A United Nations official has issued a “terrifying” warning to world leaders: “The era of global warming has ended [and] the era of global boiling has arrived.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres made the alarming statement during a speech Thursday at the UN headquarters in New York City, where he criticized countries for failing to take immediate action in the fight against a climate breakdown.
“For scientists, it is inequitable: humans are to blame,” Guterres said, as reported by CNBC. “All of this is entirely consistent with predictions and repeated warnings. The only surprise is the speed of the change… It is terrifying and it is just the beginning… The air is unbreathable, the heat is unbearable and the level of fossil fuel profits and climate inaction is unacceptable.”
The comments came shortly after the World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Earth program confirmed July was on track to become the hottest month ever recorded. Blistering heatwaves across the Northern Hemisphere have led to floods, droughts, and blackouts, but have also fueled the unprecedented wildfires sweeping Europe.
“We don’t have to wait for the end of the month to know this,” Guterres said. “Short of a mini-Ice Age over the next days, July 2023 will shatter records across the board.”
However, the UN chief cautioned leaders not to adopt a doomerism mindset, as there is still time to correct the environmental catastrophe through collective action. Guterres acknowledged the growing popularity of renewable energy but said the rollouts needed to be accelerated in order to avoid a worst-case scenario. He called on developed countries to up their investments in green energy and improve adaptation measures that aim to protect populations “from the searing heat, fatal floods, storms, drought and raging fires that result.”
He proposed several measures, including placing a price on carbon and getting banks to increase the funding for renewable energy.
“It is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and avoid the very worst of climate change,” he said. “But only with dramatic, immediate climate action. Leaders must lead. No more hesitancy. No more excuses. No more waiting for others to move first. There is simply no more time for that.”
Guterres’ speech came on the same day President Joe Biden unveiled several measures that aim to protect workers from extreme heat; these included improvements in weather forecasting and making drinking water more accessible.
“The number one weather-related killer is heat; 600 people die annually from its effects — more than from floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes in America combined,” Biden said at the White House. “Even those who deny that we’re in the midst of a climate crisis can’t deny the impact of extreme heat is having on Americans.. We should be protecting workers from hazardous conditions and we will.”
As of Thursday, a sizable portion of the United States is going through “a dangerous heatwave,” according to the National Weather Service.
