‘It’s time to start telling the truth’: Is summer’s record heat a sign of climate breakdown?

‘Climate breakdown has begun’, warns UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Transcript

00:00 The world is hotting up, as so many of us can attest to the summer.

00:05 Scientists say climate change is the reason, and it's causing more and more heat waves.

00:10 This extreme heat, compounded by wildfires and desert dust,

00:15 is having a measurable impact on air quality, human health and the environment.

00:20 That's the warning from a new report from the World Meteorological Organization.

00:26 It says if we must expect more heat waves, then air quality and climate change must be tackled together.

00:33 And it warns the European heat wave of 2022 most certainly led to more ozone pollution.

00:40 Wildfire smoke harms human, ecosystem and crop health, but parks and trees can ease urban heat islands.

00:47 Climate change, caused by heat-trapping greenhouse gases from human activities, is a long-term global threat.

00:54 In contrast, air pollution happens on a timescale of days to weeks, and tends to be more localized.

01:01 The report was released to coincide with the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies,

01:08 which this year focuses on the need for strong partnerships, increased investment and shared responsibility to overcome air pollution.

01:17 (airplane engine roaring)

01:20 (whooshing)