A very Happy Near Year to you all!
“Clusterf&%k alert!
“The 3-year running average for the global surface temperature anomaly is now 1.52°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial baseline. This is likely the hottest 3-year running mean in over 120,000 years.”
[Prof Eliot Jacobson]
https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2006043701269712911
“Regional temperature records broken across the world in 2025.
“Central Asia, the Sahel region and northern Europe experienced their hottest year on record in 2025, according to AFP analysis based on data from the European Copernicus program.”
https://phys.org/news/2025-12-regional-temperature-broken-world.html
“Non tropical places with never-ending tropical nights – the two usual suspects did it again: Qaboos Port OMAN and Minamitorishima JAPAN ended the year without a single min <20C [68F] so far this season (since last spring).
“Until few years ago, something like this would have though to be impossible.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2006309733746319447
“HISTORIC WARMTH IN ARCTIC CANADA:
“Incredible 7.6C [45.7F] at Pangnirtung is highest December temperature in NUNAVUT. Record also at Iqaluit.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2006450632065261954
“EXCEPTIONAL MILDNESS IN GREENLAND – January warmest night in history for some stations, with Minimums above freezing; even above +5C / 41F ! (nearly SUMMER TEMPS).
“MINS >0C today: Paamiut, Maniitsoq, Nuuk, Angisooq, Nunarssuit, Sioralik, IKermit, Frederikshaab, Sisimiut. It will get even warmer next days.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2006632826893119873
“Glaciers are melting. It may reawaken the world’s most dangerous volcanoes.
“A powerful swarm of earthquakes in January suggested one of Iceland’s giant “ice volcanoes” may be awakening after a decade of slumber. In the months that followed, more earthquakes have rocked the ground.”
“Global warming and human waste continue to threaten the Baltic Sea…
“One of the biggest problems confronting the Baltic Sea ecosystem is eutrophication. Eutrophication is the excessive enrichment of water with nutrients — particularly nitrogen and phosphorus — from land-based sources such as agriculture, sewage, and industrial discharges. This leads to massive growth of algae, especially phytoplankton.”
“England’s fire services battled almost 27,000 grassland, woodland and crop fires during the UK’s warmest spring and summer on record in 2025…
“The unprecedented conditions, including the warmest spring and summer on record and the driest spring in over 100 years, were cited as the cause for the surge in incidents.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/england-wildfires-summer-spring-heat-b2892484.html
“EU legislation intended to fight deforestation has been effectively ‘dismantled’.
“…when a bullet-ridden version of the EU’s deforestation regulation, once supposed to be the crown of the Green Deal, finally limped across the legislative line this month, not even its architect was smiling, and one politician said it had been pretty much “dismantled”.”
“Italy saw more extreme weather events in 2025…
“Flooding, wind damage, and river overflows are the most frequent events. The NGO warns of a worrying increase in cases linked to record temperatures (+94.1%), landslides caused by heavy rainfall (+42.4%), and wind damage (+28.3%).”
“Alarm grows over water shortages as dam inflows remain critically low.
“Inflow into Cyprus’s dams since October has reached just 1.7 million cubic metres, highlighting the severity of the island’s worsening water crisis. The figures were made public on Tuesday by the water development department (WDD), with senior technical engineer Marios Hadjicostis describing the level as “tragic” and effectively insignificant for replenishing reserves.”
“Invasive lionfish threaten Mediterranean biodiversity. Could eating them be a solution?
“Climate change and the opening of Suez Canal have in recent years opened the floodgates to invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, where they threaten biodiversity. Lionfish, with their red and orange stripes and antennae-like barbs, threaten to decimate indigenous fish stocks…”
“CAMEROON has smashed every record non-stop all month from 1st to 31st:
“31st: again 40.4C [104.7F] in Garoua; also December hottest night: min 26.6 Douala. All months in the past 3 years Cameroon has broken and rebroken every record. BURKINA FASO also smashed Dec records – 39.2C at Po.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2006441610788352024
“INSANE HEAT WAVE IN SOUTH AFRICA – absolutely freakish hot night on the highlands with Minimums >25C [77F].
“Records of highest minimums were brutalized with extreme margins in a large area. Particularly crazy the min 24.2C at Ixopo, nearly 4C above the previous record.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2006619374082469991
“Mozambique: Flash Floods Update…
“An estimated 123,551 people, 16 schools, and 20 health facilities are exposed to potential flood impacts across the Buzi, Punguè and Licungo basins, according to INGD… According to media reports 16 people were killed in Sofala province, due to weather conditions.”
