[Jul 9-14'24] Officially above 1.5C

1.64C, 47 endangered species caught on camera, not a tomorrow problem and all our tricks worked "says" Exxon.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Weekly Climate 🎉

References: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] and [6].

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‼️News you can’t miss

Here’s one important scary/bad (🙀), good (😻), interesting (😼) and fossil (💩) news item.

🙀 1.64C between July 2023 and June 2024

😻 Newly restored forest in Borneo captured 47 endangered species on camera

😼 Not a tomorrow problem: Companies getting onboard with green transition wins

💩 Exxonmobil “ad”: All our tricks worked!

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👩‍⚕️ Status: Climate & Science

Let’s look at how we’re doing this week!

[#heat] — June 2024 marked the 13th consecutive month of breaking global heat records, surpassing the previous record for the hottest June on record. Heat waves are becoming stronger and more frequent under climate change, causing significant health risks and compounding the impacts of other disasters. The burden of urban heat is not equally distributed, with historically redlined neighborhoods experiencing hotter summers. The trend of increasing temperatures is concerning, as it surpasses the long-term goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, average global temperatures between July 2023 and June 2024 were the highest on record, with the Earth being 1.64°C hotter than in pre-industrial times. This is a significant milestone as the global warming trend continues to accelerate. The World Meteorological Organization warns that we are off track to meet the goals set in the Paris Agreement and emphasizes the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The battle to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees will be crucial in the 2020s.

[#glacialice] — Glacial ice records are at risk of being lost due to climate change. The Ice Memory Foundation aims to preserve these records by collecting ice cores from endangered glaciers and storing them in an ice cave in Antarctica. Glaciologists, archaeologists, and meteorite researchers are also racing against time to collect and preserve valuable scientific information before it is lost due to melting ice. The pace of glacial ice loss has accelerated, and the effects of climate change are already affecting the integrity of ice cores and archaeological artifacts. The urgency to preserve these records is increasing as glaciers continue to melt at an alarming rate.

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📰 The 7 Grand Challenges

⚡️Decarbonize Electricity

Clean electricity is the one do-or-die challenge we must solve.

[#chinarenewables] — China is leading the world in wind and solar power construction, with nearly twice as much capacity as the rest of the world combined. The country is on track to reach 1,200GW of installed wind and solar capacity by the end of 2024, six years ahead of its target. However, analysts caution that more renewable capacity is needed to meet carbon intensity reduction targets. China's reliance on coal and the need for better storage and grid flexibility are also highlighted.

[#renewablepolicy] — Wisconsin is experiencing a boom in clean energy under Governor Tony Evers, with state regulators approving numerous solar projects and plans for additional solar and wind capacity. However, the issue of climate change remains politically sensitive, leading some Democrats to focus on the economic benefits of clean energy rather than its environmental impact. The Biden administration is also tying clean energy to union jobs, but faces challenges in convincing union workers in states like Pennsylvania of the job security in the clean economy. Despite the political challenges, Wisconsin's labor movement is growing, and the commitment to clean energy projects by utilities is expected to create thousands of jobs.