Special thanks to this month’s donor, who wishes to remain anonymous. We agreed in concert that this splendid clip of a remarkably self-aware Golden Retriever was a good way to start these threads: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fZBVUJE4CuY
“Northern hemisphere forests have shifted from carbon sinks to carbon emitters…
“A recently published study by the environmental physician Xiaojun Li and colleagues (2025) attribute this decline to increasing droughts, wildfires and forest degradation from other environmental disturbances, such as logging, insect outbreaks, and permafrost thaw.”
https://climate.esa.int/en/news-events/Forests-turn-from-carbon-sinks-to-emitters/
“It’s deja vu all over again.
“The Arctic re-freeze is slow this year, and sea-ice extent has now dropped to 3rd lowest for the date (behind 2016 and 2020) as of November 3rd, just 280,000 km² above the minimum for the date, set in 2016.” [Prof Eliot Jacobson]
https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/1985700226855027096
“Weather above normal for 18 consecutive months.
“New temperature records in Norway and northern Russia suggest that this could be the warmest autumn in a century. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET) reported on Tuesday that never before has such a long period of above-normal temperatures been recorded.”
https://www.thebarentsobserver.com/news/weather-above-normal-for-18-consecutive-months/440100
“HISTORIC WARMTH IN EUROPE – hundreds of records of November warmest night smashed with big margins from West to East.
“Mins >14C [57.2F] in UK, >12 in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, >11 in Finland and Estonia. Records all over Scandinavia including Stockholm min 11.9 (data since 1800s), Uppsala etc.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1986032702315974832
“Major incident declared in parts of Wales after flooding triggers hundreds of calls.
“Dozens of people have been rescued from flooded homes in the Carmarthenshire area, three people were saved from a vehicle trapped in fast-flowing water and more than 30 dogs were rescued from flood-affected kennels at a shelter.”
“Dutch weather station sees record 234 days of double-digit temperatures.
“The maximum temperature in De Bilt, where the Dutch national weather institute (KNMI) is located, has not dropped below 10 degrees Celsius [50F] for 234 consecutive days, since March 17. Weeronline reports that this is the longest stretch on record.”
https://nltimes.nl/2025/11/05/dutch-weather-station-sees-record-234-days-double-digit-temperatures
“Switzerland braces for more heatwaves, droughts and violent storms.
“Switzerland is heading for a future that is hotter, drier and more unpredictable, with less snow and heavier rainfall, according to national climate change projections released by the country’s leading scientific institutions.”
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/climate-adaptation/how-will-climate-change-affect-switzerland/90271638
“Avalanche In Italian Alps Claims Five German Climbers…
“According to the Sulden Mountain Rescue Service, the avalanche may have been triggered by recent snow drifts that failed to bond with the underlying ice—a perilous combination exacerbated by rapid temperature changes and strong winds.”
https://evrimagaci.org/gpt/avalanche-in-italian-alps-claims-five-german-climbers-515012
“Torrential rains cause severe flooding and material damage in Extremadura.
“The intense storm of rain and wind that has battered the city of Cáceres has caused flooding, damage to vehicles, and the precautionary closure of public spaces. As reported by Europa Press , numerous streets in the city of Cáceres have been flooded…”
“Canary Islands Government issues new alert due to intense heatwave.
“According to Aemet, the islands will experience: an inflow of very warm, dry air, possibly accompanied by light calima abnormally high temperatures, exceeding 30 °C [86F]”; “Record Nov temperatures up to 34.9C at San Cristobal, minimums >23C: hotter than July, reports Extreme temps]
https://danews.eu/2025/11/04/canary-islands-government-heatwave-2/
“Flooding was reported on Tuesday, November 4, following torrential rain that hit the city of Kinshasa [Congo].
“The communes most affected by this natural disaster are Lingwala, where the mayor reported the flooding of the Lokole district as well as Niangwe and Kalembelembe streets. In the commune of Kalamu, the municipal authority has warned of the overflowing of the Kalamu river.”
“Israel swelters under record-breaking November heat, setting 80-year temperature highs.
