Temperatures above 50C used to be a rarity confined to two or three global hotspots, but the World Meteorological Organization noted that at least 10 countries have reported this level of searing heat in the past year: the US, Mexico, Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Pakistan, India and China.

In Iran, the heat index – a measure that also includes humidity – has come perilously close to 60C, far above the level considered safe for humans.

Heatwaves are now commonplace elsewhere, killing the most vulnerable, worsening inequality and threatening the wellbeing of future generations. Unicef calculates a quarter of the world’s children are already exposed to frequent heatwaves, and this will rise to almost 100% by mid-century.

  • Zacryon
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    3 months ago

    And thereby eliminating a whole bunch of other species than just humans as well.

    Although I’m totally in for the occasional misanthropy, I don’t like seeing it as “just a fever” anymore as too many species will go down. Life will probably persevere in the end, but so will probably a bunch of rich shitpieces, who are significantly responsible for this fever in the first place.

    • SendMePhotos@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Our world has gone through many life cycles in the past. At the beginning, was darkness, at the end, probably the same (unless it’s a Futurama time cycle).

      The earth will continue on and life will find a way. At this time, we, as humans, have screwed the pooch and now the pooch will screw us. We used the earth and culled it’s resources. We are taking no consideration to the world around us, and instead focus on ourselves alone.

      All of the movies about aliens are true. Humans are selfish, greedy, parasites.

      • Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net
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        3 months ago

        Humans aren’t selfish, greedy, parasites. We just get brainwashed into being that way by our culture

      • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        What are you basing this on? Like what scientific knowledge exactly? That life will find a way? You realize the “scientist” in Jurassic Park who said that wasn’t a real scientist???

        Look at every other planet. Do any of them have life? What makes you so blindingly confident this planet won’t join them? We are in a mass extinction right now due to unprecedented rapid climate change. The only life left might just be extremophiles and they may never be able to evolve to be multicellular. And not even extremopjiles can survive everything.

        That people are so casual about this shows a profound lack of scientific knowledge.

        • D1G17AL@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          And we have evidence for at least 6 other major mass extinction events. Yet life on this planet found a way to survive and re-evolve. Quit being so fucking pedantic about something so silly.

          • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            I’m not being pedantic, I’m openly disagreeing with the idea that life “must” or absolutely will carry on. There’s no such guarantee. That you hold onto that is a cope but not reality. That’s fine if you need to do that ig but I disagree.

        • SendMePhotos@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Calm down there, sport. I don’t have to cite sources or be factually correct to have a conversation about my perspective and pop culture references.

          • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            Um but you’re talking about a scientific phenomenon so if you want people to value your thoughts, it’s good to support them with evidence

            You don’t have to do anything ofc. It just bothers me to see people say that George Carlin quote “the planet will be fine,” the Jurassic Park quote “life will find a way,” or the idea that the planet is alive and will kill us off like a fever. Because all of those things are downplaying the seriousness of what’s actually happening. From my PoV, what you’re doing is very close to climate change denialism and it stops people from realizing how serious things are right now. Literally right now.

            • SendMePhotos@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              I’m posting on the internet on a place that is not super populated. I have no followers and want to gain nothing from these aside from conversation, learning, and my version of social interaction. Climate change is real. It’s a very real threat to all life. I do what I can, donate to places I agree with, and advocate for groups that need to be heard. I do believe that life will find a way, because we came from nothing to begin with. Species have been destroyed, life was reborn. Civilization have been destroyed and rebuilt.

              If life does not find a way, then it’s the end of the road for our relative area. We succumb to silence like the rest.

      • Maeve@kbin.earth
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        3 months ago

        Our carcasses could end up being petrochemicals of the emerging life forms.