Dangerous limit expected to be reached on Earth this year

Paris Agreement

At large gatherings, authorities around the world are doing everything possible to slow the effects of global warming. Actions are taken and agreements are ratified. Moreover, the data collected by scientists indicate that these efforts are not having the expected result. According to the latest reports from the European agency Copernicus, the year 2024 is expected to end on a bad note when it comes to global average temperature. The positive anomaly would reach 1.5°C in reference to the pre-industrial level. In 2025, the Paris climate agreement planned to limit warming to 1.5°C above the level before the industrial era and to do everything possible not to exceed the threshold of 2°C.

Feedback loop

Scientists and climate specialists talk about a feedback loop when one phenomenon triggers another. For example, the more sea ice melts, the less it can reflect solar radiation, the more it absorbs energy from the sun. As a result, the waters become warmer. It’s sort of a vicious circle. The planet’s oceans store a lot of CO2, but they are also warming. In October 2024, still according to data provided by Copernicus, the large basins record an anomaly of 0.48°C compared to the average from 1991 to 2020.

Heavy trend

Climate experts are able to make a projection for the entire year. However, the temperature recorded during the first ten months of the year is worrying. From January to October, the anomaly reaches 0.71°C above the 1991-2020 average, which is a record. The old mark was observed last year at 0.55°C. The trend should therefore continue between now and January. Note, however, that the anticipated anomaly of 1.5°C is calculated in relation to that of the pre-industrial era, i.e. before 1850.

With the collaboration of Maxine Cloutier-Gervais, meteorologist.

SEE ALSO: A tornado uproots trees a few meters away