Climate Crisis Reaches Critical Point as Global Records Shatter in 2024

[Social Media]

 

A stark new report warns that climate change is spiraling out of control, with many of its effects now deemed irreversible. In 2024, records were shattered for greenhouse gas emissions, global temperatures, and sea level rise, marking an alarming acceleration in the planet’s warming trajectory.

 

 

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), last year was officially the hottest in the 175-year record and the first time the Earth's average surface temperature surpassed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This threshold was set under the Paris Agreement as a critical limit, yet the consequences of breaching it, even temporarily, could be felt for centuries, if not millennia. The WMO's report highlights cascading effects on the planet’s climate system, including the rapid retreat of glaciers and ice sheets, intensified extreme weather events, and rising ocean temperatures.

 

 

Although a warming El Niño event contributed to 2024’s extreme heat, scientists confirm that greenhouse gas emissions were the primary driver.

 

 

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached an unprecedented 3.276 trillion tonnes—the highest in over 800,000 years. The concentration of CO2 hit 420 parts per million (ppm) in 2024, an increase of 2.3 ppm from 2022 and 151% above pre-industrial levels.

 

 

“The latest planetary health check tells us that Earth is profoundly ill. Many of the vital signs are sounding alarms,” said Professor Stephen Belcher, chief scientist at the UK Met Office.

 

Surface temperatures continued their upward trajectory, with 2024’s global mean surface temperature measuring 1.55°C above the pre-industrial average. While this figure is higher than the 1.5°C threshold set in the Paris Agreement, the agreement remains technically intact, as its warming limits are based on long-term averages rather than single-year data. The WMO estimates that the long-term warming trend now stands at 1.34–1.41°C above pre-industrial levels.

 

The world’s oceans, which absorb 90% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases, reached their highest temperatures in recorded history in 2024. The rate of ocean warming has also surged dramatically, with data showing that from 2005 to 2024, the pace of ocean warming more than doubled compared to the period between 1960 and 2005. Even in the most optimistic low-emissions scenarios, ocean temperatures are projected to continue rising for the rest of the century. Since CO2 lingers in the atmosphere for generations, the effects of today's emissions will be felt for centuries.

 

“The data for 2024 show that our oceans continued to warm, and sea levels continued to rise,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. “The frozen parts of Earth’s surface, known as the cryosphere, are melting at an alarming rate: glaciers continue to retreat, and Antarctic sea ice reached its second-lowest extent ever recorded.”

 

Both the maximum and minimum sea-ice extents in Antarctica in 2024 ranked as the second lowest since records began in 1979. This marks the third consecutive year that the minimum daily sea-ice extent has fallen below two million square kilometers. In the Arctic, the minimum sea-ice extent of 4.28 million square kilometers was the seventh lowest on record.

 

Glacier loss is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. Over the past three years, the world has experienced the largest three-year loss in glacier size, with particularly severe shrinkage observed in Norway, Sweden, Svalbard, and the Andes. Earth's glaciers are now melting so quickly that they contribute 273 billion tonnes of ice into the ocean each year. Since 2000, this has raised global sea levels by 1.8 cm, making glacier melt the second biggest contributor to rising oceans.

 

Sea level rise is now at its highest point since satellite records began in 1993. The rate of increase is also accelerating, with the annual rise from 2015 to 2024 doubling that of the period from 1993 to 2002, increasing from 2.1 mm per year to 4.7 mm per year.

 

Extreme weather events intensified globally in 2024, displacing more people than in any of the previous 16 years. “Meanwhile, extreme weather continues to have devastating consequences around the world,” Saulo warned. As a warmer climate holds more moisture and energy, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe. Some regions are experiencing rapid swings between extreme wet and dry conditions, a phenomenon scientists call “climate whiplash.”

 

In the United States, Hurricanes Helene and Milton both made landfall on Florida’s west coast in October as major hurricanes, causing tens of billions of dollars in damages. Hurricane Helene alone was responsible for over 200 deaths due to extreme rainfall and flooding—the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Katrina in 2005.

 

Despite the dire findings, scientists insist that the worst impacts of climate change can still be mitigated. “We are making progress but need to go further and need to go faster,” Saulo stressed. She pointed out that only half of all countries worldwide have adequate early warning systems, a gap that must be addressed urgently.

 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that while the planet is sounding ever more urgent distress signals, action is still possible. “Our planet is issuing more distress signals—but this report shows that limiting long-term global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius is still possible,” Guterres said.

 

Based on a report by Daily Mail  2025-03-21

 

 

[JonnyF]

Meanwhile, back in reality.

 

[klauskunkel]

6 hours ago, Social Media said:

The latest planetary health check tells us that Earth is profoundly ill.

I disagree: Earth is not profoundly ill.

Earth is just becoming less and less habitable for human civilization, that's all. Life will evolve to adapt to higher temps as it has done numerous times before in Earth's history. Humans will either achieve a workable technical solution, or mutate and adapt, or die out. 

Earth and Nature are doing just fine, they just won't be humancentric anymore...