“Floods Hit 13 Districts; Roads Authority Deploys Contractors for Repairs [Malawi]…
“More than 7,000 households have been affected as of Monday in Nkhotakota District, which currently has three camps for displaced residents… The downpour has cut connectivity between Nkhotakota Boma and Dwangwa, Salima, Kasungu and Ntchisi districts.”
https://africabrief.substack.com/p/floods-hit-13-districts-roads-authority
“‘Shivering from cold and fear’: Winter rains flood Gaza camps…
“Winter rain lashed the Gaza Strip over the weekend, flooding camps with ankle-deep puddles as Palestinians displaced by two years of war attempted to stay dry in tents frayed by months of use. The foreign ministers of 10 nations on Tuesday expressed “serious concerns” about a “renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in Gaza…”
“Kurdistan faces record rainfall amid rising flood risks…
“Weather observer Ali Al-Jaber Al-Ziyadi warned on Saturday of a “historic” wave of heavy rainfall set to affect Iraq, particularly in the northern regions, cautioning that the downpours could trigger flash floods in vulnerable areas…”
https://shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/Kurdistan-faces-record-rainfall-amid-rising-flood-risks
“Pollution levels in Iraq’s rivers exceed safe limits by 80%…
“According to a statement, data indicate that more than 60% of river pollutants originate from industrial and health-related activities lacking effective treatment systems. Baghdad, Basra, Dhi Qar, and Babil are among the most affected provinces…”
https://shafaq.com/en/society/Pollution-levels-in-Iraq-s-rivers-exceed-safe-limits-by-80
“Drought persists despite intensified precipitation [Iran].
“…rainfall in 19 provinces had been less than the long-term average. Precipitation in Tehran, Alborz, and Qazvin provinces has dropped by 81.7, 74.9, and 73.9 percent, respectively… Iran is facing an unprecedented water crisis that threatens not only its agricultural sector but also regional stability and global food markets.”
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/522327/Drought-persists-despite-intensified-precipitation
“Kyrgyzstan’s grain harvest down 30-40% due to water scarcity.
“Kyrgyzstan’s grain harvest experienced a significant drop, with estimates around 30-40% less than expected due to severe water scarcity and drought conditions impacting crop yields. Rustam Junushov, President of the Millers Association, highlighted this, while the Ministry of Agriculture noted a substantial decrease in wheat and other staple crop harvests.”
https://m.akipress.com/news:871046:Kyrgyzstan_s_grain_harvest_down_30-40__due_to_water_scarcity/
“2025 — Pakistan’s year of water wars.
“Pakistan will remember 2025 for a couple of reasons. One, and most pivotal of them, is water, and not because of a single catastrophic event, but because multiple hydrological, political, and climatic crises converged simultaneously, dismantling the long-held assumption that water management is merely a technical or seasonal concern.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1963930
“Nepal to scrap Everest waste deposit scheme after years of mounting rubbish.
“Nepal was set to scrap a long-running waste deposit scheme on Mount Everest after concluding it had failed to reduce the accumulation of rubbish on the world’s highest mountain, officials said… Officials said the policy had not delivered meaningful results…”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/nepal-waste-deposit-scheme-b2891939.html
“Madhya Pradesh [N central India] witnessed unprecedented cold conditions during November and December this year, with several long-standing temperature records being broken.
“November recorded the coldest temperatures in 84 years, while December shattered a 25-year-old record.”
“Why there’s no escape from Delhi’s biggest killer [pollution].
“It’s killed more people in India than terror attacks, riots, epidemics and natural disasters combined. But there’s no escaping the air itself – and demands for more stringent intervention from the government are falling on deaf ears.”
https://news.sky.com/story/why-theres-no-escape-from-delhis-biggest-killer-13489079
“Cyclone-ravaged Sri Lanka set to apply for ‘loss and damage’ funding…
“Ditwah, a tropical cyclone that caused direct damage estimated at $4.1 billion, equivalent to about 4% of Sri Lanka’s GDP, hit infrastructure and livelihoods, while intangible losses such as impacts on social systems and ecosystem services remain harder to quantify.”
“Indonesia closes 2025 with rising disasters and stalled environmental reform.
“Deadly floods and landslides in Sumatra in late 2025 underscored how deforestation, weak spatial planning and extractive development have increased Indonesia’s vulnerability to extreme weather — problems scientists and activists say the government has largely failed to confront.”
“Flash Floods in Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu: 81,000 Residents Affected [Sumatra].
“Head of the Rejang Lebong Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), M Budianto, said that the heavy rain that occurred from Tuesday afternoon to last night had caused flooding, inundating dozens of residents’ houses and community rice fields.”
