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A 2021 survey showed that 26% of our countries do not believe in global warming and consider it another conspiracy theory. However, the events of that year and studies of temperature fluctuations show that this is not the case.
Temperature indicators for 2021
Data from the Copernicus climate change service showed that 2021 was the fifth hottest year on record, slightly warmer than 2015 and 2018. Taken together, the past seven years have been the hottest on record. The average temperature in 2021 was 1,1-1,2°C warmer than 150 years ago. At the same time, at the beginning of 2021, temperatures were relatively low compared to previous years, but by June, the figures began to rise.
Where climate change has been felt the most
Above-average locations included the west coast of the US and Canada, northeastern Canada and Greenland, most of North and Central Africa, and the Middle East.
Europe experienced the warmest summer on record. In general, the annual temperature in the European part of the continent was not the highest compared to the 10 warmest years, but the summer became record hot. A heatwave swept through the Mediterranean in July and August, particularly affecting Greece, Spain and Italy. Sicily recorded 48,8°C, beating the European record for the highest temperature by 0,8°C.
How global warming has shown itself in different parts of the world
High temperatures in the eastern and central Mediterranean were followed by intense wildfires in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Tunisia and Algeria. Europe also saw extreme wet weather, with huge floods devastating parts of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. All of these events were part of the same pattern of weather systems disrupted by climate change.
What happens to the earth’s atmosphere
The climate change service Copernicus says that in 2021, the concentration of two gases in the Earth’s atmosphere has increased, which significantly contribute to climate change. The concentration of carbon dioxide reached 414,3 parts per million and increased at the same rate as in 1. But the level of methane in the atmosphere increased to an unprecedented level of 2020 parts per billion, while the growth rate of methane concentration was faster than in 1876.
Copernicus experts believe that both speeds were very high compared to satellite data over the past two decades. All this increases the likelihood of a further increase in temperatures on Earth.