In the past two years, global climate change seems to pose much greater pressures to the world than in the past. Not only NGOs like Greenpeace and sustainability activists are calling out for the attention of such issue, governmental institutions of various countries and regions have also strengthened their cooperation and participation in this as well. In September 2020, China pledged to achieve its carbon emissions peak before 2030 and become "carbon neutral" before 2060, an ambition regarded as a major progress. While both China and the United States are locked in geopolitical conflicts, the two countries nonetheless recognize that climate change is an area where the both should strengthen cooperation.
ANBOUND researchers noted that there is more proactivity now in the face of climate change and there is more willingness for cooperation, largely due of the impact of climate change on the environment for human survival and development is very real, and finding measures to cope with it is of utmost urgency,
According to the newly rolled out Blue Book on Climate Change in China 2021, in 2020 the global average temperature was 1.2°C higher than pre-industrial level, a mere 0.3 °C lower than the 1.5°C limit of global temperature rise outlined in the Paris Agreement. Once this limit is exceeded, it would be difficult for the earth's temperature to decrease. Data shows that 2011-2020 is the warmest decade since 1850. In 2020, the average land surface temperature in Asia was 1.06°C higher than normal, making it the warmest year since the beginning of the 20th century.
Since 2021, there are frequent occurrences of extreme weather around the world, and this has become catastrophic in many regions, forcing us to realize the severity of climate change's consequences.
At the end of June and early July this year, rare heat wave has swept across northwestern United States and parts of Canada. British Columbia in Canada experienced a record high of 49 °C where at least 719 people in the province suffered sudden and accidental deaths during this period, which was three times of the normal situation in the province within 7 days. Marine biologists estimate that because of to the high temperature, one billion small organisms, including mussels, died of heat waves along the Salish Sea in western North America alone.
In the western part of the United States, from June 26, Portland at Oregon has witness record-breaking maximum temperatures of 42.2 °C, 44.4 °C, and 46.6 °C for three consecutive days. In Washington, the temperature in Seattle also exceeded 42 °C on June 28, while Pasco recorded an ultra-high temperature of 47.7 °C on the same day, reaching the state's high temperature record set on August 5, 1961. The temperature in Las Vegas once exceeded 47.2 °C, setting a high temperature record since 1942. Meanwhile, the temperature in California's Death Valley National Park even reached 52.2 °C. Under such hot weather, more than 30 million people in the western United States are affected.
Both Europe and Asia have encountered extremely rare super floods. In mid-July, flood has severely affected Western Europe. On July 21, severe flooding caused by extreme rainfall in Western Europe has killed at least 200 people, of which 156 people perished in Germany alone. In addition to Germany, other European countries such as Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands have also experienced floods. Stefan Rahmstorf, professor of marine physics at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, said that it is unclear whether the extreme rainfall in Germany is a direct result of global warming, but due to global warming, the situation will only become more frequent.
China also experienced unusually heavy rainfall in July. In Henan Province, located at the central region of China, its capital city Zhengzhou's rainfall reached 622.7 mm from 2 am on July 20 to 2 am on July 21. On July 20, the maximum rainfall / hour in Zhengzhou was 201.9 mm. In Hebi City, Henan Province, from July 21 to 22, the 24-hour rainfall reached 777.5 mm. As of August 2, the severe floods in Henan that began on July 10 caused a total of 302 deaths and 50 persons missing. A total of 292 people were killed and 47 people went missing in Zhengzhou. Among them, 189 people were killed due to floods and mudslides, and 54 people were killed due to collapsed buildings. Extraordinarily heavy rain is defined as the precipitation of more than 250 mm in 24 hours, and the rain in the region has exceeded that figure.
In South America, violent cold current recently hit Brazil, a mostly tropical country. Southern Brazil has even seen snowfall, a rare occurrence that has not happened for many years. As the polar air mass advanced to central and southern Brazil, the temperature in the higher altitude areas of southern Brazil could drop to minus - 10 °C. Weather consulting company Rural Clima said it expects this to be the coldest day in Brazil this year. Although most of the crops in southern Brazil have been harvested earlier, the real pressure may come a year later. Last year's drought has especially hit hard the older coffee trees, and this frost will cause continuous damage to the seedlings. If the coffee trees are replanted, it will take about three years for them to be productive. Cold air was not uncommon at this time in Brazil almost every year for the past decade, but the cold has lasted since May this year, and this is a rare in history.
With rising temperatures in the Arctic and the impact of heat waves, Greenland now suffers the worst meltwater incident on record. On July 27 alone, the disappearing glaciers on Greenland were enough to flood Florida. Located in the northeastern part of North America, Greenland is the largest island in the world. More than 80% of the island's land is covered by ice and snow, and the Greenland ice sheet is the second largest single ice sheet in the world after Antarctica. However, under the impact of global climate change, the Greenland ice sheet is melting fast. The pictures of Greenland taken by the European Space Agency (ESA) show that due to the increase in Arctic temperature, Greenland's glaciers are melting in large areas and spreading towards the Arctic Ocean. According to Denmark Meteorological Institute, on July 27, Greenland's single-day ice melt volume reached 8.5 billion tons. The researchers pointed out that these data are sufficient to flood Florida with 2 inches (approximately 5 cm) of water.
Final analysis conclusion:
Abnormal weather around the world indicates that global climate change is intensifying, and has had very real impact, causing the loss of human life and property, and damaging industrial and agricultural production. Facing the imminent abnormal climate change, there is an urgency to respond quickly before it is too late.