“Temperatures soar past century-old highs as prolonged autumn heat wave grips the country; Jerusalem hits hottest November day since [records began in] 1942, with multiple regions surpassing 100°F amid warnings of continued unseasonal heat through the weekend.”
https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/rkjh4kt1bl
“Iraq’s receding Tigris uncovers Ottoman warship…
“A drop in the Tigris River has exposed the wreck of an Ottoman warship that lay hidden for over a century, highlighting both a rare historical discovery and Iraq’s deepening water crisis. A video posted by Iraqi explorer Ali Hamad drew wide attention on social media…”
https://shafaq.com/amp/en/society/Iraq-s-receding-Tigris-uncovers-Ottoman-warship-water-crisis
“Smog covers central part of Bishkek and northern residential areas [Kyrgyzstan]…
“According to experts, the deterioration in air quality is linked to the start of the heating season, as many private homes use coal for heating. Weak winds prevent the polluted air from rising and dispersing.”
https://24.kg/english/349895_Smog_covers_central_part_of_Bishkek_and_northern_residential_areas/
“Lahore’s residents choke on air pollution as toxic smog blankets ‘City of Gardens’ [Pakistan]…
“With Air Quality Index (AQI) readings soaring beyond 500 in several areas according to Swiss air monitoring agency IQAir, Pakistan’s cultural capital has once again been choked by this toxic mix of smoke and fog.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2621589/pakistan
“Militarisation and the climate crisis in South Asia…
“India’s and Pakistan’s security dilemma, growing nationalism, and recent military clashes have helped expand or legitimise the use of force, and encourage those who argue for militarised solutions to civilian matters. This includes environmental and climate policies.”
https://ceobs.org/militarisation-and-the-climate-crisis-in-south-asia/
“Endless record heat in South Asia. November Highest Minimums in history for INDIA:
“28.2 [82.8F] Thanavur, 27.7 Chennai Airport, and many more. Record heat will continue the whole week… SRI LANKA destroyed with huge margins the records of November High Minimums (up to 3C+). Most extreme event in a maritime equatorial area.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1985931545274958083
“Seven Italian climbers missing in Nepal as storms, avalanches leave 9 dead…
“Nepal was hit last week by unseasonal rains and heavy snow due to the impact of Cyclone Montha, which left many trekkers and tourists stranded on popular Himalayan trekking routes.”
“Northwest China experienced unusually warm weather today.
“Zeku & Maqu broke their November Tmax records, and 19 other stations also broke their November Tmin records! The warm weather is expected to continue tomorrow, with more records likely to be broken.” [Jim Yang]
https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/1986088901367455995
“Hong Kong logs warmest October on record.
“Hong Kong’s weather service said on Tuesday (Nov 4) the city endured the hottest October on record, as scientists warn extreme heat will become more frequent and intense because of human-induced climate change globally.”
“Schools close as torrential rain from Typhoon Kalmaeigi hits Hainan.
“As of 11 am, the water level upstream of the Jiaji Dam reached 11.54 meters with a flow rate of 5,125 cubic meters per second, and levels continue to rise… [ with Tunchang experiencing a maximum 24-hour rainfall of 430 mm / 16.9 inches, reports Jim Yang on X].
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202511/04/WS6909dbf6a310f215074b8f13.html
“Philippines declares a state of emergency after typhoon left at least 241 people dead and missing.
“Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency on Thursday after Typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 241 people dead and missing in central provinces in the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country this year.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/philippines-manila-b2859595.html
“Deadliest typhoon in Asia this year targets Vietnam after leaving a trail of destruction in the Philippines.
“The storm has strengthened into the equivalent of a Category 4 Hurricane and is expected to hit central Vietnam Thursday night — an area that hasn’t yet recovered from disastrous flash flooding and landslides caused by weeks of record rainfall and successive storms.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/06/asia/typhoon-kalmaegi-philippines-damage-vietnam-intl-hnk
“Vietnam deluge close to world record for highest daily rainfall.
“A rain gauge in Vietnam registered almost 1.8 metres [5 ft 9 inches] of rain in 24 hours last week, which is close to the current world record for the highest daily rainfall in recorded history… For comparison to Australia, the annual average rainfall in Sydney is just over 1,200 mm and even tropical Darwin usually only sees about 1,730 mm of rain each year.”
“While mainland Japan has cooled after a record hot and long summer, abnormal warmth continue in the subtropical islands:
“The MINIMUM temperature this morning at Chichi-jima was 27.1C [80.8F] with the maximum hovering 30C. Temperature typical of full summer.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1986265209221329097
“Hail and heavy rain batter West Australia’s Great Southern and Wheatbelt region.