[connda]

Of course it did.  You'll all die if you don't give all your money to Al Gore so that he can fight climate change.

[connda]

3 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

I disagree: Earth is not profoundly ill.

Earth is just becoming less and less habitable for human civilization, that's all. Life will evolve to adapt to higher temps as it has done numerous times before in Earth's history. Humans will either achieve a workable technical solution, or mutate and adapt, or die out. 

Earth and Nature are doing just fine, they just won't be humancentric anymore...

And then when the next Ice Age arrives, Life will again evolve to adapt.

This has been going since the Earth began to support life.  Climate always changes.  Man isn't responsible - the Sun is - and sending your money to Al Gore or living like a feudal peasant while the elites hoover up your money and laugh isn't going to change the change.  The climate with continue to change:  warmer, cooler, warmer, cooler.......as it has been doing for millions of year.

[FlorC]

Only 6 more years ! Spend them wisely.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-climate-change-world-will-end-12-years-un-report-1300873

[connda]

7 hours ago, Social Media said:

In the United States, Hurricanes Helene and Milton both made landfall on Florida’s west coast in October as major hurricanes, causing tens of billions of dollars in damages. Hurricane Helene alone was responsible for over 200 deaths due to extreme rainfall and flooding—the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Katrina in 2005.

OMG There were never Cat 5 hurricanes during my life!!!

But?  There were!  And killer-F5-tornados. And all other sorts of extreme weather events since I was a kid.  The only difference is that the MSM and global elites are out there convincing the weakest minds that it's Man-Made-Climate-Change^TM and that unless you live like a feudal slave and, better yet, stop breathing, The_World_Will_End^TM.  It's freaking the cyclical nature of Nature. 

[daveAustin]

Cue the donkeys, boomers usually, labelling it all 'hot air'. They think it fine to continually pump billions of tons of shiite into the atmosphere, that our tiny planet will handle it with no detrimental effect on its inhabitants. These old folk will be dead pretty soon hey, so it doesn't matter much, right? The human ego is utterly selfish, arrogant, corrupted, diseased and in denial. I hear Venus is cozy this time of year. The fire-starters and big polluting agents should all F off there methinks. Let's start the ball rolling with the you-know-who incompetent old war-mongering fogey politicians that could make the most difference. 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Cue the donkeys, boomers usually, labelling it all 'hot air'. They think it fine to continually pump billions of tons of shiite into the atmosphere, that our tiny planet will handle it with no detrimental effect on its inhabitants. These old folk will be dead pretty soon hey, so it doesn't matter much, right? The human ego is utterly selfish, arrogant, corrupted, diseased and in denial. I hear Venus is cozy this time of year. The fire-starters and big polluting agents should all F off there methinks. Let's start the ball rolling with the you-know-who incompetent old war-mongering fogey politicians that could make the most difference. 

Feel better now?

 

We don't think that, it's corporations who's god is profit that are pumping the s***e into the atmosphere, corporations run by middle aged people. Of course all the posters moaning about it on here would be livid if they couldn't get a plane to their favourite destination, or drive a car and have to take a bus, etc. Hypocrites IMO.

 

So, tell us what you are doing without to stop climate change- not flying, not eating meat grown on cleared forest land, not having children etc?

[FlorC]

7 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Cue the donkeys, boomers usually, labelling it all 'hot air'. They think it fine to continually pump billions of tons of shiite into the atmosphere, that our tiny planet will handle it with no detrimental effect on its inhabitants. These old folk will be dead pretty soon hey, so it doesn't matter much, right? The human ego is utterly selfish, arrogant, corrupted, diseased and in denial. I hear Venus is cozy this time of year. The fire-starters and big polluting agents should all F off there methinks. Let's start the ball rolling with the you-know-who incompetent old war-mongering fogey politicians that could make the most difference. 

 

7 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

fire-starters

Fire starters ? You mean the lefties burning down north LA , that expensive place in Hawaii (I forget the difficult name) , the Canadian wildfires ?

More lefties burning cities (mostly peaceful) , Tesla cars and dealers . Sure , must be all boomers. 

[thaibeachlovers]

40 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

I disagree: Earth is not profoundly ill.

Earth is just becoming less and less habitable for human civilization, that's all. Life will evolve to adapt to higher temps as it has done numerous times before in Earth's history. Humans will either achieve a workable technical solution, or mutate and adapt, or die out. 

Earth and Nature are doing just fine, they just won't be humancentric anymore...

100% correct. If all humans were to vanish tomorrow the planet would be far better off.

 

IMO humans will do nothing till it's too late and then moan about it. That's what we normally do.

In any event, there is nothing we can do to stop it, and as long as the population increases rapidly, the end will come sooner. We exceeded Earth's carrying capacity at 3 billion IMO. Short of nature really doing a job on us, or nuclear war, that's not going to change.

 

Sooooo, let the easily fooled carry on driving an expensive battery car, while the other 8 billion drive ICE vehicles and burn the forests to grow hamburgers.

