“We better take this warning that we actually should have taken 50 years ago or more and draw the right conclusions” -Peter Schlosser. Every year the Earth is getting hotter, and hotter at a more rapid rate. For example, this past October was the “hottest on record globally, 1.7 degrees Celsius (3.1 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the pre-industrial average for the month — and the fifth straight month with such a mark in what will now almost certainly be the warmest year ever recorded.”

The reason for this year’s extreme heat is partly due to the seas’ increasing warmth, which implies that they are not absorbing as much heat as they usually do. According to Samantha Burgess, historically, the ocean has absorbed up to 90% of the excess heat caused by climate change. 

Many scientists have been monitoring climate variables to understand how our planet is evolving from the human-generated greenhouse gas emissions effect. A warmer planet means more extreme and intense weather events like severe drought or hurricanes that hold more water, said Peter Schlosser. The need for action, and to stop planet-warming emissions is extremely urgent. 

Climate change has been a problem for many years, and scientists have been monitoring daily temperatures at thousands of weather stations across the globe, both on land and in the ocean, for many decades. 

Even after all the data showing the Earth is warming, many people are still skeptical about climate change. Pew Research Center conducted in-depth interviews with 32 U.S. adults who hold this view, including some who do not believe there’s evidence that the Earth is warming. Interviewees widely rejected the national news media as a credible source for climate information. They see these outlets as presenting information that suits their own agendas. Interviewees generally expressed greater openness toward hearing from scientists on climate change because of their subject matter expertise. 

Fewer than half of all Americans reject that humans are major contributors to climate change or say addressing the issue is not too important for the country. Even smaller shares take the most skeptical views and say the Earth is not warming at all and that no action should be taken.

Overall, 46% of Americans say human activity is the primary reason why the Earth is warming. By contrast, 26% say warming is mostly caused by natural patterns in the environment and another 14% do not believe there’s evidence the Earth is warming at all.

Schlosser said the world should expect more records to be broken as a result of that warming, but the question is whether they will come in smaller steps going forward. “Climate change actually provides us with an opportunity to address some of those inequities and injustices–and to respond to these impacts,” Candis Callison says. “That’s really a powerful thing.”

Addressing fossil fuel-driven climate change can also help people live healthier lives, stresses J. Jason West. We can dial back our fossil fuel emissions to help prevent further climate change and also decrease the kinds of air pollution that are most harmful to human health.” There really are a lot of opportunities to take action that would resolve both of those problems at the same time,” he says. 

“It is very important that we take care of our planet. Let’s not litter. Let’s have good clean water. Let’s not do anything that’s going to hurt our planet that we live on. Whether it be less pollution, or more recycling. Landfills are full with stuff it shouldn’t be full with, which means we should learn how to reuse the resources we already have instead of trying to make more harmful resources.”