“Hailstones and heavy rain have caused significant damage to crops during harvest across the Great Southern and Wheatbelt regions. Farmers are working with insurers, with hopes of recouping some costs of the damage.”
“Toxic algae blighting South Australia could pose a global threat…
“Researchers have finally identified the species behind the ecological disaster, and they warn that it represents an “emerging international threat with unknown consequences”… an algal species named Karenia cristata, which has only previously been reported in two locations near South Africa, where it caused fish die-offs in 1989 and again the mid-1990s, as well as off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.”
“ECMWF clearly moving toward El Niño solutions this spring. Huge Maritime Continent westerly wind event developing, which will move warm water volume from the eastern Indian Ocean to the West Pacific.
“In the meantime, Pacific trade wind surge will maintain La Niña conditions for a couple more months.” [Paul Roundy]
https://x.com/PaulRoundy1/status/1986065582991483088
“Quick graph of Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes and Tropical Sea Surface Temperatures.
“It’s like a permanent Super El Niño has materialized over the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes over the past 10 years…”
[Leon Simons]
https://x.com/LeonSimons8/status/1985843705211752620
“Cleaner air may be accelerating warming by making clouds less reflective…
“Between 2003 and 2022, clouds over the Northeastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans, both sites of rapid surface warming, became nearly 3% less reflective per decade. Researchers attribute approximately 70% of this change to aerosols—fine particles that float through the atmosphere and influence both cloud cover and cloud composition.”
https://phys.org/news/2025-11-cleaner-air-clouds.html
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN MEXICO – insane 43.0C/110F Vinoramas.
“Record heat also in TEXAS 89F/31.7C Amarillo. Record heat continue in all Caribbean as well: 32.2C/90F St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. >180 countries are breaking heat records, in 4 days more than ANY FULL MONTH in history.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1985894904497889636
“This is wild. Despite having fueled one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, the waters in the vicinity of where Melissa tracked remain sufficiently warm to support the formation of a major hurricane.”
[Nahel Belgherze]
https://x.com/WxNB_/status/1985767657962934569
“More than 150 birds rescued from Texas preserve after severe hailstorm injuries…
“Many of the birds sustained severe injuries from the hailstorm, and wildlife officials say some injuries are too extensive to treat. However, rehabilitation teams remain hopeful that some birds will recover enough to be released back into the wild.”
“LA Wildfires Altered Blood Proteins in Firefighters, Raising Health Concerns.
“Researchers at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health found that firefighters who battled the massive urban fires in the Los Angeles area in January 2025 developed physiological changes that may increase their risk of diseases, including cancer.”
“‘Blood rain’ and diseases in the wind: Is the US prepared for deadly dust storms?
“…The frequency of large dust storms in the southwestern US more than doubled from 1990 to 2011, according to a Noaa-led study. The same trend is apparent globally. The UN Environment Programme says in some areas desert dust increased twofold during the 20th Century.”
“The uninsurables: how climate change is redrawing the global insurance map.
“Intense climate volatility combined with risk-based pricing is pushing traditional insurers to retreat from entire regions across the globe. With no safety net, businesses and communities are left to confront the rising cost – and painful consequences – of uninsurable risk.”
“Solar geoengineering in wrong hands could wreak climate havoc, scientists warn.
“Solar geoengineering could increase the ferocity of North Atlantic hurricanes, cause the Amazon rainforest to die back and cause drought in parts of Africa if deployed above only some parts of the planet by rogue actors, a report has warned.”
“The era of fine speeches and good intentions is over. Brazil’s Cop30 will be about action…
“At every climate conference, we hear many promises but see too few real commitments. The era of declarations of good intentions has ended: the time for action plans has arrived. That is why today we begin the “Cop of truth”.” [Lula da Silva]
“China’s carbon emissions are expected to peak later than previously forecast, a survey of climate experts finds.
“Only one in five surveyed experts believe China’s emissions have already peaked or will peak this year, the fourth edition of Chinaʼs Climate Transition Outlook showed on Thursday.”
“EU waters down climate target in last-ditch deal before COP30 in Brazil…
“In a further effort to win over sceptical members, EU countries agreed for the overall 2040 objective to be reassessed every two years. They also agreed to weaken other politically sensitive climate policies, delaying the launch of an upcoming EU carbon market from 2027 to 2028.”
