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Still think climate change isn’t real? 2019 was the second hottest year in history

It still confounds us that in 2019 there are those who deny that climate change and global warming exists, especially when faced with irrefutable scientific evidence, but here we are.

If you need any further proof that the Earth’s temperature is indeed rising to alarming levels, the recent figures for 2019 released by the World Meteorological Organisation and backed by NASA, NOAA and the Copernicus Climate Change Service, makes for worrying reading.

To that end, all these organisations have confirmed that 2019 was the second hottest year in recorded history, edged out only by 2016 for first place by 0.04 degrees Celsius. Regions like Europe bore the worst of it, experiencing its hottest year ever on average. 2019 also marks the 43rd year in a row where there were above-average global land and ocean temperatures.

For those interested in knowing, the five hottest years ever have all happened since 2015, so the fact that things are indeed getting hotter is hard to argue against.

“The average global temperature has risen by about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era and ocean heat content is at a record level,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. “On the current path of carbon dioxide emissions, we are heading towards a temperature increase of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius by the end of century,” he adds.

Depending on who you ask, we’re well past the tipping point, and 2020 has proved to be an equally hot year so far, particular for those in Australia who continue to battle against raging bushfires.

Whether the decision makers will remain blind to what the scientific evidence illustrates is unclear, but the past few year’s lack of action does not offer much cause for optimism.

[Image – Photo by Agustín Lautaro on Unsplash]

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