Climate scientist warns of worsening impact without emission cuts

(MENAFN) A climate scientist is warning that 2023, which has seen a series of unprecedented climate disasters, may be just the beginning of more severe challenges if emissions continue to rise. The current year has been marked by a relentless string of extreme climate events, including prolonged wildfires, extreme heatwaves, flash floods, and devastating storms. Notably, the UN's climate agency has declared 2023 as having experienced the hottest summer on record.

Mathew Barlow, a climate science professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, underscores the severity of the situation, stating, "It's the worst year right now, but 10 years from now, 15 years from now, if we continue to increase emissions, this might look like a good year." He draws attention to the fact that these record-breaking extreme events have occurred with just slightly over a degree of global warming.

"We're on track for considerably more warming if we don't rapidly cut our emissions," he warns. Barlow emphasizes the urgent need for significant and swift reductions in all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. He cautions against accepting the current situation as the "new normal," asserting that it represents only a waypoint towards even more dire consequences if emissions are not curbed.

MENAFN24092023000045015682ID1107128577