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Earth is warming. Globally, 2020 was the second-warmest year on record, with a mean temperature 1.2°C above the pre-industrial average. By that measure, this means we are already four-fifths of the way to the 1.5°C "safe" level to which the world committed to try to limit global warming. The culprits are carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels and land use changes that reduce Earth's ability to draw down greenhouse gases. The results are already being felt, not just through rising temperatures, but also through loss of ice cover, rising sea levels and more extreme droughts, floods and storms across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the impact of a 1.5°C rise in world temperatures, based on the Paris Accords of 2015 which deemed that level of rising temperature as safe. Topics include the current rise in temperature of 1°C, the current predicted rise of temperature by .1°C per decade, how temperatures range fluctuate throughout the globe from the arctic regions to the tropics, heatwaves, heat-stress, drought and too much rain, and sea level rise.

At last, the public is calling for urgent action, and politicians are falling over themselves to get on board, says Adam Vaughan [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the rise in sea level resulting from global warming. Topics include the melting of two massive glaciers in West Antarctica which will cause an increase in sea level of 1.2 meters, predictions of a 5-meter rise in sea level by the year 4100 if the world remains two degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times, and the use of geoengineering to prevent coastal cities from sinking.

The article discusses Aboriginal oral histories which prove how ancient people tried to control incidents of flooding due to the rising sea level. Topics discussed include preservation of aboriginal stories of the ancestors' experiences in Australia according to researcher Patrick Nunn, stories of the Wati Nyiinyii and the Gunggandji people of Southern and North-East Australia, and the discovery of a stone wall which was seemingly built to protect the ancient village of Tel Hreiz in Israel.

The article reports on the increasing number of people who are threatened by the incidents of flooding due the rising sea level, particularly in Asian cities, according to an analysis led by Benjamin Strauss of U.S.-based Climate Central.

The article discusses the finding by Emanuele Bevacqua and his colleagues at the University of Reading in England that the risk from rising seas may be aggravated further by compound flooding, where heavy rainfall and storm surges occur to have greater impact.

Moving away from the coast Rising sea levels mean that a managed retreat for coastal communities is no longer a case of if, but when and how. Adam Vaughan reports [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the significance of disaster preparedness to mitigate hurricanes and climate changes. Particular focus is given to topics including inland flooding resulting from rising sea levels, increased risks of storms due to global warming, and regulations for building structures resistant to storms.

The article focuses on a lawsuit filed against some of the world's largest fossil fuel producers by the coastal Californian counties of Marin and San Mateo. It is noted that counties alleged companies of activities that caused rising sea levels including extracting, marketing and distributing oil, coal and gas.

The article discusses U.S. cities that are expected to sink under rising sea levels resulting from global warming. Topics include the impact of a collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet collapsing on sea level rise, the need for aggressive action to curb carbon emissions to limit the rise in sea level, and the costs and limitations associated with cities' flood barriers.

The article reports that the sea levels are actually projected to go up by 10 to 20 centimeters over the next few decades, with wave-exposed cities like Mumbai and Kochi in India to experience a 5-centimeter rising by 2050.

The article discusses the findings of a research led by Simon Albert at the University of Queensland revealing that five of the Solomon Islands have been swallowed whole by rising sea levels.

The article presents science news briefs. Topics include the risk of rising sea levels washing away turtles' nests and damaging eggs, the passing of Earth by asteroid 2011 UW-158, which is worth an estimated $3 trillion due to its platinum core, and researchers' growth of tiny brains in petri dishes using skin cells from people with autism to study the balance of neural activity and control.