EarthOne: China’s Climate Curve Is Skewing Widen
Why the name EarthOne matters:
AsiaOne just rolled out EarthOne, a fresh section focused on protecting our home planet. Pull up the latest articles and you’ll find science talking hot—literally.
Shanghai Reports: “Hot Over West, Wet Over East”
- The National Climate Center (NCC) told reporters on Aug 3 that China’s ground temperatures have been climbing faster than the planet as a whole—a straight 0.26 °C per decade versus the global 0.15 °C.
- Yuan Jiashuang, the NCC’s vice‑director, warned that the average heat in China will keep spiking higher than any other country.
- The consequences? Water shortages, vulnerable ecosystems, and sad crop yields.
When Heat Storms Make a Rough Draft of Drought and Fires
Recently, scorching heatwaves have left the world on the back of a burn‑out list—droughts, wildfires, and even deaths from floods in places that’ve always enjoyed more rain.
The UN’s Antonio Guterres was quick to remind us that “no nation is safe from climate change.” The choice now is clear: collective heroics or collective disaster.
China’s Temperature Invasion
Swelteringly sizzling weather has hit 44 °C+ in Yunnan and Hebei. And this isn’t a one‑off incident:
- Heaps of 131 stations have recorded historic highs—up from 62 last year.
- Last year’s coastal waters hit a new record high—the highest since 1980.
- Glaciers are melting faster, permafrost on the Qinghai‑Tibet Highway reached a record, and sea ice has continued to dwindle.
Green Up or Green Out?
Curiously, although temperatures soar, China’s vegetation cover grew by 7.9 % in 2021 versus the 2001‑2020 average—thanks to earlier spring growth seasons.
So while China’s heat keeps ratcheting up, its forests aren’t speeding back to Earth’s green‑heart—yet.
Stay tuned with EarthOne for more updates—and perhaps a virtual t-shirt with a planet on it, because we’re all in this together.
And remember: every hot cookie, every cuticle‑free day, is a small nod towards our planet’s wise future.
