As the years go by, global temperatures have changed, becoming, in the case of Puerto Rico, increasingly hotter days, with 2023 breaking heat records and 2024 already surpassing those figures.
This is seen in the “warming bars”, a graph that presents how temperatures have been altering since the 19th century, as part of a project created by the scientist Ed Hawkinsprofessor of Climate Sciences at the University of Reading, in the United Kingdom.
“Puerto Rico has had some of the highest and most important heat events in its historical record. 2023 was the hottest year and 2024 is surpassing it. Some places are warming faster than others. The important thing is that we are in the same process and there is great international concern, because we are not doing enough to stop it,” the meteorologist said this Thursday. Ada Monzónin a telephone interview from Germanywhere he participates in International Forum of Meteorology and Climatologyin its twenty-first edition.
This Friday, the day will be celebrated “Show your stripes” (Show your stripes), since the update of the warming bars with data until 2023 will be presented in the forum. Monzón is one of the panelists of a round table titled “Communication on global change and climate action.”
“This is a science communication illustration of how planet Earth is warming, without reference to values or mathematics. “These bars represent how, over the years, temperatures have increased, a sign of global warming.”he indicated, noting that, in the case of Puerto Rico, a database from the National Weather Servicefrom 1892 to 2023.
“Gigantic efforts are being made to establish strategies, with all the information that is produced in the world, in order for people to understand the serious problem of global warming,” added the also member of the Committee of Experts and Advisors on Climate Changecreated by the Law 33 of 2019.
Monzón explained that the melting of the poles affects the Rising sea levels and exemplifies how warming is expanding the ocean, degrading coastal environments and ecosystems, as well as marine life.. Therefore, he said, it is urgent to develop strategies towards resilience and mitigation of disaster events. extreme heat, hurricanes most frequent, water scarcity and agricultural impact, among others, and understand how they affect the economy and the environment.
“This Friday, Puerto Rico joins in demonstrating how, through science, the island is not immune to global warmingbecause we are part of a globe,” he reiterated.
In that sense, Monzón said he still does not understand why he was not given way, in the Legislatureto the Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience Plan to Climate Change.
“We will soon release a study of non-action to comply with the plan… what it means to not act and how much it will cost us,” she warned, confident that the document will come into discussion in January 2025, with the change of government.
“Many times, we think that our actions are small and insignificant, but they are all important. Switch lights to LEDs, plant trees, prepare for hurricanes, consider installing solar panels, purchasing an electric or hybrid vehicle, reducing plastic… Everything is good, it helps to be more resilient, but it is a change of culture”he highlighted.