Huge thanks to this month’s anonymous sponsor, who wishes me to lead with this public notice she spotted: “If special arrangements need to be made to accommodate residents with disabilities in order for them to participate in the public hearing, including a Spanish or Karen interpreter, please call…”
“Temperatures for global land areas still remain near record high levels so far this year (i.e., when comparing with every January-June period). Wow!”
[See graph; data from NOAA]
“Global mean sea surface temperature anomalies (departure from average) so far this year 2nd highest on record; data from NOAA ERSSTv5 averaged over January to June.” [Zack Labe]
https://bsky.app/profile/zacklabe.com/post/3lumyd6hzss2w
“EXCEPTIONAL HEAT IN THE ARCTIC:
“35C/95F at 68N latitude in Siberia; 32.8C/91F at 71,5N at Tyumyati; Insane day at Habarova – lat 72N MINIMUM 21.5C/71F MAX 32.1C/90F. It’s arguably the WORLD RECORD HOTTEST DAY ABOVE 72 LATITUDE.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1947756364345819500
“Authorities in the Siberian republic of Tyva declared a regionwide state of emergency on Tuesday in response to a growing number of wildfires…
“The regional Forestry Ministry said the emergency measures include a ban on entering forests, whether by vehicle or on foot, including for recreational purposes such as mushroom and berry gathering.”
“China, Russia relaunch joint maritime research missions, eyeing Arctic ambitions.
“For the first time in five years, China and Russia have set sail on a joint oceanographic expedition, a research mission to learn more about the evolution of oceans and the forces behind global climate change.”
“Finland’s lakes hit 25°C – surface temperatures break records.
“Näsijärvi in Ylöjärvi recorded a surface water temperature of 25.2°C on Tuesday, 5.6°C above the long-term July average. In Nurmes, Lake Pielinen’s surface temperature was 6.5°C higher than normal for this time of year.”
“SCANDINAVIA HEAT WAVE – another 34C [93.2F] day in NORWAY! It’s been 2 weeks like this.
“More records broken in the past 2 days: 33.1 Sundalsora,,32.1 Stryn, 31.9 Sandane, 29.6 Jomfruland, 27.6 Nordoyan, 28.2 Sklinna, HIGH MINIMUMS: 21.5 Jomfruland, 20.2 Gjerstad, 18.7 Ullensvang, 18.3 Ona.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1948078171208728912
“Denmark gets first ever ‘dangerous’ rains alert amid record rainfall.
“Parts of southeastern Denmark have recorded a third more rain in the space of one day than usually falls in the whole of July, the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) said on Tuesday.”
https://www.thelocal.dk/20250722/denmark-gets-first-ever-dangerous-rains-alert-amid-record-downpours
“Hundreds of sewage spills were recorded across England this weekend as torrential rain overwhelmed water companies’ infrastructure.
“Popular tourist spots from Northumberland to Cornwall were polluted with raw waste, as water companies were forced to discharge sewage through ‘storm overflows’.”
“Greece Endures Prolonged Heatwave with Temperatures Reaching 110°F.
“Greece is experiencing a severe heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40∘ C (104∘ F) in numerous locations on Wednesday. This intense heat is projected to persist through the upcoming weekend.”
https://greekreporter.com/2025/07/24/greece-prolonged-heatwave-temperatures-110f/
“Wildfire kills at least 10 forest workers and rescuers battling blaze in Turkey…
“High temperatures and strong winds have fanned the wildfire between Istanbul and the capital Ankara since Tuesday morning, with the spread threatening homes and forcing the evacuation of several villages.”
“HISTORIC MEDITERRANEAN HEAT:
“MINIMUM 31.2 [88.2F] Lefke is HOTTEST NIGHT EVER RECORDED IN CYPRUS; Record Min 28.1 Gaziantep Turkey and many more. Widespread Mins >30 in Greece.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1948043049487028641
“Two Dead as Massive Wildfire Rages in Cyprus.
“Firefighters were struggling to contain the blaze after it erupted in mountainous terrain north of the southern city of Limassol midday Wednesday, driven by strong winds and searing temperatures.”
https://greekreporter.com/2025/07/24/two-dead-massive-wildfire-cyprus/
“Anthropogenic warming is accelerating recent heatwaves in Africa…
“Climate change is intensifying extreme events worldwide, with Africa emerging as a uniquely vulnerable hotspot where heatwaves increasingly threaten populations and ecosystems… During 1950–1979, heatwave trends were weak and non-robust, with internal variability explaining over 80% of the variability. In contrast, 1985–2014 saw strong increases…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02578-6
“Severe flash flooding in Addis Ababa [Ethiopia].
