18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 26-APRIL 1, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com High Alert As warning lights flash, U.N. Secretary General calls out a global climate emergency. By Bob Berwyn FORUM The world is in a state of climate emergency, the head of the United Nations declared on March 22, following the release of the latest State of the Global Climate report from the World Meteorological Organization. “Earth is being pushed beyond its limits while every key climate indicator is flashing red,” said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. “Earth’s energy imbalance, the gap between heat absorbed and heat released, is the highest on record. Our planet is trapping heat faster than it can shed it.” The consequences, he added, “are written into the daily lives of families struggling as droughts and storms drive up food prices, in workers pushed to the brink by extreme heat, in farmers watching crops wither, and in communities and homes swept away by floods.” The report highlights the significance of record-high concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and notes that the effects are visible everywhere, from the 11-year series of hottest-ever years to the way heat is accumulating deep in the oceans. For the first time, it includes a metric called Earth’s energy imbalance as a key climate indicator, measuring the rate at which energy from the sun enters and leaves the planet. In a stable climate, incoming energy and outgoing energy are about the same. But activities such as burning fossil fuels, growing food and making steel, cement and plastic have upset that balance by pushing levels of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere to the highest level in at least 800,000 years. That’s trapping more of the sun’s energy in the Earth’s climate system than ever previously recorded. “Improved scientific understanding of Earth’s energy imbalance shows the disruption is real and the reality facing our planet and climate right now,” said World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. “We will live with these consequences for hundreds and thousands of years.” The basic energy measurement is a better starting point than trying to establish temperature change relative to 1850 in international forums, which then quickly start quibbling over what a tenth of a degree means, scientists say. The measurement is also more significant now because there are 20 to 25 years of data from satellite sensors designed to study Earth’s energy balance. Guterres said that climate stress is exposing the fact that “our addiction to fossil fuels is destabilizing both the climate and global security.” Accelerating a global transition to renewable energy would “deliver climate security, energy security and national security,” he said. “Today’s report should come with a warning label. Climate chaos is accelerating and delay is deadly. The way ahead must be grounded in science, common sense and the courage to act.” Bob Berwyn is an Austria-based reporter who covers climate science and international climate policy. This story originally appeared in Inside Climate News. OPINION “Climate chaos is accelerating and delay is deadly.” MULCH MADNESS FREE Truckload or Bags APRIL 4 Two Cubic Yards of Mulch per Service Address • Only California American Water or Monterey Peninsula Water Management District customers are eligible to participate. • Must bring water bill showing where mulch will be used and photo ID. • After entering ReGen Monterey on Charlie Benson Road, turn right at the four-way stop, follow Mulch Madness signs to Keith Day Landscape Supply. Stay in vehicle and drive through verification station before proceeding to loading area. Mulch will be loaded into pick-up trucks with assistance from a tractor. Bring your own tarp to cover mulch during transportation. • Bagged mulch will also be available in smaller quantities for those without a truck. Supplies may be limited and are on a first-come, first-served basis. For personal use only. Not for resale. Saturday, April 4, 9am to Noon 14201 Del Monte Blvd. (one mile north of Marina) 831.658.5601 MONTEREY PENINSULA MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==