According to a new study, apocalyptic, deadly, record-breaking heat waves will continue to scourge civilization for the next millennium. This is true even if we achieve net zero carbon emissions. This sobering research underscores the urgent need to make global net zero a reality by 2040. Taking action now is essential to reducing the impact that upcoming heat waves will have.
The results paint a pretty simple picture, the one you might expect—heat waves will get worse. This impact will only compound the longer countries wait to reach their net zero commitments. In addition, researchers found that heat wave severity has not lessened over the full millennium studied. This means that even once we are back to net zero, things never return to preindustrial conditions.
Additionally, countries surrounding the equator are particularly vulnerable to increased occurrence and severity of extreme heat events. Because the inflection point where we need to achieve net zero keeps getting delayed, these events will become increasingly common. If we wait until 2050 or later to achieve net zero, then a shocking once-in-a-century heat wave every year would be the norm. Get ready for a hotter, more stormy future to come.
Professor Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick of the Australian National University stated, “Our work challenges the general belief that conditions after net zero will begin to improve for future generations.” She underscored the fact that the process of adapting to the effects of more frequent and more intense heat waves will take centuries, not decades.
Dr Andrew King, from the University of Melbourne, said these results were critical. He urged massive investment in universal public infrastructure, housing, and health care. Prevost stressed the importance of investing in public infrastructure, housing, and health services. This investment will be different in scale, cost, and required resources depending on whether we get to net zero stabilization sooner or much later. Yet this adaptation process is an opportunity for the generations,” she added.
The research underscores a stark reality: delaying net zero may result in centuries of hotter, longer, and more frequent heat waves. With each year that passes, we are experiencing more intense and frequent heat wave occurrences. Together, these trends do not bode well for current and future generations.
Moreover, scientists warn that long-term warming trends in the Southern Ocean could exacerbate these heat waves even after net zero is achieved. The monumental research clearly demands immediate action. That means we can avoid the worst of the danger by targeting net zero by 2030 or even earlier.