With October's initial temperature data in, 2024 will rank as the first calendar year in modern record-keeping in which global average surface temperatures exceed the Paris Agreement's aspirational 1.5°C guardrail.
Why it matters: Holding long-term warming to the 1.5-degree target compared to the preindustrial era is crucial for lowering the risk of triggering climate change tipping points, beyond which potentially catastrophic impacts have a higher likelihood of occurring, studies show.
Archer Aviation will supply as many as 100 electric aircraft to a Japanese company aiming to launch air taxi services in some of Japan's busiest cities.
Why it matters: Japan could be a significant market for electric air taxis, another indication that the emerging advanced air mobility industry is getting closer to reality.
Fire danger and strong winds in Southern California prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders for thousands in Ventura County — where staff at the National Weather Service's Oxnard office were among those having to flee on Wednesday.
The big picture: Hundreds of firefighters were battling the fast-moving Mountain Fire in Ventura County that injured several people who had to be hospitalized and impacted numerous structures as it burned out of control on Wednesday, the county fire department said.
Former President Donald Trump's reelection threatens to worsen global climate change by altering the trajectory of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, eroding federal climate research and forecasting, and abdicating America's leadership role in global climate negotiations.
Why it matters: His return to the White House comes at a time when climate scientists have warned that the Paris Agreement's warming targets are slipping dangerously out of reach, raising the odds of potentially catastrophic consequences.