“Man dies as record rainfall triggers flash flooding across Queensland…
“The premier said while the weather system is starting to break up, some isolated pockets have received rainfall totals greater than the massive 2019 floods that devastated the region.”
“Fire continues out of control in commune of Chile’s capital…
“The director of the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service, Alicia Cebrián, indicated that with the resources deployed, which include helicopters and tanker planes, they hope to extinguish it during the day or, at least, bring it under control.”
https://www.prensa-latina.cu/2025/12/30/sigue-sin-control-incendio-en-comuna-de-la-capital-de-chile/
“Exceptional heat in CHILE – temperatures reached records for December in some central areas with up to 40.6C [105.1F] at Coltauco, Bernardo O Higgings Province.
“Next 2 days historic heat in Uruguay and some parts of Argentina including Buenos Aires.”
[Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2005923223205003699
“Extreme heat in Buenos Aires: temperatures to hit 38°C on New Year’s Eve.
“Buenos Aires’s New Year’s Eve celebrations will take place in top temperatures, the Argentine weather service has warned. Since Monday, Buenos Aires City has been under an orange alert for extreme heat, the second highest alert possible.”
“Emergency due to floods in Corrientes: over 400 evacuated after record rainfall [Argentina].
“The floods in Corrientes reached critical levels after recording 495.4 millimeters [19.5 inches] of rain in just one week… Other localities also reported alarming figures: El Sombrero accumulated 327 millimeters, Mercedes exceeded 214, Santo Tomé reached 152, and Bella Vista recorded 118 millimeters.”
“Heavy rains cause flooding, power outages, and traffic chaos in Santa Catarina [Brazil]…
“According to meteorologist Piter Scheuer’s forecast, precipitation maps indicate high accumulations until Thursday (1st) , with a risk of microbursts and flash floods. In addition, the rains in Santa Catarina may be accompanied by hail and gales.”
“Satellite data show forest loss persists in Brazilian Amazon’s most deforested reserve.
“Brazil’s Triunfo do Xingu Environmental Protection Area was established to protect a swath of the Amazon Rainforest from the cattle industry. However, satellite data show the reserve has lost around 50% of its primary forest cover since it was created in 2006.”
“RECORD HEAT IN COSTA RICA:
“Scorching hot day AND night yesterday in the Guanacaste Province (Northeast): 35.4C Liberia AP tied its December record. while places like Santa Cruz and Palo Verde had minimums >25C [77F], a record hot night for December.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2006345294389359069
“Hottest December in Phoenix? Valley is set to shatter record…
“With only one day left until the ball drops, Phoenix’s average daily temperature for the month is around nine degrees higher than its average, setting up this December to be the hottest in the city’s history.”
“How the climate crisis showed up in Americans’ lives this year: ‘The shift has been swift and stark’.
“Campfires that once defined summer trips were never lit due to wildfire risks. There were no bites where fish were once abundant, forests turned to meadows after a big burn and childhood memories of winter wonderlands turned to slush.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/climate-crisis-guardian-readers
“How Lake Mead Water Levels Changed in 2025…
“As of December 21, official data shows that Lake Mead was just 33 percent full… “Currently, the water-in-storage situation for the Colorado River system is not good,” Sharon Megdal, director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, told Newsweek.”
https://www.newsweek.com/how-lake-mead-water-levels-changed-in-2025-11261930
“Rare ‘seiche’ wave drains Lake Erie during fierce winter storm.
“Extreme winds caused a seiche on Lake Erie, leading to significant flooding in Buffalo, New York, and a dramatic drop in water levels at the other end of the lake… On Monday, Lake Erie’s water level rose by over six feet in Buffalo, while simultaneously dropping by approximately 13 feet in Toledo, Ohio, resulting in an almost eight-foot difference across the lake.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/lake-erie-seiche-waves-weather-water-b2892222.html
“Washington State is on track to have its warmest December ever recorded, even warmer than 2023’s record-breaking month…
“This unusually warm month comes as a surprise because forecasters had predicted a cold and wet La Niña winter for the Pacific Northwest. While the cold part hasn’t fully shown up, the wet conditions definitely have.”
https://secretseattle.co/seattle-is-on-track-for-the-warmest-december-on-record/
“Check out this year’s extreme sea surface temperatures and recent warming across the North Pacific.
“This graph shows the average for a band across the midlatitudes for every average January-November period from 1854-2025 using ERSSTv5 data.”
