Recently, a deadly heat wave in West Africa and the Sahel region was described as “impossible” without the contribution of climate-induced change by man. Scientists say that temperatures, which have exceeded 48°C in Malicaused hundreds of deaths, with one hospital directly linking these deaths to the extreme heat. This situation leads us to reflect on how vulnerable our planet actually is and how human activities are accelerating these changes.
The effect of human activities on the climate
Research shows that human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, have contributed to increase temperatures up to 1.5°C above normal in Mali And Burkina Phasomaking the nights even warmer, with an increase of 2°C compared to average. These temperature increases, while they can seem minimal, were crucial, transforming a normal heat wave into a lethal event.
With average global temperatures now about 1.2°C higher than pre-industrial levels, scientists predict that events like the recent heat wave in Mali could occur once every 200 years. However, if global temperatures were to exceed 2°Cpowerful heat waves like this could occur every 20 years.
Climate change: the role of El Niño
An interesting aspect is the comparison with other climate anomalies, such as drought in southern Africa, where El Niño, and not climate change, has been identified as the main culprit of poor rainfall that has caused crop failures and widespread hunger . This proves how different factors can interact and influence the global climate in complex ways.
The reality that emerges from these studies is that, while some natural disasters they can be attributed to natural phenomena such as El Niño, the human impact on the climate is undeniable and often amplifies the severity of such events. This awareness pushes us to reflect on our role in climate change and the responsibility to act to mitigate the devastating effects that could become the new norm.
The evidence is clear: human actions are changing the climate in ways That they can transform Extreme weather conditions from rarity to regular occurrences. This should serve as a wake-up call for all of us. There challenge it's big, but it's also a call to action for every individual and every nation. The question is: are we ready to answer this call and take action for a more sustainable future?
What do you think we can do, a local and global level, for fight The change climate?
#Climate #change #man39s #fault #scientists
