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THE WORLD IS on course for a “catastrophic” temperature rise this century, the United Nations said today as it confirmed that 2020 rivalled 2016 as the hottest year on record.
The relentless pace of climate change is destroying lives, said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation said 2011-2020 had been the warmest decade recorded.
2020 “rivalled 2016 for the top spot”, according to the WMO’s consolidation of five leading international datasets.
The La Nina cool phase of the Pacific Ocean surface temperatures cycle “put a brake on the heat only at the very end of the year,” the WMO said.
The UN weather agency said the warmest three years on record were 2016, 2019 and 2020, and the differences between them in average global temperatures were “indistinguishably small”.
It said the average global temperature in 2020 was about 14.9 degrees Celsius — a figure 1.2 C above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level.
The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change calls for capping global warming at well below 2 C above the pre-industrial level, while countries will pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 C.
The WMO believes there is at least a one in five chance of the average global temperature temporarily exceeding the 1.5 C mark by 2024.
“The confirmation by the WMO that 2020 was one of the warmest years on record is yet another stark reminder of the relentless pace of climate change, which is destroying lives and livelihoods across our planet,” said UN chief Guterres.
“We are headed for a catastrophic temperature rise of 3-5 C this century.
“Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century. It must be the top priority.”
The WMO said the standout weather features of 2020 were the sustained heat and wildfires in Siberia and the low Arctic sea ice extent, plus the record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season.
“The global signal from human-induced climate change is now as powerful as the force of nature,” said WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas.
“Heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere remain at record levels and the long lifetime of carbon dioxide, the most important gas, commits the planet to future warming.”
I read the headline and then then the next line about fruit flies and for a second I was very confused as to why fruit flies would need clothes! I appolagise it’s early and my brain hasn’t had its coffee yet!
Spell check Rachel, I APOlOGIZE for the pedantics.
…if you’re American. ‘Round these parts, we spell it apologise.
Great bit of research.
Burrrrnnn
Did you not read her comment? She hasn’t had her coffee yet.
If that’s for me Ciara, I was directing my comment at Robert (love correcting grammar nazis!)
But I should have been clearer – I was also without coffee at the time; three cups up now and still not on top of my game.
Jeeze relax Robert (mutters to self: “there’s always one”) as for the lovely ladies who actually got and defended my comment thank you! ……Oh and merry christmas ladies, hope ye all have a wonderful holiday :)
This article is very poorly written as there are some huge benefits to habituation and this is actually great news that they are making a breakthrough in this area. Tens of thousands of people in Ireland
Suffer from tinnitus. It can be seriously debilitating and if you can’t habituate to it can lead to prolonged stress anxiety and depression. Another issue is chronic pain management. If there is no cure for your condition and the only way to treat it is with powerful pain killers then habituation could be hugely beneficial. Well done trinity for the breakthrough and long may it continue.
This is theJournal, not theJournalofScience. Think of it as food for thought – - it’s never comprehensive.
This is what we should be spending money on not throwing into the septic tank that is welfare. I really cannot see the value in wasting good money on useless people
Is your real name enda kenny? Such a useless comment from somebody who has probably never been unemployed due to having a relative who knows somebody who knows somebody.
Assuming people who have no job are useless is a bit …. well useless.
Welfare also includes child support which your mother most likely availed of to raise you
But hey, your right, fcuk logic!!
Enda…….Sheer ignorance.
I have Aspergers syndrome, which is an an autism spectrum disorder. I also have a PhD from Trinity College, in geology.
As a child I suffered allot from sensory sensitivities, clothes itched terribly, especially wool. Imagine wearing clothes made of glass fibre. I fainted in class because of the smell of the paper used in art class. On a school tour I had to stand up on the tour bus as the seats were too itchy. I’m still very sensitive to sound.
I have friend with Aspergers who was bullied by school bullies who would scratch their nails across their school bags, the sound caused her physical pain. She’s still frightened, traumatised, by the sound of material, clothes / bags, making any sort of scratching sound.
These problem lessens for some with age, but not all. This research is welcome. It certainly will one day help young children with autism avoid the difficulties with debilitating sensory sensitivity.
Well said David!!
I too am picturing fruit flies in little hats n gloves….and ugg boots :)))
Good comment. Just wait for 5 hours until the useless people wake up so they can reply to your comment!
for Enda (purple egg)
Was my reply early enough for you? By the way i work but this attitude towards the unemployed makes me sick. 14% unemployment even after mass emigration yet a few years ago we had 3 % unemployment. Are all those people useless???
Ruari if you have a phd and are fluent in say 5 languages then I would pity you if you were on welfare, anyone else well they are just not worth bothering about
Enda i emigrated to get work but i know lots of good people, some educated and some not who are not in a position to emigrate and cannot find work. They are not useless. Thats a very narrow minded view you have. About 3% dont want to work. In economic terms 3% is full employment.
Bandy – not to mention the doctors, nurses, guards, taxi, drivers, shift workers ect that were working last night.
Guess those genes don’t work when my jocks get in a bunch. I can assure you I feel that when it happens!!
Culchies… How do they explain the track suit bottoms & shoes or the wranglers & mucky work boots to the pub??
Couldn’t be stupidity that the Irish pay tax on their Family Homes to bail out the banks.
Must be genetic. What do you think Profs?
Get a real job for god sake , no one cares
Love it bud
Beam us all up Enda to your utopian planet. On second thoughts…
Hope they find the gene as to why potential scientists waste time on pointless research and eradicate it.
And the above comment is why we shid no waste any money on the underclasses their brains aren’t developed enough to contribute to society
I shid u not :)
You shid have spent more time in English class buddy.
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