Written By: Alexandra Brooks
As 2024 begins, it is important to reflect on the impact that 2023 had on the planet. A report published by Berkeley Earth, an independent climate research group, reported earlier this year that “2023 was the warmest year on Earth since 1850, exceeding the previous record set in 2016 by a clear and definitive margin.”[1] According to Berkeley, new national record high annual averages for roughly 77 countries, record warmth throughout the ocean, and an emergent strong El Niño event contributed significantly to the record warmth people around the world experienced.[2] But what impact does this warming have on the environment?
One of the biggest impacts of the record high temperatures is the melting of the polar ice caps. The coverage of Arctic sea ice averaged 4.05 million square miles in 2023, ranking among the 10 lowest years on record.[3] Scientists state that the average global temperature for 2023 exceeded the pre-industrial era average by an average 1.35 degrees Celsius.[4] And if temperatures continue to rise at this rate and surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”) predicts catastrophic climate tipping points such as the Greenland Ice Sheet reaching a point of irreversible melting, and sea levels rising approximately 48 centimeters, which will result in the reshaping of coastlines and the relocating of millions.[5]
Unfortunately, scientists predict that the climate will surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next decade if changes are not made fast.[6] The IPCC states that in addition to “immediate and steep reductions in Greenhouse Gas (“GHG”) emissions, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius with no or limited overshoot now relies on carbon removal.” [7] This includes technological carbon removal methods such as direct air capture (DAC).[8] DAC removal of carbon, specifically in the United States, was supported by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided $3.5 billion to build four hubs that can remove 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) annually and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which increased the tax credits that DAC operators receive by over triple.[9] Additionally, in 2022, an international coalition of companies agreed to purchase over $1 billion worth of permanent carbon removal in order to continue making progress on the amount of emissions released into the environment.[10]
In an effort to make data about the emissions of GHG and their impact on average temperatures across the globe more accessible to decision-makers and the general public alike, the Biden-Harris Administration, in collaboration with NASA and several federal partners, recently launched the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center.[11] This center, which coordinates with U.S. government agencies and non-profit and private sectors, makes forms of data and resources regarding the emissions of GHG and their impact on global warming and the environment available online.[12] Studies have shown that informing the public of their impact on GHG emissions and climate change increases the public support for urgent action that can help limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.[13]
Scientists believe that there is a 33% chance that 2024 will be warmer than 2023.[14] In order to prevent this, personal action can be taken to help reduce GHG-related carbon pollution.[15] Switching to renewable sources of energy within the home, investing in energy-efficient appliances, purchasing LED light bulbs, and recycling are just a few of the ways that individuals can limit carbon pollution to ensure that 2024 does not replace 2023 as the hottest year on record.[16]
[1] Robert Rohde, Global Temperature Report for 2023, Berkeley Earth (January 12, 2024), https://berkeleyearth.org/global-temperature-report-for-2023/.
[2] Id.
[3] 2023 Was the World’s Warmest Year on Record, By Far, noaa (January 12, 2024), https://www.noaa.gov/news/2023-was-worlds-warmest-year-on-record-by-far.
[4] Id.
[5] Logan Rance, What Does Glacial Melting Tell Us About Our Changing Planet, earth.org (February 6, 2023), https://earth.org/glacial-melting/.
[6] Rohde, supra note 1.
[7] Sophie Boehm et al., Tracking Climate Action: How the World Can Still Limit Warming to 1.5 Degrees C, world resources institute (November 14, 2023), https://www.wri.org/insights/climate-action-progress-1-5-degrees-c#:~:text=The%20Intergovernmental%20Panel%20on%20Climate,approaches%20like%20direct%20air%20capture%20(.
[8] Id.
[9] Id.
[10] Id.
[11] Roxana Bardan, NASA Analysis Confirms 2023 as Warmest Year on Record, nasa (January 12, 2024), https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-analysis-confirms-2023-as-warmest-year-on-record/.
[12] Id.
[13] Communicating on Climate Change, united Nations, https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/communicating-climate-change#:~:text=Studies%20have%20also%20shown%20that,prospects%20of%20a%20sustainable%20world.
[14] 2023 Was the World’s Warmest Year on Record, By Far, supra note 3.
[15] Melissa Denchak, How You Can Stop Global Warming, nrdc (August 7, 2023), https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming.
[16] Id.