Study: Catastrophic Heat in 30 Years

Channi Anand/AP

A terrifying new study released Thursday predicts that by 2047, the planet will see historic temperatures that will drastically disrupt what we know as normal. In just three decades, temperatures will surpass all records set since they began being kept in 1865, scientists concluded in the study, published in the Oct. 9 issue of Nature. At that point, the coldest temperatures on earth will be higher than the current hottest temperatures. The researchers argued that if greenhouse-gas emissions are stabilized, the catastrophe could be delayed as much as 20 years. In that case, the warming wouldn’t reach its full potency until 2069. “Within my generation, whatever climate we were used to will be a thing of the past,” lead researcher Camilo Mora said.