Energy & Environment — 2023 is hottest year on record, officials confirm

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View Online Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story  NOAA: 2023 was warmest year on record by far The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed Friday that 2023 was the hottest single year ever recorded, confirming a determination earlier this week from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. © Getty In its annual global climate report, NOAA found that average land and ocean temperatures reached 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average last year.   This marked the highest annual average in 173 years of record-keeping. It was also the highest-ever gap between the hottest year and second-hottest — in this case, 2016, which was 0.27 degrees cooler.   The past year was also 2.43 degrees hotter than the average for the pre-industrial period between 1850 and 1900. All of the 10 warmest years since 1850 have been in the past 10 years, according to officials.   The determination echoes those of not only the Copernicus Service but also NASA and the U.K.'s Met Office, all of which confirmed 2023 is the hottest year on record.    NOAA also determined that 2024 has a 1-3 chance of being warmer than 2023 and a 99 percent chance of being among the five warmest years on record.    Meanwhile, Antarctic sea ice also hit a record low for the second year in a row, reaching 690,000 square miles in February, while upper ocean heat content — the heat stored in the ocean's upper 2,000 meters — was the hottest ever recorded as well.   The five highest upper-ocean heat levels have all occurred in the last five years, according to the agency.   Read more in a full report at TheHill.com. Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, we're Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.   Programming Note: Overnight Energy & Environment will not publish on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: Storm halts flights in Chicago; 2K-plus flights delayed across US A deadly winter storm has halted flights in the major travel hub of Chicago, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control System Command Center.  Full Story McConnell stands in way of Brown, Vance victory on Rail Safety Act  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has promised he will schedule a vote on a long-delayed rail safety bill sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who faces a tough reelection in a critical Senate battleground.   Full Story NOAA: 2023 was warmest year on record by far The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed Friday that 2023 was the hottest single year ever recorded, confirming a determination earlier this week from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read on The Hill: Alaska Airlines passengers sue over mid-air blowout Six passengers who were on the Alaska Airlines flight forced to make an emergency landing last week after experiencing a blowout mid-air, filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday against Boeing — the aircraft's manufacturer. Full Story On Our Radar  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching:       Next Thursday: The House Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a hearing on four pending pieces of legislation.   The House Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing titled "Reporting for Duty: Examining the Impacts of the Department of the Interior's Remote and Telework Policies."   The House Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs will hold a hearing titled "The Next Generation: Empowering American Nuclear Energy" What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: Temperatures rise during tense House Republican climate meeting (The Washington Examiner) Exxon leaves oil lobbying group over climate differences (E&E News)   FEMA's Disaster Map is Getting Crowded (The New York Times) What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Hunter Biden's daughter hits back at Greene for 'lying' at House hearing Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi hit back at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Wednesday, saying the lawmaker was "lying" at a House hearing her father attended Wednesday. Read more Hunter Biden reverses course, would sit for closed-door deposition with new subpoena Hunter Biden reversed course Friday and said he would agree to give closed-door testimony to Congress if the House Oversight and Judiciary committees issue new subpoenas. Read more Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: Climate movement splinters as activists target Israel   You're all caught up. See you next week!  Check out The Hill's Energy & Environment page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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