All right, get ready to dive into some seriously hot topics, everybody.
We're talking about 2024, a year that left even scientists scratching their
heads. It was a scorcher.
And not just because of the sheer intensity of the heat, but some of the
reasons behind it are, well, still kind of mysterious.
Yeah. The intensity of the heat in 2024, it, uh, definitely caught us off guard.
I mean, predicting a warmer year, that's one thing.
Seeing it smash records like that, that's another.
Okay. Let's get to the chase.
The big news.
Officially, 2024 is the hottest year on record globally and not just a
tad warmer.
We're talking significantly hotter since records started way back in the 1800s.
This is it.
Yeah.
And for context, that's a global average temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius above
what we call pre-industrial levels.
What this means is we actually went and zoomed past that 1.5 degree threshold.
You remember that, right?
From the Paris agreement, a target we were hoping to, well, avoid for as long as
we possibly could.
You know that 1.5 degree target?
It was a big deal when the Paris agreement was signed.
Back then it seemed so far off and now we've actually crossed that line.
Yeah.
So what does that mean for us in practical terms?
Well, the Paris agreement, it focuses on these long-term trends, not just
individual years, but exceeding that threshold, even just for a single year.
It just shows how fast, how rapidly our climate is actually changing.
We can expect, well, more frequent heat waves, droughts, floods, all those
extreme events we've been seeing more and more of, more intense too.
And here's the thing that makes it even more complex.
It wasn't just El Nino fueling this heat wave.
Right.
You definitely played a part in 2023 for sure, but then it faded during 2024.
Yet the temperatures, they stayed high.
Right.
And that's what's so interesting and a little unsettling.
Clearly El Nino wasn't the only factor.
So that means there are other things at work.
Some we may not even fully grasp yet, like a puzzle, but we're missing some pieces.
So let's talk about the pieces we do have.
What are the suspects in this global heat waves mystery?
Well, there's one that's really interesting, the impact of cleanership fuels.
It seems counterintuitive almost, but these efforts to make ships less polluting,
they might actually be contributing to the warming.
Wait, so cleaner fuels are making things hotter?
How does that even work?
It comes down to clouds.
The science of how they form, you see, ships, they emit these particles that
actually help clouds to form, and those clouds reflect sunlight back into
space, which basically cools the planet.
Now, cleaner fuels, they reduce those particles, fewer particles, fewer clouds.
And that means more sunlight reaches the Earth's surface.
Wow, it's amazing how actions we think are positive can have these unexpected
consequences, shows how interconnected everything is on this planet, doesn't it?
Absolutely.
And it's not just ships either.
Remember that massive volcanic eruption in Tonga back in 2022?
That event pumped a huge, I mean, enormous amount of water vapor high up into the atmosphere.
And water vapor, of course, traps heat.
Greenhouse gas.
So we've got cleaner ships letting in more sunlight, a volcano pumping out heat
trapping gas.
It's like we're adding fuel to the fire, literally.
Yeah, we are.
And there's this other piece of the puzzle.
This one's really concerning.
We're seeing a decrease in low-level clouds, especially over the North Atlantic.
Those clouds, they're crucial for reflecting sunlight.
And as they decline, more heat's getting in.
So we're getting hit from all sides.
Less cloud cover, more heat trapped, more sunlight getting in.
Not exactly a sunny picture, is it?
No, it's not.
And the worst part, this could be a feedback loop.
So warming leads to reduced cloud cover, which then leads to even more warming.
This vicious cycle, it's tough to break.
Okay, got to process all of that for a second, a lot to absorb.
But let's bring this down to earth, literally.
How's this record heat actually impacting us in the real world?
Well, it's having a pretty major impact.
We're seeing these extreme weather events and they're getting more intense.
Hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, they're all happening more often.
And they're becoming more destructive too.
It's like the planet's trying to tell us something.
Take Hurricane Barrel, for instance.
First Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic.
And it formed in June.
Hurricane season's starting earlier and the storms are packing a way bigger punch.
Right, and it's not just hurricanes.
Those floods across Europe, parts of Africa, they were just devastating.
Some of the worst floods these regions have seen in decades,
causing all this damage, displacement.
It's really bad.
Yeah, and it's not just the immediate damage you got to think about.
These floods, they disrupt agriculture, contaminate water supplies,
they even spread diseases.
The long-term effects can be really serious.
Like a domino effect, almost.
One extreme event leading to all these other problems.
And it's not just one part of the world either, it's global.
Our sources mentioned record snowfall in Seoul, South Korea,
brought the capital to a standstill.
And then there were those wildfires in Bolivia, just relentless,
burning area the size of Iceland.
It's hard to even imagine the scale of it.
It really is global and it affects everything.
And we can't forget the oceans either.
They absorb a ton of heat in 2024.
Sea surface temperatures hit record highs.
We saw monthly records breaking from January right through to June.
Pretty alarming.
Wow, January to June, that's half the year.
Yeah.
We talked about warmer oceans leading to more and more.
And what other impacts are we seeing?
Well, warmer water expands, which contributes to rising sea levels.
