Scientists explain why the record-shattering 2023 heat has them on edge. Warming may be worsening
The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. “The heat over the last calendar year was a dramatic message from Mother Nature,” said University of Arizona climate scientist Katharine Jacobs. They wonder whether human-caused climate change and a natural El Nino were augmented by a freak blip or whether “there’s something more systematic afoot,” as NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt put it — including a much-debated acceleration of warming. Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald said, “This is just a taste of what we can expect in the future, especially if we continue to fail to cut carbon dioxide fast enough.” That’s why so many scientists contacted by The Associated Press are anxious. “I’ve been worried since the early 1990s,” said Brown University climate scientist Kim Cobb.
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