It’s time to do something about the extent of climate change: Opinion
In an op-ed piece for The Straits Times, Director of NTU's EOS Prof Benjamin Horton discussed how global temperature records in July were recently broken in the past week, with the world having seen its hottest seven days in a row, after June 2023 being the hottest June on record.
He discussed the recent spate of heatwaves, highlighting that July 3 was the warmest day ever recorded. “The record was then broken on July 4 and again on July 6. The world has seen its hottest seven days in a row. June 2023 was the hottest June on record, and the year will become the hottest year on record,” he wrote.
The southern United States has been sweltering under an intense heat dome in recent weeks, including on the national Fourth of July holiday. Canada had wildfires that burnt so furiously in June that toxic smoke affected areas across the US.
"Unfortunately, the record-breaking temperatures are playing out exactly as the climate community had warned; they are not an unanticipated surge," he said, adding that: "Humanity needs to confront the fossil fuel industry head-on, accept that we need to consume less energy, and switch into full-on emergency mode. The sense of solidarity and relief we’d feel once this happens would be game-changing for our species."
