Looming Climate Danger: Scientists Predict 2016 to be the Hottest Year as April Breaks Records

The world’s climate is fast changing. The change is, however, not bringing any good news to the people living in it. The current climate situation is in fact, not pleasant at all.

The world is getting warmer and warmer. New data released by the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has put the earth’s land and sea temperatures at 1.11 degrees Celsius. In the past, scientists have said that if the figure hit 2 degrees Celsius, it will have a devastating climate impact on the world.

In this current data, the month of April was used as a reference point. According to NASA’s climate researchers, this year’s April was warmer than average April temperatures between 1951 and 1980.

Based on the available data, the researchers predict that 2016 will be the hottest year, and by the biggest margin. The researchers also say the data looked gloomy, and that extraordinary measures and commitment needed to be implemented to avoid an imminent climate disaster.

The researchers have therefore declared a “climate emergency.” At the 2015 Climate Conference in the French capital, Paris, 195 countries agreed to deal with greenhouse gases emissions mitigation by the year 2020. They also agreed to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below the dangerous 2 degrees Celsius – above pre-industrial levels – and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The countries were made aware that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.

The agreement was formally opened on April 2016 for signing. So far, 177 countries out of the 195 countries that made the pledge have signed the commitment document. But scientists now believe the adoption of the agreement is not going to have any impact on the fragile situation we are currently facing.

With Apr update, 2016 still > 99% likely to be a new record (assuming historical ytd/ann patterns valid). pic.twitter.com/GTN9sPL2D7

— Gavin Schmidt (@ClimateOfGavin) May 14, 2016

The release of the data, and the warning by scientists, seem to have put world leaders on red alert. On April 16, leaders began a 10-day meeting in Bonn, Germany, to follow up on the agreement and to work out just how to make targets set in Paris achievable.

World leaders have agreed with scientists that global greenhouse gas emissions will need to peak soon; followed by quick reductions over the years ahead to contain the rapid temperature rises.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change said in a statement “In the second half of the century those emissions need to be so low they can be easily absorbed by the Earth’s natural systems such as forests and soils.”

Spiralling global temperatures from 1850-2016 (full animation) https://t.co/YETC5HkmTr pic.twitter.com/Ypci717AHq

— Ed Hawkins (@ed_hawkins) May 9, 2016

Temperature rises have had a boost in the past year from a strong El Nino, a weather event characterized by the warming of ocean waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean that brings extreme weather, including drought and heavy rains to other parts of the world. Previously, El Nino used to affect mostly South American countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, but now, due to rapid changes in the global weather system, it is spreading fast to other parts of the world. El Nino has already contributed to a severe drought in the east African country of Somalia.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, under the auspices of the United Nations, warned earlier this year that more than 50,000 children in the country risk dying of starvation, due to the intensity of the drought.

This is the exact danger the world is now facing. If the temperature continues to rise, observers say there will be shortage of food and a drastic decline of fresh water, putting humanity in a grave danger. Especially in the United States, it is said the rising temperature could significantly increase the spate of wildfires and hurricanes, putting many species in danger of extinction.

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