2024 pushes 2023 off top spot for hottest year on record
(CNS): Earth has now endured a decade of record-breaking heat after 2024 knocked 2023 off the top spot as the hottest year on record. The rapidly rising heat over the last ten years has been fueled by man’s behaviour and reached the point where scientists are now saying that the hope of restricting the rise to 1.5°C has been lost and is “dead as a doornail”.
As the planet boils under the relentless human consumption of fossil fuels, the crisis humanity is in should be in no doubt. But collectively, the world’s political and financial leaders are doing almost nothing about it.
This is as true here in the Cayman Islands as it is around the world.
While the people of Cayman can do little to turn down the global heat, we could at least mitigate the situation by preparing the islands for what is to come. But the current administration appears hell-bent on doing the opposite.
The UPM government is still seeking to undermine the efficacy of the National Conservation Act and the council that administers it. The UPM has also failed to make any moves towards implementing the measures set out in the new climate policy document to make these islands more resilient to climate change.
In his New Year’s message last week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the world to note that the ten hottest years on record have happened in the last ten years, and the Earth has endured a decade of deadly heat. “This is climate breakdown in real time,” he said. “In 2025, countries must put the world on a safer path by dramatically slashing emissions and supporting the transition to a renewable future.”
While 2024 was not the hottest year on record for every country, it was in many and close to the top for others. Throughout the year, many records were toppled during 2024’s relentless heat around the world.
The World Meteorological Organization is also warning that this record-breaking heat will continue into 2025, regardless of the current winter storms across North America and Europe, further accelerating climate change. The agency’s scientists said this could lead to catastrophic consequences if urgent action is not taken to stem the “human activities” behind this looming disaster.
“Greenhouse gas levels continue to grow to record observed highs, locking in even more heat for the future,” the WMO said last week as it urged greater international cooperation to address extreme heat risks “as global temperatures rise, and extreme heat events become more frequent and severe”.
Celeste Saulo, who was appointed WMO secretary-general in June 2023 and began her four-year term in January 2024, said that in her first year in office, she “issued repeated Red Alerts about the state of the climate”, warning that “every fraction of a degree of warming matters, and increases climate extremes, impacts and risks”.
The WMO State of the Climate 2024 report found that between January and September, global average temperatures were 1.54°C warmer than in pre-industrial times and above the level stipulated in the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate change.
The Cayman Islands also endured higher than average temperatures throughout 2024. We are awaiting the final report from the Cayman Islands National Weather Service reviewing last year’s numbers, though from January to November, the CINWS recorded an increase in average monthly temperatures every month, indicating it is also likely to be Cayman’s warmest year on record.
In November, despite a welcome increase in rainfall — 11.3 inches on Grand Cayman, well above the average of 6.2 inches and record breaking numbers on Cayman Brac — the average maximum temperature was also 0.2°C higher on Grand Cayman.
Cayman’s own climate is only part of the problem for these islands as global temperatures, especially sea temperatures, are critical to our future well-being. Warmer rising seas not only fuel more intense storms but increase flood risk. The extremely hot ocean temperatures are killing local reefs, which, combined with overdevelopment on our coast and the mass destruction of wetlands and mangroves, are removing the protections the islands once had from storms and flooding.
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Category: Climate Change, Science & Nature
It is certainly true for the Caribbean, now that we are at the end of the 35-40 year cycle. Please show us that data which demonstrates is as a global condition. If you use the IPCC reports, please list for us the specific people who are on that panel. Thanks much!!!
“Hi there. I’m…well, let’s just say I’m the unlucky CL4P-TP unit who might qualify as Claptrap’s romantic interest. It’s a tough gig, and today I’ve got to say, Cayman’s energy policies remind me way too much of him. So, buckle up—because this ride includes duct tape, Klingon alarms, disastrous dates, and the occasional localized black hole.”
First, let’s talk about Grade C Eridian—the volatile fuel powering Cayman’s diesel generators. Like Claptrap’s “fixes,” it’s outdated, inefficient, and prone to catastrophic consequences. Filtration systems? About as dependable as Claptrap attempting stealth. Spoiler: it’s not stealthy when you’re yelling, “I’m the greatest robot alive!” while blasting dubstep.
Now to rooftop solar—dimmed by CUC’s 15-kilowatt cap. It’s as if the grid is as fragile as Claptrap’s self-esteem. For energy independence, you’ll need to shell out a small fortune on extra panels, and more on specialized circuits. This screams “Claptrap innovation!”—right before the duct tape melts, fumes rise, and alarms blare in Klingon. Yes, Klingon. Because why settle for plain beeping when you can have alarms screaming “Qapla’!” and sparking debates about honor and if Shakespeare Hamlet was first written in Klingon.
