Carlo Buontempohead of the Climate Change Service of the European Copernicus programme, recently declared the importance of rely on science to combat global warming. According to Buontempo, the scientific data is clear: the Earth is warming faster and faster and political decision-makers can no longer ignore the obvious signs of this climate crisis.
Carlo Buontempo: the role of Copernicus and the alarming data
Copernicus is the Earth observation program of the European Commission. It is tasked with imagining new satellite missions, managing existing satellites and reaping benefits from these investments in terms of services for citizens, politicians and various industrial sectors. Buontempo explains that 2023 was the warmest year on record and that the glaciers of our mountains lost 10% of their volume compared to the previous year. Sea height continues to rise by about 3 millimeters per yearand this trend does not seem destined to stop in the near future.
According to Carlo Buontempo, it is essential that political decisions are based on available scientific data. “It is up to politicians to decide what actions to take, but as a scientist I insist that these decisions are informed by the data we have available,” says Buontempo. We cannot afford to ignore the obvious signs: the average temperature of the planet is increasing and the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are not decreasing.
A crucial issue to limit the increase in temperature is achieve zero emissions as quickly as possible. Buontempo emphasizes that if our goal is to limit global warming, we must take drastic and immediate measures. The next European elections may change the political landscape, but it is vital that Europe continues to maintain its leadership in climate research and in providing free and accessible information to all.
Faced with these alarming data and scientists’ recommendations, what do you think we should do to push our politicians to act concretely and quickly to stop global warming?
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