"As temperatures rise, so
will we," says 350.org.
The World Meteorological
Organization said Thursday
that July 2019 may go down as the hottest month the planet has seen thus far in
recorded history.
"July has re-written
climate history, with dozens of new temperature records at local, national, and
global level," said WMO chief Petteri Taalas.
Using data from Europe's
Copernicus Climate Change Program from the first 29 days of the month, the WMO
said that July at least equaled—and may have broken—the dubious record set in
July 2016.
2016, however, was marked by
the occurrence of an El Niño phenomenon, which can contribute to
warmer temperatures. 2019 is not.
July's warmth followed the
planet's warmest June ever recorded, according
to global scientists. What's more, said the WMO, 2015 to 2019 are on
track to be the warmest five years on the books.
WMO's Taalas, in his
statement, noted the string of recent events that coincided with the warmer
temperatures.
"The extraordinary heat
was accompanied by dramatic ice melt in Greenland, in the Arctic, and on
European glaciers," he said. "Unprecedented wildfires raged in the
Arctic for the second consecutive month, devastating once pristine forests
which used to absorb carbon dioxide and instead turning them into fiery sources
of greenhouse gases."
The WMO also pointed to the
July heatwave that gripped Europe, during which cities like Paris notched new
record highs. The countries of Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and the
Netherlands broke national records for warmest temperatures.
"This is not science
fiction," said Taalas. "It is the reality of climate change. It is
happening now and it will worsen in the future without urgent climate
action."
Groups including 350.org,
Fridays for Future, and Extinction Rebellion are ready to deliver that message
with a bullhorn in global climate actions scheduled
for September 20 and 27.
"As temperatures rise, so
will we," said 350.org
on Twitter Friday.
"The hottest month in
human history means it's time for the boldest climate action possible from our
leaders," added the group.
UN Secretary-General António
Guterres echoed the call for swift action.
"This year alone, we have
seen temperature records shattered from New Delhi to Anchorage, from Paris to
Santiago, from Adelaide and to the Arctic Circle. If we do not take action on
climate change now," he said, "these extreme weather events are just
the tip of the iceberg. And, indeed, the iceberg is also rapidly melting."
"Preventing irreversible
climate disruption is the race of our lives, and for our lives," said
Guterres. "It is a race that we can and must win."
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