Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations reached a new high of 422 parts per million in 2024, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). This milestone follows another record-breaking year for global temperatures, increasing pressure on policymakers to take more aggressive action against climate change.
Recent studies indicate that global warming may be accelerating beyond previous estimates. The world may have already reached 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures, a critical threshold for triggering extreme and irreversible climate impacts. Research published in Nature Geoscience in November 2024 used 2,000 years of Antarctic ice core data and found warming at 1.49°C in 2023, based on a longer pre-industrial baseline.
Ocean Warming and Storm Intensification
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a vital current that regulates European winters, is showing signs of nearing a critical slowdown. Studies suggest the AMOC has weakened by about 15% since 1950, raising concerns of more extreme weather in Europe. Ocean warming is also driving more intense hurricanes. Hurricane Milton, in October 2024, went from a tropical storm to a Category 3 hurricane in just one day before hitting Florida. Hurricanes are now releasing more rain, leading to severe flooding even in inland mountain areas like Asheville, North Carolina.
Coral Bleaching Crisis
A fourth mass coral bleaching event, the largest on record, continues to devastate reefs worldwide, with many scientists fearing they may not recover. Bleached reefs from Australia to Brazil are being monitored for any signs of recovery as global temperatures fluctuate.
Forests and Wildfires Under Threat
Droughts and wildfires have intensified worldwide. In 2024, Brazil’s Amazon experienced its worst drought on record, with river levels plummeting and wildfires spreading rapidly. Scientists warn that 10% to 47% of the Amazon could face heat and drought stresses by 2050, potentially pushing the rainforest past a tipping point into a savanna-like ecosystem.
A July 2024 study found that global forests absorbed less carbon dioxide than in previous years due to the Amazon drought and wildfires in Canada. This resulted in a record amount of CO2 entering the atmosphere. The Arctic tundra, which has long been a carbon sink, is now releasing more carbon than it stores due to rising wildfire emissions.
Volcanic Activity Linked to Glacier Melt
Volcanoes in Iceland may be responding to rapid glacier retreat. As glaciers melt and exert less pressure on the Earth’s crust, more magma appears to be building underground, increasing the risk of eruptions.
With these compounding climate crises, scientists and policymakers alike emphasize the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changing planet before more tipping points are reached.