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UN: Humanity Facing Collective Suicide Over Climate Inaction as Things Melt

It’s getting so hot that all kinds of things are melting: Airplane runways are liquefying, roads are buckling, railways erupted in flames, and wildfires are roaring. The UN is warns humanity is facing collective suicide over climate inaction

UN warning: “Collective action or collective suicide” over climate crisis

Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told ministers from forty countries this week that humanity is facing “collective suicide” over the climate crisis, the Guardian reported.

“Half of humanity is in the danger zone, from floods, droughts, extreme storms and wildfires,” Guterres said. “No nation is immune. Yet we continue to feed our fossil fuel addiction.”

“We have a choice,” Guterres added. “Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands.”

Heat is melting things and causing fires

Across the globe, the heat is so extreme that it is melting roads, runways, and roofs this week.

At London Luton Airport on the capital’s outskirts, a section of the runway had to be closed after it melted from the heat, CNN reported.

Photos of train tracks in London caught fire after a spark burnt timber beams amid soaring temperatures across Britain, Firstpost reported. Additional photos circulated showing workers painting tracks with white paint in an attempt to reflect the heat, TimeOut reported, adding that Network Rail’s extreme weather brigade will be camped out at hotspots monitoring the temperature of the tracks, prepared to fix problems as they arise.

Also amid the high temperatures in London, the Hammersmith Bridge has been wrapped in foil after cracks in the pedestals started last August following a heat wave. The foil reflects sunlight and keeps the bridge at a moderate temperature to prevent its materials from expanding and then cracking.

In China, the roof of a museum melted; 84 cities there issued their highest-level red alerts.

Biden weighing US climate emergency declaration

The Biden administration has heard the United Nations loud and clear on the danger climate change is posing. In lieu of congressional inaction and stalled talks, President Biden is considering declaring a climate emergency. Sources familiar with the matter said the announcement could come any time.

“The President made clear that if the Senate doesn’t act to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen our domestic clean energy industry, he will,” an unnamed White House official told The Hill. “We are considering all options and no decision has been made.”