Global warming is putting unprecedented pressure on natural systems. and lifestyles across the planet. The latest scientific data and observations confirm that the global average annual temperature is now more than 1,5°C above pre-industrial levels, a milestone that calls into question international commitments and increases the urgency of action on all fronts.
From oceans to agricultural crops, the consequences emerge in the form of biodiversity loss, reproductive disorders in vulnerable species, a decline in the quality of products like hops, and the urgent need to reorient current energy systems toward sustainable and less polluting models. All of this occurs in a context marked by the slow pace of global decarbonization and insufficient climate action.
Global warming and its effects on aquatic ecosystems
El continued rise in temperatures is drastically reducing the oxygen available in freshwater ecosystems, such as rivers and lakes. According to research published in Science Advances, more than 80% of the lakes analyzed globally show significant surface deoxygenation processesThis phenomenon is largely driven by the increase in temperatures caused by climate change and the intensification of heat waves, which decrease oxygen solubility and exacerbate eutrophication. As a result, the health of biological communities and the ecological stability of these environments are seriously compromised, forcing us to rethink conservation and restoration strategies adapted to this new reality.
Responses of marine biodiversity to ocean warming
Marine species are no strangers to thermal changes. Recent studies conducted in the Canary Islands have shown that The increase in sea surface temperature differentially affects male and female angel sharks (squatina squatina), a critically endangered species. When water temperatures rise above 22,5°C, females avoid traditional breeding grounds, causing a disruption in reproductive cycles and jeopardizing the long-term survival of the species. Experts warn that these types of changes in reproductive behavior could be replicated in many other marine species if current trends continue.
Global warming threatens agriculture: the case of hops
El rising temperatures and irregular rainfall are directly affecting key crops such as hops, essential for brewing beer. Producers in Spain and other European regions have reported production losses and a decline in quality—with reductions in alpha acid content—as a direct consequence of heat waves and droughts. The challenge is complicated by the plant's high sensitivity to climatic conditions and the limited speed at which new adapted varieties are developed. Given this situation, experiments are already underway with indoor hop cultivation, although its scalability and energy costs present considerable challenges. According to scientific projections, if the temperature trend persists until 2050, southern European regions could witness a significant reduction in the yield and quality of this crop.
Global context: record temperatures and international agreements
The figures indicate that 2024 was the warmest year in recorded history, consolidating a decade of consecutive records. The Paris Agreement, which set a prudential limit of +1,5°C compared to the pre-industrial era, is facing the reality that this threshold has been temporarily exceeded and could become a trend in less than two decades. The lack of clarity about how and when to consider the limit exceeded complicates political action, while IPCC and WMO reports insist that action must be accelerated to avoid irreversible impacts.
Methane emissions and the energy transition
In Latin America and other emerging regions, Reducing methane emissions takes center stage at climate summits. Methane, although smaller in volume than carbon dioxide, has a much greater warming potential In the short term, initiatives to improve regulation, mobilize financing, and implement technology to limit these emissions are progressing, but the pace is still far from what the most optimistic scenarios require. At the same time, the key role of renewable energy and the urgent need to gradually phase out fossil fuels to contain global warming and its associated effects are underscored.
