Confirmed: Hottest July Ever

Scientists in the US have crunched the numbers to establish that July was the hottest July ever since recording commenced 146 years ago.

The Numbers:

• The combined land and ocean surface temperature was 0.93 degrees C above the 20th-century average of 15.8 degrees C.
• The northern hemisphere, which is in the summer season, increased by 1.54 degrees C above the average temperature, surpassing a previous record set in 2012.

Back Story:

The figures come off the back of a recent UN Climate Report where the UN Secretary-General noted that climate change was a “code red for humanity.” Many areas around the world are experiencing extreme weather conditions, most notably the recent flooding in Germany, as well as the wildfires being experienced on several islands in Greece.

Closer to home:

In response to the climate report, Prime Minister Scott Morrison noted is keen on taking a technology and innovation approach to tackle the challenge:

“World history teaches one thing: technology changes everything… That is why our approach is technology and not taxes to solving this problem.”

He also noted that although the findings were alarming, he would not commit the country to a zero net emissions target by 2050:

“I won’t be signing a blank cheque on behalf of Australians to targets without plans… Blank cheque commitments you always end up paying for, and you always end up paying in higher taxes.”

Quotes:

“Today’s IPCC Working Group 1 Report is a code red for humanity.  The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable:  greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk. Global heating is affecting every region on Earth, with many of the changes becoming irreversible.” – Secretary-General António Guterres’s statement on the IPCC Working Group 1 Report on the Physical Science Basis of the Sixth Assessment.