“How the US could shape the COP30 climate summit without even being there…
“The US has estranged itself from official international climate negotiation processes while simultaneously exerting pressure on trading partners to water down or reject climate commitments. This paradox could have an impact on COP30, experts tell CNN.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/04/climate/un-climate-summit-cop30-brazil-trump
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You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
“Solar geoengineering could increase the ferocity of North Atlantic hurricanes, cause the Amazon rainforest to die back and cause drought in parts of Africa if deployed above only some parts of the planet by rogue actors, a report has warned.”
A perfect cocktail of dystopian and utopian thinking. You sure know how to find em Pan! I wonder why these rogue actors would want the Amazon to die though. What do they get out of it exactly besides the satisfaction of their cartoon villain sadism? Well in either case, they need to be stopped, and who better to do that than…
https://youtu.be/OiYjTb3opAA?si=Y_BZPUm_1lpz2o6D
I can totally imagine a scenario where a country like Iran or Iraq is facing a threat so existential from heatwaves and water stress that it decides unilaterally to attempt some sort of geo-engineering… and then the law of unintended consequences comes into play, as per the article.
I hadn’t come across dear, old Captain Planet before. I looked up some quotes to get a flavour of the series:
Gaia: [Planeteer Alert] Today, our world’s economy depends on increasingly scarce resources such as oil and other fossil fuel. Wars may even be fought over who controls them.
Linka: It is important that we develop alternatives like clean solar power and other new technologies.
Wheeler: But until these alternatives are available, we need to conserve the resources we have.
Ma-Ti: And whenever possible, ride your bike.
Gi: Or walk. It’s healthy.
Captain Planet: The power is yours!
What a round up!
Planet going haywire!
An El Nino, so all sorts of accelerated climate chaos, a likely economic crash including market collapses, possible banking and housing failures and a couple of possible sovereign debt defaults and a jump in unemployment everywhere, six or more ongoing wars that are likely to escalate, a couple of new civil war possibilities on top of just generally accelerating global rioting and social unrest, the likely start of obvious declines in some key resources, probable famines, no real improvements in any of our headline predicaments, etc… 2026 is looking like an all time bad year. Unfortunately it will also be the best year that civilisation ever experiences going forward.
I appreciate your concise round-up of round-ups!! I understand why people tune out and watch funny cat and dog videos. I am reducing my news obsession with some of those and it is providing me with some needed relief. (Thank god for all the new data centers they are building /sarc )
I go for sea otters, who seem to have got things sorted just right until we decided they make very cosy hats – play for a bit, eat for a bit, look after the pups, but mostly just float around, maybe thinking great thoughts but probably not.
George, yes thank you for the neat round-up. We briefly exceeded 2C in Nov 2023, as the previous El Nino formed. If we get a moderate or strong one next year, we could see sustained excursions above 2C – a very eerie threshold to be sitting above.
Maybe all the COP30 talkers could watch “The White House Effect” on Netflix, a documentary using archival footage to show corporate control (The Economy) murdering nascent ecological concern (The Climate) back in the late 80s and early 90s.
The film deftly illustrates one of Wim Carton’s basic historical points his “The Long Heat” book of this year:
“dates a turning point to the 1980s, the decade when the climate crisis (and other aspects of the ecological crisis) entered the consciousness of capitalist society, never to leave it alone again. It was precisely in this moment, when the crisis began insisting that real limits were approaching, that neoliberalism opened up venues for fleeing. Through deregulation and privatisation, organised denialism and the cult of egoism, it encouraged an aggressive escape from reality. Nearly half a century later, the cumulative result, Weintrobe goes so far as saying, is a ‘collective psychosis’.”
Yeah, kinda.
Martin, Heather mentioned this documentary the other day. I must get around to watching it.
Even though these policy decisions are somewhat baked into our thermodynamic cake, as it were, it is still fascinating to see how these pivotal moments unfolded. Nixon’s cancellation of the direct international convertibility of the US$ to gold back 1971 was another.
Thanks Pan, this one hit me especially hard. Maybe it was the “this COP will be different” that made it land so hard.
Right?! Good grief. The delusion is as thick as the Greenland icesheet. By the time that icesheet melts completely, maybe their delusion will have melted away too. Oops, no. They/we will all be dead by then.
