2021 – more extreme weather encountered world wide

2021 together with the previous 7 years have been the hottest since temperatures have been recorded. In 10 countries, located around the world, extreme temperatures equalled or exceeded previous records. For example, in August, Syracuse in Italy recorded the highest temperature ever in Europe. Moreover in almost half the world’s countries , one or more mothly temeperatures were exceeded.

Other extremes included warmer winters in Alaska and Siberia, droughts for two successive years in Kenya and one year’s rain in 3 days in Henan Province in China.

These extremes can almost all be attributed to global warming caused by congregation of greenhouse gases in the upper atmosphere which trap some of the infra red rays reflected back from the earth’s surface.

The highest increase in temperature was recorded in Siberia with temperatures higher by up to 10C during much of the summer resulting in massive forest fires and loss of sea ice. Such rises in temperature will likely increase melting of the permafrost resulting in release of methane, a greenhouse gas whose global warming potential is eighty times that of carbon dioxide, the most abundant greenhouse gas.

The oceans
Oceans are a major sink of not only greenhouse gases but also of global warmth with the result that in spite of their huge volume, ocean temperatures have risen steadily. These temperature rises are directly affecting marine life including kelp forests and coral reefs.

All these events prove that our climate is changing and will continue to change until we are able to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% this decade. Since each of us is responsible for our carbon emissions, each of us will have to do more to reduce our carbon footprint significantly.

03/02/2022