Special thanks to this month’s donor, who wishes to remain anonymous. Here’s a handsome black Labrador getting a luxurious spa treatment.
“Friday ice update – Arctic sea ice extent is currently the lowest on record (JAXA data).
• about 910,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,500,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 2,170,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,660,000 km² below the 1980s mean”
Graphics via the link below. [Zack Labe]
https://zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-extentconcentration/
“Astonishingly, sea ice still hasn’t started to reform over the Barents Sea area yet of the Arctic. This includes record low conditions around Svalbard as well. It’s been a very bad few months across the region.”
[Zack Labe]
https://bsky.app/profile/zacklabe.com/post/3m6q7tunxzs2d
“Meanwhile, while the Arctic sets new record daily lows, the global surface temperature continues setting new record daily highs.”
[Prof Eliot Jacobson]
https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/1994035456082891194
“British farmer becomes ‘world’s northernmost olive oil producer’…
“He said: “We are seeing in the last ten years that the weather pattern is changing and we are getting longer periods of dry weather and warmer weather. “Some of our crops were starting to struggle so I thought about what other crops would work in a changing climate.”
“Scientists warn of severe climate-related risks to UK economy and security…
“A host of eminent scientists have warned politicians, business and community leaders that the UK risks severe climate-related risks to its economy, public health, food systems and national security.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/27/limate-related-risks-uk-economy-security
“Dimming the Sun to fight climate change is bad for planet, UK ministers fear…
“Sir Alan Campbell, the Commons Leader, told the House that ministers were not in favour of solar radiation modification, despite announcing a tranche of funding to test the technology. In May, the Government’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) approved £56.8m for 21 “climate cooling” projects…”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2025/11/27/dimming-sun-fight-climate-change-bad-for-planet/
“Revealed: Europe’s water reserves drying up due to climate breakdown.
“Vast swathes of Europe’s water reserves are drying up, a new analysis using two decades of satellite data reveals, with freshwater storage shrinking across southern and central Europe, from Spain and Italy to Poland and parts of the UK.”
“Why Heavy Rainfall Rarely Solves Greece’s Water Crisis.
“Greece’s ongoing water crisis was thrust back into the spotlight, as a powerful storm system hit the capital of Athens with hours of heavy rainfall and extensive flooding [but] when rain falls with extreme intensity, the ground cannot absorb it quickly enough. Much of the water simply moves across the surface, flowing into drainage channels, streams, and eventually the sea.”
https://greekreporter.com/2025/11/28/why-heavy-rainfall-rarely-solves-greece-water-crisis/
“Greece Braces for “Red Alert” as Water Reserves Plunge… Emergency water status approved for greater Athens, Meganisi…
“The Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY) has approved requests to declare a water-shortage state of emergency for the greater Athens area and the island of Meganisi, off Lefkada, in the country’s west.”
“Anomalous Warmth in Ukraine: Dnipro River Sets Water Temperature Record.
“At the end of November 2025, an unusually warm weather is observed in Ukraine, resembling early October more than the end of autumn. The average daily temperature exceeds the norm, and the water temperature in the Dnipro reached 8°C [46.4F], which is a record for this period.”
“Flood hits Izmir: Çeşme streets flooded [Turkey].
“A sudden downpour in Izmir’s Çeşme district turned streets and avenues into lakes. The rain also inundated the Çeşme Market. Some homes and businesses were reportedly flooded.. The General Directorate of Meteorology reported that the rain would continue throughout Izmir.”
“Africa’s forests transformed from carbon sink to carbon source, study finds…
“The alarming shift, which has happened since 2010, means all of the planet’s three main rainforest regions – the South American Amazon, south-east Asia and Africa – have gone from being allies in the fight against climate breakdown to being part of the problem.”
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN THE GULF OF GUINEA:
“Unprecedented heat all over the area continues and increases with exceptional MINIMUM temperatures up to 28C [82.4F] at Cotonou, BENIN and 27.5 at Abidjan, IVORY COAST; records also in GHANA: Min 26.6 Adukron and 26.4 Bongo are hottest November nights.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1994005126080811514
“Western Cape battles devastating wildfires: community efforts and firefighting updates [South Africa].
