2023 was the Hottest Year in Last 175,000!
Greetings! In my recent blog, 2023 on Track for Hottest Year on Record, I talk about extreme September 2023 record heat, while at the same time, Antarctic sea ice is at record lows for the last six consecutive months. Continuing with this sobering news, scientists “have compared this year’s climate-change fallout to a ‘disaster movie’ – soaring temperatures, fierce wildfires, powerful storms and devastating floods.”
Two recent major scientific reports explained that we are all witnessing unprecedented heat. “Humanity has just lived through the hottest 12-month period in at least 125,000 years,” according to one, while the other declared that, “2023 is virtually certain to be the hottest year in recorded history, after five consecutive months of record-obliterating temperatures.”
David Reay, Executive Director of Edinburgh Climate Change Institute at the University of Edinburgh said, “We have become all too used to climate records falling like dominoes in recent years. But 2023 is a whole different ball game in terms of the massive margin by which these records have been broken.”
According to the nonprofit research group, Climate Central, “The period from November 2022 tothe end of October 2023was the hottest 12 months, with an average temperature of 1.32 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.” The group continued and said, “El Niño — a natural ocean and weather pattern in the tropical Pacific— is just beginning to boost temperatures. The strong, long-term trend of global warming is primarily driven by the burning of planet-heating fossil fuels.”
Andrew Pershing, Vice President for Science at Climate Central explained, “The key is this is not normal. These are temperatures we should not be experiencing. We are only experiencing them because we have put too much carbon dioxide onto the atmosphere.”
Researchers said, “The vast majority of humanity was affected by unusual heat over this 12-month period with 7.3 billion people — 90% of the global population — experiencing at least 10 days of high temperatures with very strong climate fingerprints.”
“In India, 1.2 billion people — 86% of the population — experienced at least 30 days of high temperatures, made at least three times more likely by climate change. In the United States, that figure was 88 million people, or 26% of the population.”
“Some cities were particularly hard hit. In the US, these were concentrated in the South and Southwest. Houston experienced the longest extreme heat streak of any major city on Earth, according to the report, with 22 consecutive days of extreme heat between July and August. Only two countries, Iceland and Lesotho, experienced temperatures that were cooler-than-average over this period, the report found.”
Hannah Cloke, a climate scientist and professor at the University of Reading in the UK said, “The likely impacts of this extra heat are well understood. We are already seeing its impact in more violent storms, heavier rains and floods, and more intense, frequent and longer heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.”
“Laid out so starkly, the 2023 numbers on air temperatures, sea temperatures, sea ice and the rest look like something out of a disaster movie.” David Reay said.
And adding to Reay’s metaphor of a current disaster movie, on Friday, November 17, 2023, “Earth passed a feared global warming milestone – Average global temperatures were more than 2 degrees Celsius above a pre-industrial benchmark.”
Here’s an Excellent Way to Talk to Kids with “Soft Facts” about Climate Change
One awesome tool for talking to kids about climate change is to read my fourth installment in the award-winning Kobee Manatee® Children’s Educational Picture Book series. It’s titled, Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard. It contains “soft facts” about climate change and plastic pollution in our oceans.
When you read this award-winning educational picture book to children, it’s a fun and fictional adventure loaded with weaved in “soft facts” on climate change and plastic pollution. This quickly helps children learn about this serious subject in a fun and entertaining way. Here’s a brief synopsis …
Kobee Manatee, the protagonist and his seafaring pals, Tess the seahorse and Pablo the hermit crab swim from the Cayman Islands to Belize. Kobee wants to help his cousin Quinn clean up plastic litter at her new, all-veggie underwater bistro called Quinn’s Seagrass Café.
On their Caribbean journey they encounter harmful effects of climate change and plastic pollution. As if that wasn’t enough, several other unforeseen problems occur with a distressed loggerhead turtle, a giant Portuguese man-of-war, and a venomous scorpionfish. They’re all amazed when they discover the extraordinary Great Blue Hole. Then their adventure takes another crazy turn when Pablo plunges into its huge abyss!
Each page includes in-depth, scientific details on climate change and plastic pollution in our oceans with Dr. Tracy Fanara, NOAA Research Scientist (aka Inspector Planet). Tracy can be seen on The Weather Channel as a visiting expert and she’s also seen on their “Weird Earth” segments.
We have Fantastic Reviews on this New Release!
“I read the book to my 6-year-old this morning while he was having his breakfast before school and he loved it! We talked about the characters, what it meant for the pollution to be in the oceans for all the sea creatures, and how fun the story was. Thank you so much for writing such a great story for kids that is not only entertaining, but has a message!” – Jessica Vilchis, Co-Host KNBC California Live
“A well-crafted, thoughtful, and well-illustrated addition to a noteworthy educational book series.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Robert Scott Thayer presents an important environmental message in an engaging story with wonderful characters. Anyone who loves the ocean and wants to help save it should read Kobee Manatee: Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard. I’m looking forward to the next Kobee Manatee adventure.” —Readers’ Favorite
For young readers who enjoy imaginative tales surrounding affable and heroic sea creatures, as well as parents and/or teachers looking for a way to introduce youngsters to the importance of marine conservation, Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard offers a perfect blend. Highly recommended! – Chanticleer Book Reviews
Keep watching for more of my updates on climate change!
If you see any sick or injured manatees, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at: 1-888-404-3922 (FWCC). They are the folks who are responsible for rescuing us in Florida.
Here’s the Save the Manatee Club link to learn more about us manatees …
Here’s a cool link for you to learn more about how we’re rescued and brought into rehabilitation …
~ Robert Scott Thayer
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