What year did the Earth experience its hottest temperatures in the last 125,000 years?

According to the report, 2024 was likely the hottest year on Earth in at least 125,000 years.

What solution does the report identify as the "single most powerful lever" to curb the climate crisis?

The report states that rapidly scaling renewable energy, especially solar and wind, is likely the single most powerful lever to address the crisis.

Home / Environment / Earth Faces Unprecedented Heat Crisis as 2024 Shatters Temperature Records

Earth Faces Unprecedented Heat Crisis as 2024 Shatters Temperature Records

Q: How many indicators of Earth's health reached record extremes in the report?

The study found that 22 of 34 measurable indicators of Earth's health, including greenhouse gas levels, ocean heat, sea ice, and deforestation, have reached record extremes.

30 Oct

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Summary

2024 likely Earth's hottest year in 125,000 years
22 of 34 health indicators reach record extremes
Renewable energy scaling seen as most powerful solution

Earth Faces Unprecedented Heat Crisis as 2024 Shatters Temperature Records

According to a report published on October 29, 2025, the year 2024 was likely Earth's hottest in at least 125,000 years, surpassing even the peak of the last interglacial period. This comes after 2023 was previously considered the warmest year in human history, and 2024 capped a decade of record-breaking heat fueled by human-caused climate change.

The study, led by researchers at Oregon State University, found that 22 of 34 measurable indicators of Earth's health, including greenhouse gas levels, ocean heat, sea ice, and deforestation, have reached record extremes. The authors warn that these trends suggest humanity is in a "state of ecological overshoot," consuming the planet's resources faster than they can be replenished.

Despite the grim outlook, the report stresses that solutions exist, and there is still time to act. Rapidly scaling renewable energy, especially solar and wind, is seen as "the single most powerful lever" to curb the crisis. The researchers express hope in nature's resilience and human ingenuity, stating that "Earth systems can recover if given the chance."