“‘Hanging by a Thread’: U.N. Chief Warns of Missing a Key Climate Target" Article Reflection No. 101 (6/15/2024)

Article:  “‘Hanging by a Thread’: U.N. Chief Warns of Missing a Key Climate Target”

In the article “‘Hanging by a Thread’: U.N. Chief Warns of Missing a Key Climate Target,” Raymond Zhong discusses how it is more difficult to limit or restrict the rising temperatures from global warming. According to the article, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said the world needs to take immediate action by turning to renewable energy alternatives and eliminating gas or oil subsidies for taxpayers. With this emphasis on how human action impacts the environment on a large scale, recent news—for example, that this May was the hottest ever recorded—is even more alarming, the article suggests. The article also emphasizes how the international 1.5-degree Celsius goal is not obstructed simply by “momentary” transgressions but rather long-term ones. The article then proceeds by explaining the varying factors that may be contributing to these temperature changes. These factors include the ending El Niño but also sulfur pollution regulations, according to Zhong. Regarding the latter, Zhong writes about how sulfur pollution may actually possess “a modest opposing effect.”. However, as the article suggests, there is increasingly less time to combat these escalating temperatures. 

To be honest, I feel like a lot of the information from this story was expectable. I think it is pretty common knowledge that the Earth’s temperature is rising and that a lot of that is induced by human actions that may involve oil or gas industries. But one part that really surprised me is the sulfur emission regulation and how it is potentially counteractive. I thought that regulations would help mitigate rising conditions but how sulfur can actually help cool the globe seems to emphasize the importance of balance. This also reminds me of what I learned in Chemistry about how the Earth needs carbon emissions, but how an excessive amount of it is harmful. How can scientists and world leaders come to a consensus about climate action (in terms of greenhouse gas emissions) while taking this crucial balance factor into account? This is a curious question.