[Zack Labe]
https://bsky.app/profile/zacklabe.com/post/3mb7gwtxl422f
“Forcing lifestyle changes could weaken support for climate action, study finds…
“Climate policies that push people to change how they live, such as eating less meat, banning cars from city centres or cutting air travel, may weaken public support for climate action, according to a new study.”
I rely on donations and tips from my readers to to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar? Buy me a coffee or become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
Forcing lifestyle changes could weaken support for climate action, study finds…
This Christmas I was gifted with an 8 ounce jar raw/unpasteurized honey made in Manhattan by… who else, wealthy trust fund “lefty” hipsters. I don’t mean that as an insult. They’re very self-aware and criticize their own privilege at every opportunity. Thus ensuring they control the discussion around the topic of their privilege because in the social circles they move in, criticizing someone who has already “acknowledged” her “privilege” before anybody else can say anything about it, is very, very rude and nasty!!! (even if one merely suggests as diplomatically as possible that this unique form of self-criticism is oddly akin to self-congratulation).
Aaaaanyway. I’ve tasted raw honey before and loved it, and also learned that the taste of honey differs by which species of flower dominates the area it is harvested from. This “Manhattan honey” on the other hand tasted like mechanically separated dog crap. I’m guessing those Manhattan bees are slurping on the entire sugary menu the NYC concrete jungle has to offer, and not just flowers.
Moral of the story – self-serving and compartmentalized change will always blow up in your face and/or taste buds, and not in a good way!
Nice story 🙂
Are the self aware wealthy leftists who control the conversation making any money with that Manhattan honey? What are we talking here, roof top hives?
Sounds like a vanity investment; a non-monetary motive.
Lots of farmers market honey is garbage; amateur and unregulated apiarists use too much medications.
“Sounds like a vanity investment; a non-monetary motive.”
Nailed it, but who knows these days. Could work if they get creative with the social media brand building.
And the problem in this case isn’t inputs, more likely to be those bees slurping everything from grape soda to cat vomit. More the fool me for not realizing that before partaking.
Funnily enough, I also received a pot of honey at Christmas, although this was from my parents, who are very far from hipster and left wing.
It was potently anti-bacterial Manuka honey from New Zealand – one of the few ways I can safely indulge my sweet tooth, blighted as I am with incipient periodontitis. I’m afraid collapse and the loss of modern dental interventions will leave me in quite a pickle.
“‘Shivering from cold and fear’: Winter rains flood Gaza camps…”
In addition, the Zionists continue their evil:
“Starting on January 1, Israel will ban 37 international aid groups and charities from operating in Gaza in its latest effort to add to the misery for the Palestinian civilians living in flimsy tents and bombed-out buildings in the Strip.”
https://news.antiwar.com/2025/12/30/israel-bans-dozens-of-aid-groups-from-operating-in-gaza-including-doctors-without-borders/
Cassandra, it is beyond my ability to imagine what those people are going through.
It looks like the two La Ninas before the present one caused plateaus in the 36 month average rather than cooling, and this one has just produced a slight slowing. Also it looks like a cubic might be the best fit, which would imply the earth energy imbalance is slowly accelerating rather than increasing linearly. If there is a significant temperature to cloud feed back (so that rate of increase depends on current temperature through changing cloud cover), which looks increasingly likely, then there is an exponential element in the EEI response. If there is an exponential effect then it always sooner or later dominates everything else, and for the surface temperature it looks like it might be on the sooner side. Looking at the NOAA ENSO temperature graph the La Nina periods are getting shorter and less extreme, in fact it is fairly easy to so a case that there won’t be another one, just transitions in and out of El Nino.
Another exponential effect might be that higher temperatures mean lower winds, leading to greater stratification of the oceans and so faster sea surface temperature increase.
George, thank you for your very interesting thoughts.
I hadn’t thought about La Nina vanishing entirely… I guess it could either vanish entirely if, as you say, the trade winds weaken, or just vanish as a meaningful classification if mean temps in the equatorial Pacific warmed enough.
Headline from above: “Nepal to scrap Everest waste deposit scheme after years of mounting rubbish.”
Makes perfect sense to me as the global trash level will rise to the towering heights of Everest, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Mount Blanc, Matterhorn, K2, etc. Planet Earth = global dumpster!
/bitter sarcasm
Bob Shaw Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
Bob, it’s sad, if not entirely surprising, that climbers were basically gaming the system to reclaim their deposits.
Nepal is, instead, planning to charge a non‑refundable $4,000 fee that will go into a dedicated conservation and waste management fund. I hope the legislation is passed and works. The once pristine slopes of Himalayan mountains bespoiled with food containers, abandoned tents, oxygen bottles, human waste and the occasional corpse is one of this era’s more depressing sights.
