Siberia is experiencing a warming event that would have only had a 1 in 100,000 chance of happening before climate change. May 2020, was the hottest May in history and Siberia has played a huge role in that record.
Temperatures in Siberia were 18 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the normal that month, but it has not ended. June has seen the continuation of this heatwave. A severe heatwave occurred where it reached a temperature of 100 degrees just two days ago.
And as you may have guessed, this is the hottest temperature ever recorded in the North Arctic Circle.
This Is a Signal
Scientists have said that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet and this is clear proof.
This poses a huge threat to towns and structures built in the region. This is because they are typically built directly on top of permafrost. This is soil that freezes and was thought to never melt due to the climate of the region.
However, that is no longer the case.
While this heatwave has been ongoing, 20,000 tons of diesel spilled into a river by a power plant. The reason was that the permafrost began to melt, thus the plant lost its structural integrity. There are likely to be more problems to come.
Why The World Needs to Curb Emissions
It’s no secret that for years scientists have called for a decrease in emissions, but the opposite has happened. Emissions have continued to rise each year and it took a global lockdown to change that.
Each year, records are shattered and temperatures rise. However, there is hope that rebuilding economies after COVID-19 could lead to a green transition much quicker than previously anticipated.
And the IEA’s very detailed $3 trillion dollar plan is an excellent way to make economies sustainable and more resilient.
