The Oceans
Last year marked the hottest ocean temperatures in recorded history, which already sounds bad. But it’s made far worse by the fact that 2021 marked the sixth consecutive year a new record was set, showing how burning fossil fuels is impacting every corner of the planet. Marine heat can have deleterious effects on wildlife and fisheries while also feeding stronger storms. In the U.S. alone, those tropical storms resulted in $78.5 billion in damage in 2021 and the loss of at least 159 lives.
Unfortunately, this trend of warming ocean water isn’t destined to let up any time soon. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on oceans released in 2019 found that “unprecedented conditions” are likely by mid-century as heat transforms the high seas.
