Last month, we heard yet again about the need to stop global warming at about 1.5 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels. The International Energy Agency outlined a plan to meet that goal, and the United Nations secretary-general implored nations to get serious about cutting emissions to make it a reality.
That goal is a fantasy. This summer, global warming already yielded monthly average temperatures that exceeded pre-industrial averages by 1.5 degrees. It took more than a century for global annual average temperatures to reach the first degree, which happened around 2015. Climate data suggest that the next half-degree is likely to happen by the early 2030s, if not sooner, and that 2023 will be the warmest year on record.
Adaptation means lessening the harm caused by storm surges, floods, heat waves, fires and other weather-related perils. It requires new infrastructure, early warning systems and better awareness of how changes in the climate will harm things we value. The best adaptation strategies go further to pursue resilience—the ability to bounce back from destructive changes.
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-opinion-climate-isnt-emissions-huge.html
