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By Thomas Westerholm
Life & Trends Reporter
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The Earth's climate is historically out of balance according to a new international report, and the resulting storms will be deadly and devastating.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a report that Earth's energy—defined as the energy that enters Earth's system from the sun and then exits—has never been more out of balance than it is presently.
'We will live with these consequences'
Under a stable climate, the Earth's energy entering would be roughly equal to the energy that exits.
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Instead, energy is trapped by greenhouse gases, which raises the temperature around the world, intensifying storms and even changing the temperature and pH of the oceans.
“Human activities are increasingly disrupting the natural equilibrium," WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said in a press release.
"We will live with these consequences for hundreds and thousands of years.”
According to the organization, changes in ocean warming and deep ocean pH are, "irreversible on centennial to millennial time scales."
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In an email to Newsweek, WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said the short-term effects are difficult to predict because of La Niña and El Niño events.
However, "Regardless of El Niño and La Niña, we can expect continuing extreme weather and especially the trend towards more extreme heat," Nullis said.
An Ocean Emergency
The report noted that ocean warming and sea-level rise will continue for centuries—issues that are already locked in by human impact on climate change.
More than 91 percent of the excess energy trapped by Earth's climate is stored in the ocean. The rate of warming in the ocean has more than doubled in the last 20 years, as compared to the previous 40.
As oceans warm, sea ice melts and sea levels rise.
Warmer oceans create conditions that lead to stronger tropical storms—hurricanes will intensify and become more deadly.
Rising ocean temperatures also degrade biodiversity and marine ecosystems.
"The deeper it goes the longer it lasts and so it is challenging for people to consider the scale and scope," Nullis told Newsweek.
"But we can already look at some of the impacts happening now—marine heatwaves, coral bleaching and fish migration.
"Ocean heat contributes to rising sea levels and is one factor in more rapidly intensifying hurricanes, so that gives people some idea."
'Addiction to fossil fuels'
Meanwhile, mosquito-born illnesses will rise with warmer temperatures and people will experience heat stress—perhaps most notably in agricultural jobs, and climate-driven food insecurity is now seen as a major global problem.
Heat and food insecurity will also have a massive displacement effect on people globally, especially in areas ravaged by conflict.
"In this age of war, climate stress is also exposing another truth: our addiction to fossil fuels is destabilizing both the climate and global security," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in the release.
"Today’s report should come with a warning label: climate chaos is accelerating and delay is deadly."
Nullis added that every little bit helps.
"Every fraction of a degree makes a difference, and every part per million (of carbon dioxide) makes a difference to our health, our ecosystems and our planet," Nullis said.
'Flashing red'
The good news: Due to meteorological advances, Nullis pointed out that, "loss of life is actually going down," despite a spike in economic loss from weather and climate emergencies.
That points to an "urgent need" for more meteorological and climate data, according to the WMO.
“The State of the Global Climate is in a state of emergency. Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red,” Guterres said.
“Humanity has just endured the 11 hottest years on record. When history repeats itself 11 times, it is no longer a coincidence. It is a call to act."
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