“The meteorological institute said that moderate to heavy humidity will prevail in many places in the southwest, west, northwest, and central regions of the country over the next ten days.”
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5kjnTnglbjg
“Dukan Dam is at a historic low, holding just 25% of its water due to Iranian damming and dropping water levels during summer seasons. [Kurdistan]
“According to information obtained by Kurdistan24 reporter Aras Amin on Wednesday, the dam’s water inflow is the lowest it has been in its entire 60-year history.”
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/853505
“Iran’s public sector shuts down in 8 provinces due to heat wave.
“A government-ordered public shutdown in some areas of Iran took place on Wednesday due to a scorching heatwave that has seen temperatures soar past 40 degrees Celsius (104 F), straining the power grid.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/iran-tehran-caspian-sea-b2794715.html
“Heavy rains and flash floods have claimed 10 more lives across Pakistan in the last 24 hours as the monsoon spell intensified, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday.
“According to the NDMA, four deaths were reported in Punjab, four in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), and two in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).”
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2557414/15-feared-missing-as-flash-floods-sweep-through-babusar-road
“Erratic monsoon weather frustrates Nepal’s farmers…
“”In the past, it was relatively easy to forecast monsoon weather, which followed a regular pattern,” said Manandhar. “But in recent years, shifting weather patterns have made accurate prediction difficult.””
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202507/24/WS688192eda310ad07b5d91b48.html
“At least two people have died and 10 are missing as a result of flash floods in East China’s Shandong Province caused by heavy rainfall, the state-backed Global Times reported on Tuesday.
“A heavy rainfall hit Jinan’s Laiwu district, with a peak of 364 millimeters (14.33 inches), causing flash floods…”
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/2-killed-10-missing-as-flash-floods-hit-eastern-china/3638020
“China experiences record number of hot days since March…
“Besides making life uncomfortable, scorching croplands and eroding farm incomes in China, higher temperatures can also affect manufacturing hubs and disrupt operations at key ports, as well as strain overburdened healthcare services.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/23/china-experiences-record-number-of-hot-days-since-march
“Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido sweltered on Wednesday (Jul 23) as temperatures hit record highs in several towns and authorities issued heat stroke alerts across the country.
“Eight towns and one city on the island recorded their highest temperature since 1977 when official data became available…”
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/japan-hokkaido-heat-stroke-alert-temperature-record-high-5253771
“Nan hit by run-off as heavy rains from storm Wipha pound region [Thailand]…
“The northernmost district of Nan province was hit by run-off and flash floods on Wednesday morning following continuous heavy downpours caused by the remnants of storm Wipha… Rescue teams from the Phetkasem Foundation and local agencies were dispatched to assist affected residents.”
https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40052926
“Why Filipino couples keep getting married in flooded churches…
“…they are the latest example of a festering flood problem that continues to bring misery to millions, a problem exacerbated by decaying sewage systems, poor urban planning, and extreme weather events that are growing more intense and frequent.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9y02rn7pzo
“The ‘underwater bushfire’ cooking Australia’s reefs…
“This is the first time that the reefs on both Australia’s western and eastern coasts have been bleached. “It’s like a raging underwater bushfire that has persisted for months now, wreaking harm right along the coast,” says Paul Gamblin, who heads up the Australian Marine Conservation Society.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly82glepwyo
“South Australia’s algal bloom ‘one of the worst marine disasters in living memory’, and driving force could rival black summer, experts say.
“Scientists are warning the wildlife impacts of a marine heatwave that has driven a catastrophic algal bloom off South Australia are likely to be equivalent to those from the black summer bushfires, and demand a similar response from governments.”
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN SOUTH AMERICA – summer temperatures in winter: >38C.
“38.4C [101.1F] Puerto Suarez BOLIVIA pulverized its record of July highest temperature. Heat records are falling allover the world:Nearly 100% of the countries this month have broken records.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1948135528873754824
“As a Lake Disappears, Mexico and Texas Clash Over Water Promises Made in a Different Climate.
“Where Lake Toronto once shimmered behind Mexico’s La Boquilla dam, there’s now cracked earth and bone-dry riverbeds. As presidents trade accusations and farmers pray for rain, the old treaty that once shared the Rio Grande is now splitting it in two.”
“Tampa just tied its 2nd warmest morning on record.