And that threatens coastal communities everywhere.
It also messes with marine ecosystems leading to coral bleaching,
changes in fish populations, even shifts in ocean currents.
It's like this web of consequences and it's hard to see a way out.
But there were some glimmers of hope, right?
Our sources talked about the Pact for the Future,
a global agreement to promote positive change.
And at that COP29 climate conference, there seemed to be a real focus
on helping poorer countries, which are hit hardest by climate change,
even though they contributed less to the problem in the first place.
Yeah, those are positive steps.
The Pact for the Future, it's an ambitious agreement.
It covers a wide range of issues from cutting emissions to investing
in renewable energy, protecting biodiversity, the whole nine yards.
And that focus on climate justice at COP29, that's crucial.
We need to make sure the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change,
they have the resources and support they need to adapt and build resilience.
It sounds like there's a growing understanding that we're all in this together,
that we need to work together to find solutions.
But I got to be honest, sometimes it just feels overwhelming,
like one person can't make a difference when you're talking about such a huge,
global problem.
I get that feeling.
But it's important to remember, even individual actions,
when you multiply them across millions of people can happen.
Fossil play them across millions of people can have a big impact.
We can all make choices in our daily lives that contribute to a more sustainable future.
So what kind of choices are we talking about?
Where do we even start?
Well, cutting back on fossil fuels, that's key.
We can choose to walk, cycle, use public transport instead of driving alone.
Make our homes more energy efficient.
Support businesses and policies that prioritize sustainability.
It's about being mindful of what we consume, making conscious decisions,
and using our voices to push for change.
Exactly. And staying informed, that's crucial too.
The more we understand about how complex climate changes,
the better equipped will be to make those informed decisions
and hold our leaders accountable.
Well, this deep dive has certainly opened my eyes.
We've explored the science, the impacts, the challenges,
and even some of the glimmers of hope.
But what I keep coming back to is that question you brought up earlier
about the unintended consequences of our actions.
If something like cleaner ship fuels can accidentally contribute to warming,
what other things are we doing that might be having a negative impact
without us even realizing it?
That's the big question, isn't it?
It shows how important it is to be constantly thinking critically,
to be vigilant, and to be willing to adapt as we learn more.
We need to be asking ourselves,
what are the potential consequences of my actions,
both the ones I intend and the ones I don't?
It's like a giant ripple effect, right?
Every choice we make, every action,
it sends ripples out into this interconnected web that is our planet's systems.
Exactly.
And those ripples can have all sorts of consequences, good and bad.
It's a humbling reminder that we're all part of something so much bigger than ourselves.
So what's the takeaway for our listeners?
What can they actually do with this information?
I think the biggest takeaway is that knowledge is power.
The more we understand about climate change and how it all works,
the better we'll be able to deal with the challenges
and make choices that lead to a more sustainable future.
It's not about feeling overwhelmed or helpless.
It's about being empowered to actually make a difference.
That's it, exactly.
And remember, you're not alone in this.
There's a whole global movement of people who are passionate about tackling climate change.
We can all find strength and inspiration in knowing we're in this together.
And on that note of collective action,
we're wrapping up this deep dive into the hottest year on record.
It's been a journey, that's for sure.
Filled with insights, challenges and a renewed sense of urgency.
But most importantly, I hope it started a conversation,
a desire to learn more and a commitment to taking action.
Thanks for joining us, everyone.
Let's keep this conversation going.
Let's challenge what we think we know and work together to build a more sustainable future.
It's easy to get bogged down, you know.
All this talk about climate change, you can feel pretty doom and gloom.
But we got to remember, humans are pretty resourceful.
We've faced big challenges before, right?
And we found ways to overcome them.
Right. We're pretty good at innovating when we need to.
And we're already seeing some amazing stuff happening.
Renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, carbon capture technology.
It's all moving forward.
Exactly. The tools are there.
The knowledge is there.
The ingenuity.
It's about actually putting those things to work, scaling up the solutions.
And I think what really hit Hung for me in all this is just how interconnected it all is.
It's not just about cutting emissions.
It's about understanding these complex systems, like those clouds we talked about over the Atlantic
and how it all fits together.
Right. Looking at the big picture, how different factors interact.
Finding solutions that go to the root of the problem, not just the surface stuff.
So for folks listening who might be feeling a bit overwhelmed,
what's the one thing they should take away from this whole deep dive?
I'd say don't give up hope.
Things are serious, no doubt about it, but it's not a lost cause.
We have the power to make a difference.
Every choice we make, big or small, it counts.
Staying informed, being mindful of our choices, speaking up for change.
And knowing that even small actions when enough people do them can have a huge impact.
Nicely said, we're all in this together and we can create a better future together.
And on that note of collective action,
well, it's time to wrap up this deep dive into the hottest year on record.
We covered a lot from the science behind it all to the very real impacts
and hopefully some potential solutions.
But more than anything, I hope we've left you feeling like you can make a difference,
like you want to learn more and that you're part of the solution.
Thanks for joining us everyone.
And remember, the future is in our hands.