfluenceMap highlights that state-owned firms like Gazprom and Rosneft particularly ramped up production after the agreement. While emissions from privately owned coal companies dropped by 27.9 per cent, national and state-owned coal producers’ emissions increased.

Remarkably, just 19 entities have accounted for half of the global CO2 emissions since 1854.

Cleaner Air Delay

If we want a healthier planet, we really need to step up our game.

Cleaning up Indian coal-fired power plants could have saved 720,000 lives over the past decade, according to recent research. In India, 600 coal power plants produce over 70 per cent of the electricity. However, less than 5 per cent have installed modern air pollutant control systems. Meanwhile, 95 per cent of similar plants in China had such technology by 2013.

Had India’s power plants adopted clean-up technologies in 2010, nearby residents could have seen particle pollution decrease by up to 28 per cent, potentially reducing early deaths by 17 per cent.

Heavy stuff, indeed. But if you’re looking for reasons to feel optimistic, check out this article about how the world may have already reached peak pollution levels.

Robot Firefighters

And here’s some encouraging news: AI is revolutionising wildfire management. Danish company Robotto uses autonomous drones to provide firefighters with real-time data on wildfires. These drones quickly scan vast areas, identify hotspots, and track the fire’s size and direction. This crucial information is then mapped out for firefighters, helping them respond more effectively to the unfolding crisis.

Yes, we’ve made a mess of our planet, but thankfully, the robots might be the clean-up crew we need.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed my newsletter, please like it and share it with friends. See you next time!

Elia Kabanov is a science writer covering the past, present, and future of technology (@metkere).

Illustration: Elia Kabanov feat. MidJourney. Charts: Copernicus and Axios.