The most important Earth news in 2024 was undoubtedly the most depressing: Climate change wreaked havoc around the globe, indirectly causing flooding, drought, wildfires and other extreme weather events.This year is on track to become the warmest year since records began and the first year that global temperatures have been 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.In May, levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere — as measured from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Mauna Loa Observatory — reached a record high of 426.90 parts per million. “Not only is CO2 now at the highest level in millions of years, it is also rising faster than ever,” Ralph Keeling, director of the Scripps CO2 Program, said in a statement at the time. Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels also reached a new record high.Copernicus graph showing warming above preindustrial levels since 1940. (Image credit: Copernicus Climate Change Service /ECMWF.)All that warming has had disastrous impacts on weather around the globe. The year started with one of the strongest El Niño events on record. That led to a devastating hurricane season that culminated in the deadliest storm to hit the continental U.S. in decades. El Niño also fueled a severe drought in the Amazon. This prolonged drought made the rainforest “more flammable” — an impact that led to the worst wildfire season in nearly 20 years.Gif showing the water levels in the Solimões River near Tabatinga, Brazil, in 2021 and 2024. Water levels fell to record-low levels in October 2024. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory)And in Spain, torrential rain led to flash floods that killed over 200 people. Scientists also linked this dramatic weather event to climate change.Climate change devastation edging closerBut some of the scariest news about the planet isn’t what happened this year but rather what could occur if we don’t stop spewing carbon into the atmosphere. A study published in June suggested ecological tipping points — such as the collapse of the Greenland Ice Sheet and the transformation of the Amazon rainforest into savanna — could be reached in just 15 years if climate change isn’t controlled.In October, scientists penned an open letter warning about the risk posed by the collapse of a key Atlantic current. In it, researchers urged policymakers to address the threat posed by the weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) — a giant ocean conveyor belt that transports heat to the Northern Hemisphere, and the breakdown of which could cause temperatures across Europe to plummet.Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter nowGet the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over
Dom. Gen 5th, 2025
