Thanks at least in part to Trump's four years of reversing Obama policies, signaling to the rest of the world that there would be no political consequences for ignoring climate goals, greenhouse gas concentrations hit a record last year -- and this was despite the covid lockdown lull! A United Nations report says the world is "way off track" on capping rising temperatures. (Last week I wrote about the lobbying by various nations to downplay their part in this outcome before the upcoming climate talks in Glasgow.) Via Reuters:
A report by the U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) showed carbon dioxide levels surged to 413.2 parts per million in 2020, rising more than the average rate over the last decade despite a temporary dip in emissions during COVID-19 lockdowns.
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said the current rate of increase in heat-trapping gases would result in temperature rises "far in excess" of the 2015 Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average this century.
"We are way off track," he said. "We need to revisit our industrial, energy and transport systems and whole way of life," he added, calling for a "dramatic increase" in commitments at the COP26 conference beginning on Sunday.
Whoopee, we're all gonna die! Thanks to Joe Manchin, Joe Biden's major program to get this under control is at risk, at least until we get two more Senate seats. Via NPR:
The report comes ahead of next week's international climate meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, known as the Conference of the Parties, or COP, which is meant to take stock of global progress toward cutting emissions. The Biden administration is also struggling to save its Clean Electricity Performance Program, an effort that aims to reduce U.S. emissions to about half of 2005 levels by the end of the decade.
Together, the U.S., China and the European Union are responsible for more than 40% of global carbon emissions.
"At the current rate of increase in greenhouse gas concentrations, we will see a temperature increase by the end of this century far in excess of the Paris Agreement targets of 1.5 to 2 C above preindustrial levels," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said.
"We are way off track," he said.
Every summer, it gets hotter and hotter, but Joe Manchin is an assh*le who wouldn't dream of giving up any of those wonderful coal dollars to keep our grandchildren from burning up like a forgotten burger on the propane grill. THANKS, JOE! NICE BOAT YOU BOUGHT WITH THAT BLOOD MONEY!
