<p class="bodytext">It is common for every year, and month, to be described as the hottest in history or in a specified period. January saw the highest ever average global temperature for the month, according to the WMO (World Meteorological Organisation). The temperature was 1.75° C above pre-industrial levels, exceeding the 1.5° C threshold set by the Paris Agreement. It also marked the 18th time in 19 months the temperatures exceeded the 1.5° C threshold. But what was special about January was not that it set a record for the month but that the temperature rose though there were natural phenomena that should have kept it in check and cooled the month. This has given rise to doubts on whether the pace of climate change is quickening in unexpected ways and the natural checks against it have become less effective.</p>.Freebie culture disempowers citizens.<p class="bodytext">The rise in temperature occurred even though the La Nina phenomenon has started developing in the Pacific Ocean. The spell of high temperatures of the past many months was expected to subside with the shift from the El Nino phenomenon – associated with warming – to the cooling La Nina. Sea-surface temperatures were exceptionally high in 2023 and 2024, and scientists have started wondering whether the natural warming or cooling cycles could explain the changes in temperatures. One view is that the use of cleaner shipping fuels accelerated warming by reducing sulphur emissions that make clouds reflect more sunlight. Another view is that a reduction in low-lying clouds may have let more heat reach the earth’s surface. A dip in concentration of aerosols, or suspended particles, in the atmosphere could have kept the temperatures high in many regions. It has also been observed that the Arctic sea ice hit a record low in January.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The inference from all these is that many natural phenomena that have traditionally helped to bring down global temperatures might be losing their ability to do so. This means the natural defences of the earth against warming are weakening. Weather and climate are complex phenomena which have defied clear understanding and falsified predictions. Even the limited knowledge about them has pointed to the disastrous consequences climate change comes with. It now turns out that there are also unknown factors at work and they are making the threat more real and immediate. Climate change may even have acquired a momentum of its own and slowing it down may be difficult. The relentless increase in greenhouse gas emissions, caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuel, remains the main reason but many do not accept it. Unfortunately, even those who do fail to act accordingly.</p>
<p class="bodytext">It is common for every year, and month, to be described as the hottest in history or in a specified period. January saw the highest ever average global temperature for the month, according to the WMO (World Meteorological Organisation). The temperature was 1.75° C above pre-industrial levels, exceeding the 1.5° C threshold set by the Paris Agreement. It also marked the 18th time in 19 months the temperatures exceeded the 1.5° C threshold. But what was special about January was not that it set a record for the month but that the temperature rose though there were natural phenomena that should have kept it in check and cooled the month. This has given rise to doubts on whether the pace of climate change is quickening in unexpected ways and the natural checks against it have become less effective.</p>.Freebie culture disempowers citizens.<p class="bodytext">The rise in temperature occurred even though the La Nina phenomenon has started developing in the Pacific Ocean. The spell of high temperatures of the past many months was expected to subside with the shift from the El Nino phenomenon – associated with warming – to the cooling La Nina. Sea-surface temperatures were exceptionally high in 2023 and 2024, and scientists have started wondering whether the natural warming or cooling cycles could explain the changes in temperatures. One view is that the use of cleaner shipping fuels accelerated warming by reducing sulphur emissions that make clouds reflect more sunlight. Another view is that a reduction in low-lying clouds may have let more heat reach the earth’s surface. A dip in concentration of aerosols, or suspended particles, in the atmosphere could have kept the temperatures high in many regions. It has also been observed that the Arctic sea ice hit a record low in January.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The inference from all these is that many natural phenomena that have traditionally helped to bring down global temperatures might be losing their ability to do so. This means the natural defences of the earth against warming are weakening. Weather and climate are complex phenomena which have defied clear understanding and falsified predictions. Even the limited knowledge about them has pointed to the disastrous consequences climate change comes with. It now turns out that there are also unknown factors at work and they are making the threat more real and immediate. Climate change may even have acquired a momentum of its own and slowing it down may be difficult. The relentless increase in greenhouse gas emissions, caused mainly by the burning of fossil fuel, remains the main reason but many do not accept it. Unfortunately, even those who do fail to act accordingly.</p>