Headline from above: “Forcing lifestyle changes could weaken support for climate action, study finds…
This just needs to be turned around by advertising agencies: Climate Change forces lifestyle changes to maximize your freedom! It is inevitable so be among the first!
Why be tied down to the economic grind of ever-rising unaffordability of house ownership?
So, I asked Bing who are the biggest makers of tents globally?
——————-
The biggest makers of tents globally include:
Coleman: A pioneer in the camping industry, known for its iconic tents and outdoor gear.
Decathlon: A major player in the outdoor equipment market, offering a wide range of tents.
Big Agnes: Renowned for high-performance camping equipment, including tents.
Hilleberg: Specializes in military-grade tents and is a leading manufacturer in this category.
The North Face: Offers a variety of camping gear, including tents.
These companies are recognized for their innovation and quality in the tent manufacturing industry.
————————————
ME: Which of the above will race to get the first product endorsement from the Gazans as they must be experts by now in “lifestyle change”?
This marketing opportunity can only grow as millions, then billions will be on the move as they experience the totally unconstrained freedom of staying ahead of floods, fires, lethal heat, shrapnel, and famine.
From tents to tarps to body bags–> we got you covered! Home is always where your heart is caught in your throat. Scream to be free and enjoy minimum longevity!
Bob Shaw Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
Another marketing opportunity to encourage Lifestyle Change:
Happy New Year! We are here to help you successfully follow your resolutions for behavioral change.
The reindeer of St. Matthews Island could only guess at the sequence of death among friends and family as 99% quickly succumbed in only two months of freezing starvation in the wintry darkness of the Bering Sea.
We Humans can do much better as we OVERSHOOT billions excitedly anticipate on own “personal subtraction” down to Carrying Capacity!
Introducing the FAMINE BELT with exact calibration to showcase your rate & date of your demise!
With just a quick glance at the labeled holes on the belt: you and family can easily determine if you have two months, two weeks, or just two days more to live! More holes showing means quicker going!
Who will be the last to go? Now the whole of friends & family will know!
Just imagine, nope, no imagination required with the calibrated FAMINE BELT.
Just tighten to frighten, see who goes next! Prepare the funerals in the exact order for max efficiency and minimal cost!
Toddler Jeff, grandpa Paul, uncle Sid, mother Suzy, sister Lila, cousin Ralph ,….. the whole family tree can see the pace & order as its quickly whittled down to nothing!
Obviously, multi-family discounts will be applied for large orders because everyone will want the FAMINE BELT!
Strap it on for your demise is dead ahead–>Make Famine Fun!
Your “Mortal Coil” [***] has finally arrived! Do the shuffle, do the shuffle….body bags included with every order.
fine print DISCLAIMER: The Famine Belt is not calibrated for a Wet-Bulb Temperature Death. The warranty is void and will not be honored or refunded.
————————————–
[***] ‘Shuffle off this mortal coil’ is a phrase from what is perhaps the most famous soliloquy in all of Shakespeare’s plays or, in fact, any Renaissance plays. It is from Hamlet’s soliloquy ‘To be or not to be‘, which is spoken in Act 3, Scene 1 of the play.
Here’s a snippet from the ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy that contains the phrase ‘we have shuffled off this mortal coil’:
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause…
——————————–
Bob Shaw Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
Bob, a more inspirational Shakespeare quote to usher in 2026:
“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.”
[The Merchant of Venice]
Hello Pan,
C & E is the little candle that throws its beams very far!
Happy New Year to you & family, and to all lurkers & fellow authors.
That is very sweet of you to say, Bob.
A New Year’s Poem: The Long Goodbyes
The champagne caught the light of our denial,
We raised our glasses to a year unnamed,
While snow outside rehearsed its slow burial
Of everything we’d loved and left unclaimed….
https://collapseofindustrialcivilization.com/2026/01/01/the-long-goodbyes/
https://un-denial.com/2025/11/30/the-cactus-lens-a-clearer-view/
From the very bottom right corner of the CACTUS Lens writeup [An essential read, by the way]
CACTUS = Complexity Accelerated Collapse of a Thermodynamically Unsustainable System
Peak cosmic joke: The mind that finally sees reality clearly is the same mind that evolution has almost no interest in propagating. — J. Doe
Guy McPherson,
We are about to find out if we will go extinct from your prediction that there would not be a human alive on this planet in 2026. Knowing this species, you might be right. We can probably accomplish this in less than a year.
Which is worse, NTHE or three more years of Trump’s winning for the globe?