"The
Earth just endured its hottest 12 months in the modern era, and
probably the hottest in 125,000 years, according to an analysis
published Thursday.
"That
means nearly 3 in 4 people experienced more than a month’s worth of
heat so extreme, it would have been unusual in the past, but became at
least three times more likely because of human-caused climate change,
scientists at Climate Central found.
"And it means that the planet is closer than ever to a global warming benchmark that scientists have predicted could irreversibly damage, if not destroy, entire ecosystems
— 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial
norms. Data shows a surge of warming this year has pushed average
planetary temperatures 1.3 to 1.4 degrees Celsius above 19th-century
levels..." -- Scott Dance in the Washington Post, reporting on the climate change that all but ensures next year will continue a trend that's developed over decades. It's hard not to relate the clichéd allegory of the frog slowly boiled to death before it's aware of the danger to the fate of humanity. But here we are.