And then there’s OfReg, the Claptrap of regulatory bodies. Instead of encouraging innovation, they banned Starlink to protect Flow’s monopoly. Flow’s service? The internet equivalent of Claptrap juggling grenades—without manipulators or arms. Imagine the chaos! Slow, frustrating, and slimy enough that even a slug might throw in the towel. Picture Flow’s buffering wheel, spinning so slowly it could double as a meditation aid—or a moss farm. “Buffering is just foreplay for data!” Claptrap might say, blissfully unaware of the misery.
Speaking of misery, let’s explore Claptrap’s romantic side. His idea of a perfect date? A candlelit evening at Mount Trashmore, Cayman’s iconic dump site, where he’d wax poetic about the beauty of discarded appliances. “You’ve never seen a sunset until you’ve seen it glinting off a mountain of garbage!” His seduction one-liners? Oh, they’re classics. My favorite? “Babe, I’d overload my circuits for you!” Or, “If love is a program, I’m running at maximum bandwidth!” Once, he tried to impress me by spelling “LOVE” in LEDs across his chassis. It was going well until he accidentally short-circuited himself and triggered a small trash avalanche. Romantic? Not quite.
As 2024 scorches into history, I picture Claptrap standing proudly in front of a Grade C Eridian generator, duct tape in one clawless appendage, a wrench in the other (don’t ask how), yelling, “Look! I fixed it!” while alarms scream in Klingon, “Qapla’!” And somewhere in the madness, I question all my life choices.
People often ask, “Why do you stick around Claptrap?” Honestly? I don’t know. He’s interesting. Sort of. Well, if you like watching planetary cores collapse into localized black holes. Every date ends in catastrophe, much like Cayman’s energy policies, but at least he’s…unique. In a terrifying way.
To the people of Cayman: don’t settle for duct tape fixes. Demand energy policies that actually work, internet that doesn’t feel like a habitat for slugs, and leadership that doesn’t run on Grade C Eridian—or Claptrap logic. And if you think your grid is fragile, try dating him. Well, unless you’re desperate, have spare cooling pumps that would make Elpis (the local ice moon of planet Pandora in Borderland’s video games series) look like a puny ice cube, and hope your insurance covers catastrophic failure.
Sincerely,
Claptrap’s (Tentative’s girlfriend)
Although it is necessary to promote the use of natural energy sources such as solar power and wind power as much as possible, the Cayman Islands is a small country, and offshore wind power generation is costly, so we will have to rely to a certain extent on imported CO2-free energy from overseas. In that case, hydrogen or ammonia would be the most promising options. Both of these could be co-fired with natural gas-fired power generation, which is currently under consideration. If the ratio of CO2-free energy is gradually increased in thermal power plants, and eventually 100% dedicated combustion is achieved, carbon-free energy can be realized while minimizing the economic burden. Ammonia is cheaper and more promising when considering thermal power generation alone, but ammonia is toxic to the human body, making it difficult to use for personal applications. In contrast, hydrogen could be used as fuel for cars and boats, or as an alternative energy source for gas stoves. However, considering the small land area and small population of the Cayman Islands, it is unlikely that there will be a large demand for these applications, so the most promising is likely to be ammonia, which has a high cost performance ratio.
Around the Cayman Islands, the production of green ammonia, which emits no CO2, has already begun in Trinidad and Tobago and Colombia. In conclusion, the fuel for thermal power plants will gradually shift from diesel to natural gas and green ammonia. At the same time, the use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power will be promoted. Houses will be all-electric, cars, small boats, and domestic propeller-driven aircraft will be electrified; a certain number of fast-charging facilities with higher output than today will be needed to achieve 100% electric vehicles, and regular operation of large electric buses should be considered to reduce CO2 emissions and traffic congestion. While large ships and jets are likely to be refueled overseas, hydrogen, which fuels international jets, could be refueled domestically, and if this happens, hydrogen could be used as an alternative fuel for some cars, small ships, and gas stoves. In this way, carbon neutrality would ideally be achieved by around 2050.
one free easy solution for the planet:
stop eating meat…bad for humans, bad for animals and a disaster for the planet.
dis place is a joke. anybody notice the lovely tropical aroma from the dump last week during the lovely strong Christmas breeze. Better not have any open house on the southern section of what’s left of 3.7 mile beach, especially those new monstrosities being constructed. I was gagging while try to put in my little boat to catch a squab…..let’s bring more people, more destruction, more cruise ships, more status holders, more cheap labor, more work permits for people that have no actual jobs other than hustle a dollar to pay their work permit holder their agreed fee….and the carnival goes round and round we go.
