Week 36: Nazis back in Germany; CO2 emissions as high as cocaine production in South America and most countries spend more on weapons than on education

Dear all,

It is as blunt as it gets: heat record after heat record, year after year. Adapt. The political and corporate narrative surrounding the current economic system, which runs on cheap fossil fuels, is very clear. It's business as usual, and we are told to adapt. Adapt to whatever comes. Yes, there will be some collateral damage, but deep down, each one of us believes it won’t be us—it won’t be me—who will be affected by whatever happens. Human hope is the last resort for most of us. Wine grapes and Champagne from Sweden and England—perfectly paired with caviar from Denmark. Soon, one of the most visited destinations will be the ice-free Arctic, viewed from the deck of yet another gigantic cruise ship powered by electric engines made in China. Everything goes. The more, the merrier. Limitless nothingness. An empty space we call the future. Adapt. Find a positive angle on the nothingness, because there’s not much left. Yes, we know we can do better, we know we could make a change—but why should we? Nazis are back in Germany, CO2 emissions are as high as cocaine production in South America, and most countries spend more on weapons than on education and healthcare. As they say, it’s all about adaptation, my friends.

This past summer marked the hottest on record in the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous countries enduring intense, prolonged heat waves. As 2024 progresses, it is on track to become the warmest year ever recorded, with scientists sounding alarms over the accelerating global temperature rise. The average temperature from June to August was 16.8°C, which is 0.69°C higher than the 1991-2020 average and a full 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900). This temporary spike is distinct from the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping long-term warming below 1.5°C, but it underscores the mounting challenges the world faces in managing climate change. As the global temperature increases, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events also rise. This summer saw devastating wildfires across Brazil, Canada, and Greece, alongside warnings about heat-related deaths. Samantha Burgess of the Copernicus Earth observation agency stressed that without urgent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the consequences for both people and the planet will become increasingly severe.

2023 previously held the record for the hottest year and summer, but 2024 is already outpacing it. Scientists note that for 2024 not to surpass 2023, temperatures would need to drop by 0.30°C in the remaining months of the year—an unprecedented decline. Sea surface temperatures have also remained unusually high, contributing to the rising global heat. The impacts of climate change are felt globally, but certain regions, such as Europe, have warmed faster than others. Europe experienced its hottest summer on record this year, while countries like the UK and Ireland saw cooler and wetter conditions due to jet stream volatility.