What is global boiling? And what can we do about it?

WORDS Jasmine Pirovic PHOTOGRAPHY Unsplash PUBLISHED Wed, 2 Aug 2023 - 12:00 pm

Goodbye global warming, your reign is over. But if you think this is a time for celebration, you're sorely mistaken. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has announced we're living in a new era of the climate crisis, one that will be known worldwide as "global boiling". Really paints a picture, hey.

Guterres' statement comes after scientists recorded the hottest July on record. Temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere demonstrate vast parts of North America, Asia, Africa and southern Europe are experiencing a "cruel summer", as the UN Secretary General described it. Wildfires have torn through nine Mediterranean countries in the last week alone, scouring forests across Greece, Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Tunisia and Algeria, among others. Elsewhere, in China, Mexico and the western US, heatwaves have caused a series of heat-related deaths.

“Humanity is in the hot seat,” Guterres told a press conference. "For the entire planet, it is a disaster. And for scientists, it is unequivocal – humans are to blame."

To make matters worse, ocean temperatures are soaring too, hitting the highest ever recorded numbers for this time of year.

“All this is entirely consistent with predictions and repeated warnings," Guterres continued. "The only surprise is the speed of the change," he noted. "Climate change is here, it is terrifying, and it is just the beginning. The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived.”

Back in June, New York City was awash in an orange haze of smoke, swept across from the Canadian wildfires. It was a scene all Australians could relate to, dredging up memories of the deadly Black Summer Bushfires. The soaring temperatures have unsurprisingly had many wondering what's in store for Australia come summertime.

For now though, it's more crucial than ever for global leaders to step up and lead the charge on climate action. This is particularly true for G20 leading industrial nations like Australia, the UK and US, who are responsible for 80 per cent of global emissions. We will see this conversation continued at the COP28 summit held in Dubai this coming November.

I don't know about you, but global "boiling" makes gas stove bans and no new airports seem trivial in comparison.

Don't get anxious, take action. Here are the most powerful things you can do to combat climate change.