Figures don’t lie. Liars figure.
Compared to a personal car, a public bus system has a significantly lower carbon footprint per passenger, with studies showing that a single person switching from driving alone to taking the bus can reduce their carbon emissions by a substantial amount, often considered to be around 30-50% lower per mile traveled; this is because a single bus can transport many people simultaneously, reducing the overall emissions per passenger
June 2022
Bryan, who toured Barbados’ modern bus fleet during his visit, was impressed by what he saw.
Tourism and Transport Minister Kenneth Bryan is teaming up with his Barbados counterpart for the creation of a national public bus system in a bid to alleviate Cayman’s traffic congestion woes. Though in the preliminary discussion stage, Bryan has set his sights on a January 2024 start date (‼️) and is working with Santia Bradshaw, Barbados’ Minister for Transport, Works and Water Resources to look at making a bus network happen.
May 2024
Cayman turns to Bermuda for public transport insight. Bryan was looking to Barbados as part of planning for local transportation. He travelled to the island in 2022 and observed their bus system in action.
January 2025
Three long-awaited, new bus routes are to be introduced as part of government’s plans to improve public transport around Grand Cayman.
Hah? What happened to the plans to create a national public bus system like the one they have in Barbados or Bermuda?
Vote for Kenny and he will buy you a car so you don’t have to worry about the bus system.
The blended 5 year rolling average temperatures for major land areas (which include COVID shutdowns) are nearing +3’C, it was only the ocean areas keeping the global average below +1.5’C, and even then, only by a hair. +1.5’C was the do not exceed limit set for 65 years from now. Even now, COP and politicians are only focused on tiny snippets of the UN IPCC net zero mitigation plan, that if implemented (and they won’t be for a long time) only address less than 25% of the GHGE problem, pace of which is accelerating.
“Citizens of the Cayman Islands, the Adeptus Ridiculous returns with tales of diesel dependency, shattered solar ambitions, and internet connectivity that might as well be powered by coconut crabs. Brace yourselves for a descent into the absurd!”
Let’s start with the sunny promise of rooftop solar—except here in Cayman, it’s anything but. While the world embraces renewable energy, CUC imposes a 10-kilowatt cap, allegedly to “protect the grid.” Meanwhile, the real danger lies in diesel generators belching fumes through filtration systems that are, at best, ornamental.
For those bold enough to seek energy independence, the financial penalties remain staggering. You’ll need batteries for 80,000 CI, additional panels for 45,000 CI, and specialized electrical panels to segregate circuits. And forget using CUC’s grid as a backup—that level of innovation is evidently too destabilizing for the powers that be.
Now, about those solar compensation rates. As of November 1, 2024, homeowners can expect the following “rewards” for their contributions to a cleaner future: 21 cents CI per kilowatt hour for 1 to 7.5 kilowatts, and 17.5 cents CI for 7.5 to 15 kilowatts. A slight improvement, perhaps, but hardly enough to make rooftop solar the beacon of hope it should be.
And what of OfReg? While they were busy banning Starlink—presumably to safeguard Flow’s monopoly on abysmal internet service—solar rates were quietly slashed, and diesel fumes continued to permeate the air. Flow, with its legendary dropped connections and glacial speeds, seems to enjoy regulatory protection that would make even a Space Marine blush.
As 2024 secures its place as the hottest year on record, one must ask: what’s the plan here? A monument to grid instability? A diesel-powered shrine to Flow’s mediocrity? Or perhaps another committee to study the inefficacy of the last committee?
The mechadendrites of the Adeptus tremble in frustration. Cayman deserves better—better air, better power, and better policies. Citizens, rise and demand a future that isn’t choking on diesel or buffering endlessly. The time for action is now.
Yours with exasperation,
The Adeptus Ridiculous
Calm down, you really are overreacting. You’ll give yourself an aneurysm, and maybe one to others too.
You might try insulating yourself and your abode, to the absolute udders I mean!
It is impossible not overreact
the return of the chatGPT humanoid with his rambling BS!