Rhetoric is right. Enough with good intentions! they only pave the road to hell. Draw up “Action Plans” that are based on those same good intentions and have no more hope of getting executed than plans to bring about “Peace in the ‘Middle East”’ (known as Western Asia to most of the world).
Boffo Idea!
You are welcome, Leaf. It was quite an intense one to put together.
Rob, these COPs are starting to feel like a Monty Python sketch.
At every climate conference, we hear many promises but see too few real commitments. The era of declarations of good intentions has ended: the time for action plans has arrived. That is why today we begin the “Cop of truth”.”
Finally the crisis causing me such stress and anxiety is solved. Cheer up every one the world is saved from destruction by the “Cop of truth”
If only Comical rhetoric and blather could save us there is enough going around to actually work.
Thanks Pan for the comic relief and laughter your work brings me.
Greatly helps my health
You are welcome, Sherman, and welcome to the site! My apologies your comment got caught in moderation; WordPress does that to all first time commenters.
Just in the nick of time..thanks Guys
Prince William and Leonardo DiCaprio are uniting for a cause that we should all be concerned about – protecting the planet. The Prince of Wales and other world leaders are in Brazil for the United for Wildlife Summit, and on Tuesday, November 4, he was joined via video by the Academy Award winner. The organization, founded by William in 2014, focuses on ending the illegal trade in wildlife parts and safeguarding endangered species.
Oops, my Bad..
Africa’s natural wildlife ‘power’ has nearly collapsed
ByAndrei Ionescu Earth.com staff writer
Led by researchers at the University of Oxford, the study maps how energy flows through Africa’s wildlife food webs across forests, savannas, and deserts.
By comparing present-day ecosystems with precolonial baselines, the team found that total ecological energy has fallen by more than one-third.
The steepest losses are tied to vanished or diminished megafauna such as elephants, rhinos, and lions.
Africa’s giant animals in decline
Large wild animals are ecological engineers. Their roles can’t simply be replaced by smaller species or livestock. The loss of these giants has the potential to transform Africa’s ecosystems and landscapes.”
The work comes as world leaders prepare for COP30 in Brazil, where nature and climate will share the spotlight.
The message is blunt: losing big animals isn’t only about having fewer species. It’s about a major change in how living systems work, from how forests regenerate to how nutrients move through soil and water.
https://www.earth.com/news/africas-natural-wildlife-power-has-nearly-collapsed/
And in other news.
Celebrity Real Estate
Leonardo DiCaprio Owns How Many Homes?! A Startling Peek at His Property Portfolio By Audrey Ference
Oh, never mind….who am I to judge….
Leonardo DiCaprio took an outrageous 8000 mile trip in a private jet to pick up an environmental award
Leonardo DiCaprio expanded his carbon footprint last week, taking a one-day trans-Atlantic roundtrip in a private jet. The actor, who entreated viewers to “work together” to fight climate change while accepting his first Oscar in March, flew 8,000 miles from Cannes to New York City to pick up an award from a clean-water advocacy group at the Riverkeeper Fishermen’s Ball, according to Page Six.
Ahh, stop the nick picking, don’t even touch Prince William and Family…
They mean well and sleep better at night…in silk sheets…
Thanks for that update on African megafauna. 😭
As for the megarich like DiCaprio and the British royals, I think a long session on a rack would be an appropriate response to their arrogance and hubris.
https://youtu.be/F3Axp1p37rQ
They should all be hung from the Golden Bough.
“…total ecological energy has fallen by more than one-third.”
Vince, that is a terrifying if unsurprising stat.
I love Leonardo Di Caprio as an actor but these wealthy “do as we say, not as we do” virtue-signallers are hard to stomach. Perhaps I’m just jaded but the very concept of celebrity seems passé to me. The famous have lost all their mystique in the social media era; their feet of clay plain for all to see.
https://www.newsweek.com/colorado-breaks-high-temperature-record-twice-one-day-10988831
Denver breaks 2 records in one day! Wow!
Thanks, Heather. I remember the devastating Marshall Fire in 2021 blew my mind a little, breaking out, as it did, in late December. Colorado changing fast…
A species being stupid can put the existence of the species at risk.
Stupidity in a sentient being is not a virtue.