The Climate Question News update: The Earth breaches its temperature target
Jan 10, 2025
Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist from UC Berkeley and IPCC author, discusses the alarming breach of the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold in 2024. He highlights the urgency of adhering to the Paris Agreement in light of recent scientific findings. The conversation also touches on innovative adaptations, such as Malawian farmers producing banana wine for economic stability. Additionally, the impact of rising temperatures on humpback whale migration and breeding patterns is explored, emphasizing the need for global climate action.
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1.5°C Breach
- 2024 marked the first time the global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, according to Copernicus data.
- While significant, this single year doesn't confirm a Paris Agreement breach, which requires a 20-year average above 1.5°C.
Temperature Data Discrepancies
- Different organizations use varying methods to estimate pre-industrial temperatures, leading to slight discrepancies in warming calculations.
- Zeke Hausfather explains these differences arise from filling data gaps in the early record, not current measurements.
Air Pollution's Masking Effect
- Reduced air pollution, specifically sulfur dioxide emissions, has unmasked some greenhouse gas warming.
- This "global dimming" effect is partly responsible for the recent unexpected temperature increases.