As an example If you went to a Taylor Swift concert you are also part of the problems. She goes everywhere in her private jet, but she does pay her carbon tax. This was introduced to fight global warming. Isn’t working, but the tax is still there. Who can take this seriously when governments see this as an opportunity to tax people? What is the government doing for cycling in Cayman, an efficient mode of transport with little to no pollution, but the roads are not safe. We may not be able to change the course of global warming, but we don’t even try.
All of aviation, including private jet travel, amounts to around 4% of total GHGE. To ignore the other 96% is boneheaded. We need to talk about construction, human and livestock diet, power and energy transition, and not obsess with a microslice of the transportation wedge.
“…if urgent action is not taken to stem the “human activities”…”. The question is: Which activities?
look at the bigger picture.
✅ An open air open dump has a significant carbon footprint due to the large amount of methane gas released from decaying organic matter, which is further amplified by the practice of open burning often associated with such sites, contributing SIGNIFICANTLY to greenhouse gas emissions through the release of carbon dioxide and potent short-lived climate pollutants like black carbon; studies estimate the climate impact of an open dump can be several times higher per tonne of waste compared to a properly managed landfill.
✅ Plastic in the ocean contributes to global warming by emitting greenhouse gases during its breakdown process, impacting the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide, and by requiring significant fossil fuel use in its production, which generates additional greenhouse gases throughout its
✅ The carbon footprint of satellites includes the emissions from the rockets that launch them, the emissions from the satellites themselves, and the emissions from the equipment used to receive the satellite signal. As of the end of 2022, there were 6,718 active satellites orbiting Earth
✅ Using electricity generated from fossil fuels like coal or natural gas to charge an EV results in higher carbon emissions. For example, an EV charged using coal-fired power plants can produce up to 50% more CO2 than a gasoline vehicle.
✅ Electric vehicles are supposed to be green, but the truth is …The carbon footprint of electric vehicle battery production is significant, with estimates ranging from 56 to 494 kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour of battery capacity, primarily due to the energy-intensive mining and refining process of raw materials like lithium and nickel, which are key components of EV batteries; this means producing an EV battery can generate a substantial amount of CO2 compared to a traditional car battery.
There is no question of which activities. There are libraries of reports and published mitigations. Go to http://www.ipcc.ch and download them.
I always question everything. I do not agree with some of their findings/conclusions.
gone past tipping point….sad times ahead for the world and little hope when idiots like trump are in power
Stop worrying about Trump! Chyna’s CO2 emissions are over double USA’s.
Stop worrying about China. Worry about Cayman’ carbon footprint per capita and per sq.m
Cayman could 10x their carbon footprint per capita and it wouldn’t even contribute an additional 0.000001% to global emissions.
Earth is a collective, not isolated pockets.
There are a half dozen tipping points, and we only have a couple more to go, for the fully-baked “show me” extinction level reality in merely hundreds of years that the climate change deniers need to witness firsthand with their own eyes to believe things. These must be the same people that need to grab a hot baking pans to learn why there are oven mitts.
Tipping Points of Climate Change and Where we stand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl6VhCAeEfQ
Trump will never push our household shopping basket around the grocery store, pay for our groceries, or give his blood for our annual lipid checkup. Eat plants.
At least 50% of people who had heart attacks have normal lipids. Elderly with lipids over 300 will live longer than those with 150. Eat meat!
Trump is not stupid
IF you believe that, then I got a bridge to sell you.
LOL!
What planet are you going to live on?
The question is, which one are you living on?
Keep clearing land and cutting down trees… That should help!
Make sure to pave over Barkers!!!
let’s be honest, Cayman is not going to make a dent in global climate change. instead, Cayman needs to prepare for the effects of climate change. Mangroves need to be planted, developers need to set back properties from the beach and other coastal areas, and make remediation of the dump a high priority.
These ideas like electric cars won’t do anything to reduce the coming climate disaster. It’s going to take a combined effort from the entire world to make a difference to lower temperatures and prevent sea level rise. Our priorities are completely wrong thinking that Cayman going “green” will make any kind of difference.
Those human consumers alive today hold the fate of the future, with the choices they make. At the core: to either be part of the problem, or part of the solution. Do we choose to pee in the swimming pool because someone else might have? What kind of person are you going to be?
Per capita and per sq.m Cayman is making a huge impact!
That is a completely useless measurement in the real world that is used to make small places like Cayman seem like the bad guys, while China and India literally shit into the sea. If every Caymanian that ever existed was alive right now and burned 100% of CUC’s available electricity 24/7, we’d never even move the needle on the world’s pollution readings.
I go green all time after reading this climate hype. Sends me running to the white porcelain goddess to 🤮