--indicates that the extreme temperature event "would have been virtually impossible" in the absence of the human-caused climate crisis.
The group's aim is to examine and quickly publicize connections between extreme weather events and the climate crisis to undercut denialists' claims that the two are unrelated. "An event such as the Pacific Northwest 2021 heatwave is still rare or extremely rare in today's climate, yet would be virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. As warming continues, it will become a lot less rare," the scientists wrote Wednesday. "The future will be characterized by more frequent, more severe, and longer heatwaves, highlighting the importance of significantly reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the amount of additional warming.