Warmest March
Tenth heat record in a row: emissions are driving up temperatures
Fantastic weather on Easter Sunday, the last day in March. No wonder there were so many cherry blossoms blooming
© Rene Traut / Imago Images
In spring it was too warm again. This is particularly due to emissions, which rose sharply again last year, new data shows.
The Easter days were beautiful – sunny and warm. After the dark days, spring finally made its appearance in March. But the month once again became a problem child for climate researchers: for the tenth time in a row it is too hot. Compared to the months of the previous year, March 2024 will be warmer than any previous time since weather records began, reports the EU climate change service Copernicus, which regularly publishes data on surface temperatures, sea ice cover and precipitation.PAID Ocean Warming 20.56
Compared to the pre-industrial reference period 1850 to 1900, March was 1.68 degrees warmer. This does not mean that the Paris climate goals were missed. However, according to the Copernicus service, this could happen in 2033 if the temperature trend of the past 30 years continues.
Increasing concentrations of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide
There are various reasons why the planet is heating up. One of them: emissions continue to rise. The US-Authority National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the concentration of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide increased in 2023. The three greenhouse gases are among the most influential factors on the climate and its changes.
CO2 is considered the main driver of global warming. According to the measurements, its concentration rose more strongly and for longer overall than in the last 65 years. The US authorities cite increasing emissions from industry, fires and natural phenomena such as El Nino as the reason. The concentration of carbon dioxide is more than 50 percent above pre-industrial levels and, according to Noaa, is comparable to the values of 4.3 million years ago. Back then, during the so-called Middle Pliocene, sea levels were about 30 meters higher than today. The temperature was also seven degrees higher than the values from the pre-industrial reference period.
Methane, which occurs in smaller quantities than CO2 but binds heat more strongly, did not rise as sharply as in the previous four years. Nevertheless, the concentration in the atmosphere has more than doubled compared to pre-industrial levels.
Nitrous oxide is considered the third most important human-caused greenhouse gas. According to Noaa, the increase in the atmosphere is mainly caused by the use of nitrogen fertilizers and manure in agriculture. The nitrous oxide concentration is 25 percent above the pre-industrial value.
Corporations and states are increasing emissions despite climate targets
“As the numbers show, we still have a lot to do to make significant progress in reducing greenhouse gases,” said the director of Noaa’s Global Monitoring Laboratory, Vanda Grubišić. A current data analysis by scientists for the Carbon Majors platform showed that numerous companies and countries increased their emissions, sometimes drastically, in the years after the Paris climate agreement.