“We have already lost this melting of glaciers game and sea level rise game so that’s bad news,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas told a press conference. That is because such high levels of greenhouse gases have already been emitted that waters would continue to rise for “thousands of years”.
Rising sea levels threaten some coastal cities and the very existence of low-lying states such as the island of Tuvalu – which plans to build a digital version of itself in case it is submerged.
The annual report, released a day ahead of Earth Day, also showed that sea ice in Antarctica receded to record lows last June and July. Oceans were the warmest on record, with around 58% of their surfaces experiencing a marine heatwave, it said.
Some 15,000 people died during Europe’s heatwaves last year, it stated.
Taalas said such extreme weather patterns would continue into the 2060s no matter what […]
Of course, Stephan, life goes on despite climate change and we will have to deal with it, as soon as we can in any way which we can do it!