More fossil fuels were burned in '24 than ever before, scientists say

Industries and individuals around the world burned record amounts of oil, gas and coal last year, releasing more greenhouse gases than ever before, a group of leading scientists said in a new report, warning that humanity is hurtling toward “climate chaos.”

- BY IAN JAMES

CHARLIE RIEDEL Associated Press INDUSTRIES and individuals around the world burned record amounts of fossil fuels last year, scientists said.

The surge in global use of fossil fuels in 2024 contributed to extreme weather and devastating disasters including heat waves, storms, floods and wildfires.

“The planet’s vital signs are flashing red,” the scientists wrote in their annual report on the state of the climate. “The window to prevent the worst outcomes is rapidly closing.”

Some of the most alarming of Earth’s “vital signs,” the researchers said, include record heat in the oceans ravaging coral reefs, rapidly shrinking ice sheets and increasing losses of forests burned in fires around the world. They said the extreme intensity of Hurricane Melissa this week is another sign of how the altered climate is threatening lives and communities on an unprecedented scale.

“The climate crisis has reached a really dangerous stage,” said William Ripple, the report's co-lead author and a professor at Oregon State University. “It is vital that we limit future warming as rapidly as possible.”

There is still time to limit the damage, Ripple said. It means switching to cleanly made electricity and clean transportation, and consuming less beef and dairy and reducing other sources of harmful gases. These transitions are happening in some places, though not nearly fast enough.

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