“Manmade Climate change is having a very big impact on mornings. In fact, 84% of Tampa’s warmest July mornings have occurred since the year 2000. That’s remarkable considering Tampa has been keeping records back to 1890. Since 1970 Tampa mornings have warmed by 4.2 degrees F!” [Jeff Berardelli]
https://x.com/WeatherProf/status/1947852433104769248
“On Tuesday evening, large parts of the Corn Belt were more humid than Miami.
“The peak heat index in the belt on Tuesday was 116 degrees in Boone, Iowa, where the dew point reached 86 degrees — a few degrees shy of the national record.” [Ben Noll]
https://x.com/BenNollWeather/status/1947808015329202368
“Sioux Falls [South Dakota] experienced flash flooding Wednesday night. Rainfall rates were being recorded at 2 to 4 inches per hour.
“The city of Sioux Falls urges people to not drive into flooded intersections. There may be debris on the road or under the water that a driver cannot see, and even a small amount of moving water can carry a vehicle off the road.”
https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/photos-flash-flooding-in-sioux-falls/
“‘We have to improve or we’ll die’: B.C. ranchers seek water solutions in long drought.
“Sam Anderson, post-doctoral research fellow at Simon Fraser University, said increasing heat waves mean snowmelts are happening earlier in the year, reducing summer flows. The warmer climate also means loss of glacial mass, he said.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-ranchers-drought-1.7592256
“In landmark opinion, UN court says climate change an ‘existential threat’.
“The United Nations’ highest court has said that countries must meet their climate obligations – and that failing to do so could violate international law, potentially opening the door for affected nations to seek reparations in future legal cases.”
“‘Boiling frog’ effect makes people oblivious to threat of climate crisis, shows study…
“Surveys show that the increasing number of extreme climate events, including floods, wildfires and hurricanes, has not raised awareness of the threats posed by climate change. Instead, people change their idea of what they see as normal.”
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You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an“Economic” thread.
The last article can be summarized as, “We’re beyond hopeless.”
The Climate Council, an independent climate change research organisation in Australia, just dropped a new report yesterday:
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Climate-Council-Australia-2035-Climate-Target-Report.pdf
The part that hit me is that they’re not even pretending that we can stay stay under 1.5C anymore, even under the most optimistic scenarios. I mean, I think most regular C&E readers know that (hopefully new readers will come to realise that), but it’s interesting to see the target “net zero” temp shift in real-time, especially given how the [comparative]-than-expected meme has actually exploded into reality over the last few years.
Cassandra, I tried some HTML. I hope this comment works! 🙂
It worked! Brilliant!
Here in North Carolina mountains this summer so far is distinctly hotter than usual. Ugh. High 80s instead of low. And humid.
James, I led with a New Scientist article just the other day that discussed raising our target to 1.7C. Thank you for that report; it is a good read:
“The projected temperature rise of 2.2°C to 3.4°C that would result from the current policies of governments around the world (Climate Action Tracker 2024) would push the climate into dangerous territory, with many tipping elements likely to be transgressed and a much higher risk of triggering a global tipping cascade…
“The risks of moving to a Hothouse Earth state underpin why action to arrest climate pollution in Australia and all nations is so critical.”
Boiling Frog analogy: The story of the boiling frog is not true. Modern scientific experiments have shown that frogs will attempt to escape from gradually heated water, and they will not simply sit still and allow themselves to be boiled alive. The story is a myth, though it’s often used as a metaphor for human behavior in the face of gradual, negative changes.
What humans fail to understand is the nature of exponential growth. Once feedback loops are completely triggered, they’re going to wonder what the hell happened because consequential changes will then be noticeable short term.
As far as the UN Court ruling or any other body of law – legislation is not going to prevent climate change. Penalties for not adhering to “climate obligations” will not matter. Governments are not intimidated by legal threats for failure to meet climate targets. Even if you could enforce a penalty on the US or China or any other major power, it wouldn’t reverse the damage. The threat of penalty nothing more than a useless threat to a major power. They will continue business as usual. In my opinion.
I agree with you completely. Imposing fines on non-compliant nations is like suing oil companies: in a capitalist-rigged fossil-fueled economy, levying monetary penalties means that the sanctioned entities will simply Increase their burning of fossil fuels in order to pay them.
Agreed. There are no legal, political or financial solutions for what is fundamentally a problem of physics. These plaintiffs may get a bit of guilt money to make their lives easier, but I wouldn’t count on it with the governments of developed nations so badly strapped for cash.
