Climate researcher speaks clearly: ‘If you knew what I know, you would be afraid’

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“Anyone who is not afraid of climate change has not understood it,” rages Bill McGuire (69) in his article for CNN. The emeritus professor of geophysical and climatic hazards is angry – at all of us.

Because even though the consequences of climate change are already becoming visible, people remain surprisingly calm. The situation is extremely serious. “We are experiencing a warming in our lifetime that is probably unique in the past 4.6 billion years.” That is why the title of his article is: ‘I am a climate researcher. If you knew what I know, you would be afraid too.”

The Earth is moving into “unknown territory”

This February was the warmest February ever recorded. This is the ninth month in a row that a global temperature record has been reached. In addition, record high sea surface temperatures were recorded in February, as the EU Earth observation program Copernicus announced on Thursday.

As climate change progresses, Earth is moving into “uncharted territory,” says McGuire – with unprecedented challenges.

“What is happening to our world scares me to death.”

According to the British, politics and economics have failed. Either they don’t want to, or they can’t do something fast enough. That is why science must wake up the public and tell the unvarnished truth. McGuire: “What’s happening to our world scares the hell out of me.”

Ignoring is not an option

The climate researcher still sees a bright spot on the horizon: the facts may certainly be frightening, but it is not too late to take action. “Many people have told me that they feel isolated or that they don’t think they can make a difference as individuals.”

The solution in McGuire’s eyes: joining forces and networking. Only as a community can you change something. However, according to the expert, ignoring problems is never a good idea, especially when it comes to climate change. That is why everyone should inform themselves and try to do something for the climate.

Heat waves and storms will increase

In the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, the international community agreed to limit global warming to well below two degrees, and if possible to 1.5 degrees, compared to pre-industrial times. The average applies over a period of several decades. Given ongoing climate change, this goal is becoming increasingly unattainable.

From February 2023 to January 2024, the global average temperature was 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial average for twelve months in a row. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the 1.5 degree limit is expected to be permanently exceeded by the beginning of the next decade. One consequence of climate change is that extreme weather events such as heat waves and storms are increasing in frequency and intensity. (jmh/AFP)

Source: Blick