Jakarta – The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently released a State of the Global Climate 2021 report. The agency stated Friday (20/5) that the condition of oceans on earth is increasingly worrying. The year 2021 will be a record-breaking year for signs of the climate crisis.
The oceans in 2021 are hotter and more acidic than before. The condition is further exacerbated by melting ice sheets, which have an impact on rising sea levels.
WMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas said this report is a sign of human failure to tackle climate change. He also pushed for renewable energy.
“Our climate is changing drastically in front of us. … The only sustainable future is a renewable one. The good news is that the lifeline is right in front of us. Wind and solar are readily available and, in most cases, cheaper than coal and other fossil fuels. If we act together, the renewable energy transformation can be the peace project of the 21st century.”
This WMO report follows the latest climate assessment from the United Nations (UN) which warns that humanity must drastically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Failure to do so will cause humans to endure even greater impacts of climate change in the future.
WMO mentions levels of carbon dioxide and methane to be factors that make the climate in the atmosphere in 2021 warmer than previous records.
Globally, last year’s average temperature was 1.11 degrees Celsius above the pre industrial average, as the world is inches closer to the 1.5-degree threshold where the warming effect is expected to be drastic. Indeed, last year, temperatures decreased slightly compared to 2020 due to the cooling effect of La Nina in the Pacific region. Even so, the concern is that it is still among the seven hottest years.
“It’s only a matter of time before we see another hottest year on record,” said Taalas.
As a result, the earth, which is mostly ocean, bears the burden of warming and emissions. He said the waters absorb about 90% of geothermal accumulation and 23% of carbon dioxide emissions from human activities.
“The seas are also getting warmer faster in the last 20 years which will set a record in 2021.”
The ocean has also become the most acidic in at least 26,000 years as it absorbs and reacts with more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, this sea level has also increased by 4.5 cm in the last decade with the increase in 2013-2021 rising twice as fast as the 1993-2002 period. (Hartatik)