NPR – Trump’s EPA now says greenhouse gases don’t endanger people
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/24/nx-s1-5302162/climate-change-trump-epa
The Trump administration wants to overturn a key 2009 Environmental Protection Agency finding that underpins much of the federal government’s actions to rein in climate change.
The EPA has crafted a proposal that would undo the government’s “endangerment finding,” a determination that pollutants from burning fossil fuels, such as carbon dioxide and methane, can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The finding has long served as the foundation for a host of policies and rules to address climate change. The EPA’s proposal to revoke the finding is currently under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.
The only way this would matter is if that policy (which is NOT a law just to be clear) were actually playing a role in significantly reducing emissions on both the local and global scale, or would have done so were it not revoked. Since it is plainly evident that neither is true, the right wing “anti-green” position is a kayfabe adversary the main purpose of which is to conveniently mask the utterly hollowness of “green” politics.
Trump is the final triumph of that mask of convenient opposition. By 2028 everyone will be talking about “mitigation” and having to make tough choices. So I guess… enjoy the drama while it lasts, if you’re the type who does. Some of my friends are hardcore WWE fans, and I myself enjoy reality shows, so I am in no position to object.
Just as I was thinking, only I’d take it a step further: far from “playing a role in reducing emissions”, current “green” agenda is making matters worse, not better. How could it be otherwise?
During the 1’st Trumplestiltskin administration CO2 emissions were growing at a rate of 2.5 ppm/annum. Now, after a mere 4 years of Biden’s Big Beautiful Build Back Bigger campaign, it is 3.5 ppm/annum. That couldn’t be because anything you build in the economy as it is currently structured necessitates the burning of more fossil fuels, now, could it?
Well yes it is but my point is that anything does that regardless of its “green” credentials because there never was, any serious attempt to reduce emissions on any scale that matters.
Of course being aware of a problem doesn’t solve it so what the hell – might as well enjoy or participate in or even better profit from the climate politics community theatre while it lasts. Trump is the Antichrist – pass it around, hold up some signs, then go home and turn on the netflix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwSRqaZGsPw
Thank you, all, for the interesting back and forth. I learnt a new term – “kayfabe”, which, in professional wrestling, is the fact or convention of presenting staged performances as genuine or authentic. RIP, Hulk Hogan, btw.
I’m afraid, as far as actually ameliorating climate change, the political back and forth is indeed largely theatre, where the script is predetermined, even if a few surface details can be ad-libbed.
“Around the world, as economic prospects deteriorate, people will foster group cohesion by blaming their problems on outgroups, and tend to vote for leaders who promise better economic futures, or things to be more like the past, (linked to more economic growth, linked to energy, linked to carbon). Trump [he is talking about Trump 1.0] is a recent example…
“The more people involved in a decision/process, the more our decisions resemble simple bacterial tropisms which unconsciously move towards energy acquisition [thus dissipation and climate change].” [Nate Hagens]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800919310067
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5415624-texas-special-session-flooding-response-abbott/
Texas flood unpredictable and unmanageable says the state responded
https://apnews.com/article/cyprus-wildfire-blaze-evacuations-villages-665b675b2ef8b9ed5e3b1b5b0b42ba1b
Cyprus wildfire is huge and they needed help
Thank you for the links, Heather. I hope the fatalities in those fires in Turkey and Cyprus succumbed to smoke inhalation more than they were immolated. What a hideous way to go. 😬
This article suggests the Cyprus fire is the worst in over fifty years:
“The wildfires have scorched at least 120 square kilometres of land, making them the most destructive since 1974 when fires raged during the island’s invasion by the Turkish military in July 1974.”
https://www.euronews.com/2025/07/24/two-bodies-found-in-burned-out-car-as-wildfire-rages-in-cyprus
https://www.propublica.org/article/forest-service-staff-fire-season
Forest services and wildfire staffing report
It’s a good analogy the Wrestling. I struggle to distinguish between it and everyday humanity.
Those who live in tropical locations will have three choices once we scoot past two degrees, with unliveable wet bulb conditions. Die, move or turn on the AC. The percentage of the global population this represents is a tipping point in its self.
A nice solid spread of extremely bad results from all continents.
Here in Oz, our seas continue to decline, it’s unseasonably cold and wet suggesting the opposite is happening Up Top.
Most don’t have AC or if they do it will cease when the grids melt down, so those who don’t die will attempt to move, with ever increasingly dire results. I.e shitshow!