The year 2024 ended less than a month ago, and although this is the first post I’m writing, I feel it is paramount to reflect on and evaluate how our world has changed. Last year was the hottest year on record. We successfully reached the milestone of our global average temperature reaching 1.5° Celsius above the pre-industrial average. (Pre-industrial meaning the time before mass industrialization, or, simply, 1850-1900) Now I’ve heard people question why 1.5° is so impactful, as it simply does not seem that problematic. Although forgivable, this misconception is brought on by a lack of understanding of the impacts of global warming. An increase of just a few degrees is enough to disrupt the global climate by unfathomable amounts, raising sea levels, inducing erratic weather patterns, and reducing biodiversity. Looking back at history, not only has 2024 been the first year to cross that 1.5° threshold, but the past ten years have been the hottest we have ever experienced. Although it is still possible to bring this number down, given the current global trend, I believe this is quite unlikely. I don’t like getting into politics much. However, the threat we face is existential and our ignorance of this problem, at least policy-wise, will come back to bite us in the future.

Most of our problems are being caused by greenhouse gas emissions, such as those from gas cars, farms, and power. The journey to replace them is already underway, but we still have a long, long way to go. Agriculture is currently the one of the largest producer of greenhouse gases, mainly due to deforestation, livestock, machinery, and transportation. Planes also produce greenhouse gases, and though it’s been tried, electric planes simply are not as efficient or effective as conventional airplanes due to their heavy batteries. So all in all, are we doomed? While all of this seems very alarming and I hesitate to end this on a hopeful note, it is important to remember that sometimes developments can emerge unexpectedly and change the world very suddenly. So don’t lose hope just yet. New technologies and innovations are constantly evolving, and I hope that by writing this I can to inspire some of you to make your mark upon the world as I will attempt to do so myself. In the words of former president and conservationist Theodore Roosevelt, “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

Works Cited:
“Copernicus: 2024 Is the First Year to Exceed 1.5°c above Pre-Industrial Level | Copernicus.” Copernicus.eu, 10 Jan. 2024, climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2024-first-year-exceed-15degc-above-pre-industrial-level. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025. priority_highWebpage authorcloseeditmore_vert

Poynting, Mark. World’s Hottest Year: 2024 First to Pass 1.5C Warming Limit. 10 Jan. 2025, http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd7575x8yq5o. priority_highName of news sourceclose