Average Temperatures on Earth in 2047 Will Be Hotter Than the Hottest of the Last 150 Years

New research indicates the time for procrastinating dealing with climate change might have passed us by a long time ago. If the study is correct, it would mean that the average temperatures around the world in 2047 would be hotter than any highs recorded in the past 150 years.

"Scientists have repeatedly warned about climate change and its likely effects on biodiversity and people," said lead author of the study, Camilo Mora. "Our study shows that such changes are already upon us. These results should not be reason to give up. Rather, they should encourage us to reduce emissions and slow the rate of climate change. This can buy time for species, ecosystems, and ourselves to adapt to the coming changes."

The Earth's tropics will be affected the most by continually-rising greenhouse gas emissions, with major changes set to occur within the next 10 years. Tropical regions are more susceptible to shifts in temperatures, and the scientists say that the tropics will experience "unprecedented climates some 10 years earlier than anywhere else on Earth."

"The results shocked us. Regardless of the scenario, changes will be coming soon," said Mora. "Within my generation, whatever climate we were used to will be a thing of the past."

Of course, these are worst-case scenarios, where nothing is done and greenhouse gases climb at current levels. But even the flip side isn't too bright. The researchers state that even with greenhouse gas level stabilization, the outcome is still somewhat inevitable - it'll just take us until 2069 instead of 2047 to get there.

You can read the full published study detailing the findings in the journal Nature.