Many countries have been baked by hot weather for weeks. At a temperature of around 15.5 C, the glacial ice of Greenland is melting at an alarming rate of 6 billion tons a day.

Experts attribute the temperature rise to global climate change that is mainly attributed to the increased emissions of carbon dioxide.

To ease the global warming, countries must realize the objective set by the United Nations in the Paris Agreement, which is a legally binding treaty on climate change adopted by 196 countries and regions in 2015. Its goal is to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 C above pre-industrial levels and promote efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels.

To do that, global emissions need to be reduced by at least 43 percent by 2030 and carbon neutrality achieved by 2050. However, according to estimates by the International Energy Agency, carbon emissions rose by 6 percent last year, the highest ever. Emissions for 2022 have yet to be published, but they are likely to be no lower than those for 2021 as the energy shortage has prompted many countries to increase coal burning.

Another way to reduce carbon emissions would be to use more nuclear power. For instance, Germany is considering restarting its nuclear power program. The use of nuclear power can help reduce carbon emissions, and thus contribute to the easing of the extreme heat waves.

The reality is becoming increasingly clear that if nuclear power is excluded, the world will fail to meet agreed targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

The hot weather should be a reminder to people that human activities are changing the world in an unprecedented way. And everybody should do his or her part to save energy and contribute to the solution of the common challenge.

-BEIJING NEWS