What term did UN Secretary General António Guterres use to describe the severe state of climate change?

A. Global warming B. Global boiling C. Climate crisis D. Climate catastrophe

GLOBAL BOILING

The escalating crisis of extreme weather, described by UN Secretary General António Guterres as “global boiling.” The phenomenon represents a significant shift from global warming to more severe and dangerous climatic conditions. Similar heatwaves have recently affected Pakistan and India, with temperatures in Sindh reaching 52.2°C and in Delhi surpassing 44°C, causing widespread fatalities and heatstroke cases. These events align with a global pattern of unprecedented weather extremes. The term ‘global boiling’ highlights the unpredictable nature of current climate changes, which include alternating extremes like droughts, floods, and heatwaves. For instance, regions near Makkah recently experienced both extreme heat and flash floods. Other examples include record-breaking rainfall in Dubai, leading to severe flooding and fatalities, and simultaneous extreme weather events in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, ranging from severe flooding to prolonged droughts. These climatic anomalies are causing significant disruptions to human health, agriculture, and ecosystems, reducing crop yields, increasing drought and flood risks, accelerating ice melt and sea level rise, and leading to species extinction. The article calls for urgent and robust climate action to mitigate these escalating impacts and stresses the need for global sustainable practices and policies. It uses the metaphor of the ‘boiling frog syndrome’ to illustrate human complacency towards climate change, warning that without immediate action, the consequences could be catastrophic.