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, Social Media said:

Despite the dire findings, scientists insist that the worst impacts of climate change can still be mitigated. “We are making progress but need to go further and need to go faster,” Saulo stressed. She pointed out that only half of all countries worldwide have adequate early warning systems, a gap that must be addressed urgently.

 

Seriously, early warning systems? Does she have shares? Given there are no safe areas to go to, safe areas with food, water and medical care, what are we supposed to do when the early warning system tells us a storm is coming, run down to the beach to see the big waves?

"mitigated", LOL. As usual the numpties never say what is needed to "mitigate", or how much it's going to cost US. As usual they never ask us, the people going to pay for it, what we think would be a good idea- only those anointed from above are clever enough to know what to do, even though they haven't actually done much so far.

 

IMO just another scam by rich people to fool the peasants into making them even richer.

[Snackbar]

No legal system without criminals.

 

No funding without climate science

[connda]

3 hours ago, FlorC said:

Only 6 more years ! Spend them wisely.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-climate-change-world-will-end-12-years-un-report-1300873

How old is she?  We've been hearing this doom and gloom about "a man-made climate catastrophe in the next tens years" since before AOC was born.  Yet here we are.  The Polar Icecaps haven't melted yet, the Obama's and the Gores and the billionaires funding the Climate Science^TM who live on Martha Vineyards and Long Island and in other coastal enclaves of the Rich and Famous haven't been flooded out of their beach-front mansions by "global warming induced polar ice-cap melting" like we've been promised.  I'm disappointed.  Me and Fox Maulder:  "I Want To Believe."  And also, young Miss AOC was a teen when Al Gore came out with the film An Inconvenient Truth, and then stated on NBC in 2006, ""We have a decade or so before we cross a point of no return."  Well - we're still here and so are the Ice Caps as well as the homes of other climate activists like John Kerry, Bill Gates, and Obama.

I tell ya what.  I'll concede to those who are gluing their nipples to the London M25, or the I-5 in LA, or to the Heathrow or LAX tarmac, and throwing soup on priceless masterpieces in museums that they were right all along.....the day I see Obama, Bill Gates, and John Kerry flooded out of the beach-front mansions.  

 

Until then?  🐂 💩  Bravo Sierra

[Cryingdick]

A picture of a kayak sitting in the desert is enough to convince me. So what do we do? Go buy a Tesla?

[ExpatOilWorker]

Just normal variations. 

[NorthernRyland]

I knew it guys. The end really is nigh but we a good run. Good luck in the next life. 🫡

[Stargeezr]

Sometime in the distant past, there were trees growing in the arctic.

  I guess the earth was quite warm for that to happen. If we are headed for

another hot spell on Earth, I guess we will all have to adapt. quit buying

ocean side properties, and we will have to have places like giant green houses to 

grow food if the nateral fields all fail. It is nice that the scientists can keep us

all informed of what the future will look like.  Climate Crisis sounds negative, 

how about we come up with a more positive phrase? Ideas?

[wavodavo]

17 hours ago, connda said:

And then when the next Ice Age arrives, Life will again evolve to adapt.

This has been going since the Earth began to support life.  Climate always changes.  Man isn't responsible - the Sun is - and sending your money to Al Gore or living like a feudal peasant while the elites hoover up your money and laugh isn't going to change the change.  The climate with continue to change:  warmer, cooler, warmer, cooler.......as it has been doing for millions of year.

Well said what a great explanation about the reallity of changing climate and climate change.It is one of the biggest cons that the world has ever fallen for. All it's doing is bankrupting countries such as Australia and the U.K. who are closing coal mines and gas plants that provide the cheapest forms of electricity to install windmills and solar farms which drive up power prices and are not reliable.How stupid.

[wavodavo]

6 hours ago, Stargeezr said:

Sometime in the distant past, there were trees growing in the arctic.

  I guess the earth was quite warm for that to happen. If we are headed for

another hot spell on Earth, I guess we will all have to adapt. quit buying

ocean side properties, and we will have to have places like giant green houses to 

grow food if the nateral fields all fail. It is nice that the scientists can keep us

all informed of what the future will look like.  Climate Crisis sounds negative, 

how about we come up with a more positive phrase? Ideas?

Thousands of years ago they grew sugar cane and bananas and pineapples in Greenland. YES  the climate does change.

[hotsun]

Summer of 2024 wasnt hotter than usual where i am. If people are affected by climate change i wouldnt know, i can only go off of my own reality

[Gsxrnz]

It used to be "don't let a crisis go to waste".

 

Now it's "don't let a fake crisis go to waste". 

[quake]

17 hours ago, FlorC said:

Only 6 more years ! Spend them wisely.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-climate-change-world-will-end-12-years-un-report-1300873

 

Oh no

Only 6 more years of afternoons down Soi 6. 

 

[blaze master]

17 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Of course all the posters moaning about it on here would be livid if they couldn't get a plane to their favourite destination,

 

If I can't post a selfie on Insta the world might as well be over.