The Climate Threat Global Challenges

August: Hottest month ever recorded

August was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, according to a report from the EU’s climate service, Copernicus—a finding reported by several media outlets.

The global average temperature last month was 16.96 degrees Celsius. This is 1.65 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Sea surface temperatures also reached record highs, with an average of 21.07 degrees.

"Long-term warming is accelerating rapidly now. This is to be expected, given our skyrocketing greenhouse gas emissions. It is also alarming. Emissions must be addressed as quickly as possible," Erik Kjellström, Professor of Climatology at SMHI, told *Dagens Nyheter* (DN).

Climate change is the primary driver of this warming, though it is being amplified by the weather phenomenon El Niño. 

UNICEF: Extreme weather hits girls' schooling hardest

Girls are at greater risk of dropping out of school when extreme weather disrupts education, according to the UN children's agency, UNICEF. This was reported by the news agency TT.

Last year, more than 171 million students across 106 countries had their schooling interrupted by events such as heatwaves, storms, and wildfires.

Damaged schools, destroyed sanitation facilities, and reduced family incomes can increase the burden on girls regarding caregiving duties and fetching water.

UN: World must reject climate culture wars

Attempts to turn the climate crisis into a culture war issue must be rejected if the world is to avoid economic catastrophe. This is according to UN climate chief Simon Stiell, as reported by *The Guardian*.

He points out that the summer’s heatwave killed tens of thousands of people in Europe alone and also placed a strain on infrastructure and the economy. According to Stiell, being passive regarding the climate issue is tantamount to being passive regarding inflation, the cost of living, security, and economic growth.

"The climate is sometimes viewed as a partisan issue, a battleground in the culture war. That is demonstrably untrue," says Stiell.