We can not hide the consequences of global warming

In recent months, heat records have broken out all over the world.

In early July, the temperature in Ouargla, Algeria, reached 51.3 ° C (124.34 ° F), the highest ever recorded in Africa! Temperatures in the eastern and southwestern United States and in southeastern Canada have also peaked. In Montreal, people were submerged by temperatures of 36.6 ° C (97.88 ° F), the highest ever recorded, as well as extreme heat and humidity at midnight, an unpleasant experience shared by people d & # 39; Ottawa. Dozens of people died of heat-related causes in Quebec alone.

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Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East also reached unprecedented temperature records. In northern Siberia, along the Arctic coast, the temperature was above 32 ° C (89.6 ° F) on July 5, much higher than ever.

Unusually high temperatures in the Arctic melt sea ice, exposing more dark marine areas, which absorb more heat than ice, causing feedback loops. These are exacerbated by melting permafrost releasing more methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. All of this weakens the polar jet stream, which in turn affects temperatures in mid-latitudes.

As the American meteorologist and geoscientist Nick Humphrey explains, "the weakening is causing the polar jet to become much more vague, with larger waves and blocking modes where the waves rest in the same place for weeks [and] promote extreme weather conditions (extreme cold compared to normal, extreme heat, very wet and drought). "

408 parts per million, global average temperatures have risen 1.8 ° C since 1880, the Arctic ice is decreasing by 13.2% per decade, the sea level increases by 3, 2 millimeters per year on average and everything accelerates as we continue to pump more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and destroy more carbon sinks like forests and wetlands.

According to NASA, "Most of the warming has occurred over the past 35 years, with 16 of the warmest 17 years recorded Indeed, not only was 2016 the hottest year ever recorded, but eight of the 12 months from January to September, with the exception of June, were the hottest of all the months. "[19659002Whiletheequatorialzonesarewarmingupfromthedryingupoffarmanimaldeficitsandinhospitableconditionstheyhavetowaittoseebeforehandthenumberofrefugees

Throwing doubts on climate science and scientists, and politicians and governments are struggling against the essential measures to cope with the crisis and ensure that the planet's climate remains stable for human health and human health. survival.

Scientists explain that evidence of past warming of ice cores, tree rings, ocean sediments, coral reefs and sedimentary rock layers shows that "the current war Warming occurs about ten times faster than the average rate of warming by ice age recovery. "

We know the heat-trapping properties of CO2 and other gases since the mid-1800s. Again, NASA points out, "There is no doubt that increased levels of greenhouse gases must warm the Earth."

The reasons we have not managed to solve the problem have nothing to see with lack of evidence solutions We have an abundance of both, but the industrial interests and their supporters in the media and politics (with those who have been duped into denial) have actively worked to minimize the problem and hinder progress.

In our book Just Cool It !, we present many known and emerging ways for governments, institutions, industry and individuals to solve the climate crisis. Many solutions are used or developed, but not fast enough to prevent a disaster. In Canada, we have federal and provincial governments that want to increase the infrastructure and development of fossil fuels in order to maximize the profits of a moribund industry and respond to the whims of short electoral cycles. . The fossil fuel industry continues to receive mbadive subsidies, including a multi-billion dollar bailout for a US pipeline company, while clean energy receives significantly less support.

It is scary to consider global warming. the consequences we face in the years to come. But stopping the solutions and continuing our reliance on fossil fuels will only make the inevitable even worse.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Editor, Ian Hanington