Climate change is rapidly reshaping life on Earth— in 2023, there were unprecedented climate change impacts and environmental hazards, including rising temperatures, melting Arctic, and devastating wildfires in Canada.
With two weeks left, 2023 is on track to be the warmest year on record, with average temperatures about 2.5°F warmer than pre-industrial levels. July was the hottest month ever recorded, and July 4th was the warmest day ever recorded, making it perhaps one of the warmest in the past 125,000 years.
In 2023, global carbon emissions from fossil fuels, which are the main cause of rising temperatures, reached a record high. These emissions have increased by 1.1 percent since 2022.
In 2023, wildfires in Canada and the United States burned a record-breaking 45.7 million acres of land, which is nearly three times the previous record and twice the size of Portugal. These wildfires caused significant damage and affected the air quality in the region.
Earth’s most northerly region Arctic, continues to warm four times faster than the rest of the planet. In December, NOAA published its annual Arctic Report Card, which found that 2023 was the warmest year ever recorded in the region. At the other end of the Earth, Antarctic sea ice dwindled to a record low.
However, amidst the negative environmental events in 2023, there were also positive developments that brought hope.
The shift towards renewable energy is ongoing, although not as fast as desired. Global sales of common types of electric vehicles rose 20 percent this year, according to one study. Sales increased by 43 percent in the United States and Canada, and 25 percent in China.
Some species have become extinct, while others have reappeared after decades. The 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act emphasized that certain species, which were once on the verge of extinction, are now relatively flourishing.
Reference- National Geographic, The Washington Post, Reuters, BBC, International Energy Authority