As the world gets hotter, environmental consequences get worse

This op-ed, written by SACE Coastal Climate & Energy Manager Chris Carnevale, originally appeared in The Post & Courier on August 11, 2019. See the full piece on the Post & Courier's website, referenced below.

Chris Carnevale | August 13, 2019 | Climate Change, Extreme Weather, South Carolina
‘Cracked soil and drought’ by water.alternatives is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Commentary: As the world gets hotter, environmental consequences get worse

Something notable just happened that cannot be ignored: July may have been the hottest month globally since record-keeping began in the 1800s, according to an initial analysis by a top meteorological organization.

Looking at the broader climate trends, the new record hot month is unfortunately unsurprising. July was the 415th consecutive month of above-20th-century-average temperatures. The five warmest years on record were from 2014-18, and this year is on track to join those ranks. Nine of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2005, and every year since 2001 has been in the top 20 warmest years on record.

Those are the observable facts.

As the world gets hotter, so does the United States, and in an already steamy place like coastal South Carolina, that is very bad news….

 

You can read the entire op-ed on the Post & Courier website here.

Join SACE and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) for a webinar, Aug. 27 at 1:00 pm ET, to discuss UCS’ new report, Killer Heat in the United States: Climate Choices and the Future of Dangerously Hot Days. The report details how if we act now to drastically cut heat-trapping emissions, we will reduce the frequency of future extreme heat days and spare millions of people from the threat of relentless summer heat. Scientists and analysts from UCS will discuss the report’s findings, energy implications, interactive maps, and solutions. Register here.
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Chris Carnevale
Chris is SACE’s Climate Advocacy Director. Chris joined the SACE staff in 2011 to help with building public understanding and engagement around clean energy solutions to the climate crisis. Chris…
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