@JohnPiepers Thank you for your contribution.
You're absolutely right that the climate of our planet is constantly and dynamically changing. Estimates of global temperature evolution in Earth's geological past indeed show that the planet's average temperature has been higher than it is today for long periods of time.
However, this article focuses on the current challenges and needs of our society within a timeframe of several human generations.
Its main message is that it is essential to adapt to extreme temperatures and heatwaves, which, within this context, appear to be becoming more frequent and intense, and to implement measures that can mitigate their impact on society.
The article aims to summarize the current state of extreme heat and heatwaves on Earth (see the introduction and the chapter Global temperature increase), their impact on human society, particularly in urban environments (chapters Impacts of extreme heat and heatwaves and Impacts of heatwaves in cities), and to highlight the anticipated developments in the future, both in terms of urbanization (chapters The dynamic evolution of cities and The future of cities) and in terms of expected global temperature rise (chapters Global temperature increase, Global climate shifts of cities, and The future of cities).
The climate of our planet is the result of complex and interconnected processes whose effects can either amplify or offset one another. It is possible that forecasts of future global temperatures, based on our current level of understanding, may not fully capture all variables and feedback mechanisms.
Warm regards, Jari
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