July 21 was the hottest day measured since global records have been kept. That record didn’t last long, however, as July 22 then became the hottest day.
The July 21 record was “almost indistinguishable from the previous record” set in July 2023 — a 0.01°C difference, said the Copernicus Climate Change Service, which analysed and published the data.
However, the margin between July 21 and July 22 (a massive 0.07°C) was “larger than typical differences in day-to-day variations”.
July 23 was virtually as hot as July 22.
Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo told The Guardian that the world is now in “truly uncharted territory”. He believes that global temperature records will continue to be broken.
Last month was the hottest June on record and the 13th month in a row to set a monthly temperature record, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
In early July, NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus said on social media: “This is an actual emergency, it is irreversible.
“Things will not get cooler for the rest of our lives,” he said. “How hot it gets is how hot we’ll have to live on this planet for — basically — ever.”
This should underline why society and ecosystems need a massive reduction in carbon emissions.
Less than a week before these records were broken, Market Forces released a report that found that Australia’s big four banks — ANZ, Commonwealth, NAB and Westpac — continue “to pour billions of dollars into the fossil fuel industry”.
The Banking Climate Failure report found that the four banks loaned $3.6 billion to fossil fuel corporations last year.
In less than eight years since the Paris Climate Agreement was signed, these banks have funded fossil fuel companies to the tune of $61 billion!
In theory, the big four have climate policies that are meant to limit warming to 1.5°C and ensure “net zero emissions” by 2050. These goals are incompatible with new and expanded fossil fuel projects. Yet the banks advanced $2.5 billion to companies with fossil fuel expansion plans last year.
The banks are also finding back door ways to fund fossil fuel expansion, while pretending to be good climate citizens.
These financing options include “general purpose corporate lending” and using the bond market.
“The big four Australian banks arranged $2.2 billion for fossil fuels through the bond market in 2023,” said the report. “$1.4 billion of this was for companies with expansion plans.”
The banks are clearly more committed to profiting from fossil fuels than to resolving the climate crisis, protecting people or even implementing their own policies.
Similarly, federal Labor is granting new gas approvals instead of ensuring big corporations reduce emissions. This is despite a clear majority (57%) in the latest Lowy poll saying they want stronger climate action — “even if this involves significant costs”.
Globally, the results are clearer: 80% of the world’s people want their governments to “take stronger action to tackle the climate crisis”, according to the People’s Climate Vote, the largest ever stand alone public survey on climate change.
Kalmus warned that “we can’t wait for the rich and powerful to stop climate breakdown”.
“We need the public to rise up and become more powerful than the fossil fuel industry.”
That’s why Green Left is committed to broadcasting the voices of grassroots climate activists and helping forge popular movements that can defeat the fossil fuel industry.
But we can’t do it alone. That’s why we’re asking you to help. Please become a supporter if you’re not already and make a donation to our 2024 Fighting Fund today.