Last year was the hottest year on record. Global heating breached 1.5C for full year for first time as January sets new record. Nine of the 10 hottest years have been recorded in the past 10 years, and all 10 have happened since 2005.

January 2024 was the warmest January on record globally according to multiple sources, including the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Here are some key points to remember. January marks the 8th consecutive month with record-high temperatures, highlighting a concerning trend of global warming.

There have been recent discussions about adding a new category to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS). Some experts argue that the current five-category scale doesn’t adequately reflect the destructive potential of the strongest hurricanes. There’s no official proposal yet, but potential characteristics include:

• Sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (252 km/h);
• Storm surge exceeding 25 feet (7.6 meters); and
• Unprecedented levels of damage and potential for loss of life.

Meanwhile, it’s not too late to take action to make our world more resilient in the face of climate change.

Greener Cities is a resource for sustainable and resilient cities and communities. Cities are home to about 50 percent of the world’s population and they generate 80 percent of our planet’s greenhouse gases – the primary human contributor to global warming and climate change. As a result, many communities are experiencing increasing threats of fires, droughts, floods, severe weather, population displacement, and others. Community leaders and citizens around the world must be informed, motivated, coordinated and empowered to be part of the solution. Many communities and many innocent lives have already been lost.

Unfortunately, few local communities have the ability to engage their citizens to develop a common vision around sustainability and resilience. Some need guidance on a collaborative process to achieve consensus. Others need help outlining the spectrum of actions that they can take to cut pollution, save energy, conserve water and promote health and sustainability. Other communities around the world already are in contingency mode and need help mitigating the impacts of climate change on their homes and businesses. For more information, visit Greener Cities.

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservation, reforestation, urban forestry, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Deforestation generates about 20 percent of greenhouse gasses, which contribute to global warming and climate change. Deforestation also cripples our planet’s ability to filter carbon dioxide from our air. Destroying these carbon sinks threatens entire watersheds, endangered species and endangered cultures. According to the IPCC, “reducing deforestation and forest degradation rates represents one of the most effective and robust options for climate change mitigation.”

“Local stakeholders around the world are stepping up to defend vital ecosystems,” said Gary Chandler. “We are doing what we can to draw attention to their plights and plans. We have 15 projects ready to go in East Africa today.”

To learn more about our nature-based solutions that are shovel-ready, please visit Sacred Seedlings.

Gary Chandler is the CEO of Crossbow Communications — an award-winning public affairs and government affairs firm. We specialize in public health and environmental issues. We serve the world.

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