“The Western Cape is currently grappling with a series of devastating wildfires that have ravaged multiple districts between 18–27 November 2025. The fires are largely attributed to hot, dry, and windy weather conditions that have created a perilous environment…”
“Record heat also in SOUTHERN AFRICA:
“South Africa had another hot night all over the country with some November high Minimums: 20.4 [68.7F] Cape Agulhas, 20.2 Ngqura. Record heat spread to MADAGASCAR: Min 25.1 Fort Dauphin (also called Taolagnaro) is hottest November night in history.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1994052060472369381
“Somalia: Drought Drives Millions into Hunger and Threatens New Massive Displacements…
“Somalia is experiencing one of the worst climate crises in its recent history. After four consecutive seasons of insufficient rainfall, vast regions of the country are now completely parched, exposing millions of people to hunger, malnutrition, and the risk of forced displacement, UN humanitarian agencies have warned.”
“Iraq facing worst agricultural crisis in modern history…
“Thousands of animals have died due to a lack of feed and dried-up pastures. Fish stocks at commercial farms in southern regions declined by 60% and cultivated land shrank by as much as 50%, according to various estimations.”
“Uzbek Muslims pray for rain amid severe drought…
“For Tashkent, the largest city in Central Asia, this year’s drought has been one of the harshest in 170 years, Uzbekistan’s Meteorological Agency said this month. Over the past 60 years, temperatures in Uzbekistan have risen “nearly three times the global average…”
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251128-uzbek-muslims-pray-for-rain-amid-severe-drought
“Kazakhstan Trades Electricity for Water in Bid to Mitigate Summer Drought Risks…
“Longstanding disparities in regional water and energy needs remain a source of instability. Kyrgyzstan requires water in winter for hydropower, while Kazakhstan, especially its Turkestan and Kyzylorda regions, relies on it in summer for irrigation.”
https://timesca.com/kazakhstan-trades-electricity-for-water-in-bid-to-mitigate-summer-drought-risks/
“Winter in Tajikistan: power shortages due to lower water levels in Nurek Reservoir…
“Social media users across various regions have reported power being available for just a few hours daily. For instance, residents of Panjakent and Hisor have shared that they receive power only for 2–3 hours a day, with some areas reporting outages for as long as 22 hours.”
“Forest fires return to Kashmir amid prolonged dry spell.
“A prolonged dry spell has sparked a surge in forest fires across Kashmir, with at least four major incidents reported in the past three days. The fires have scorched fresh stretches of green cover and forced extensive firefighting operations across multiple districts.”
https://www.greaterkashmir.com/kashmir/forest-fires-return-to-kashmir-amid-prolonged-dry-spell/
“Abnormal warmth in MONGOLIA – insane MINIMUM >0c [32F] at Gurvan tes at 1700m asl.
“At the end of November nearly the same night temp. in Mongolia highlands as in the tropics [ie Laos, mentioned below]! CRAZY.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1994339389405827541
“Temperatures in northern China surged today, with 55 weather stations breaking their warmest records for late November and 5 stations tying their records!
“The number of record-breaking days is expected to increase tomorrow!” [Jim Yang]
https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/1994396219586830782
“SE ASIA COLD SPELL – temperatures plunged to 1C [33.8F] at Plaine de Jarres; second coldest November day in LAOS history.
“-0.5C at Namsam MYANMAR; November records: 12.6 Bago, 13.5 Phyu. Down to 6C in Thailand (but 2.5C in Nov 1971) ,only 13.9C at Phetchaburi, Nov coldest since 1971.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1994574915677356214
“Satellites capture rare three-cyclone storm cluster causing deadly Asia floods…
“…what makes this cluster notable is that all three systems formed in conditions that would not normally be expected to generate powerful storms… while storms are not occuring more frequently, warmer oceans due to climate change are increasing the chances of them being more powerful.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c93ng5penx7t
“Sri Lanka death toll from floods and landslides reaches 123…
“The cyclone made landfall on Wednesday, triggering record rainfall across the island. The flooding situation in low-lying areas worsened on Saturday, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders… Some regions had received 360mm [14.2 inches] in the past 24 hours, the DMC said on Friday.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/28/death-toll-sri-lanka-hit-by-rising-flood-waters
“Death toll in Thailand floods rises to 162, government says.
“The death toll from floods in southern Thailand has risen to 162, government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said on Saturday, up from the previous toll of 145.”
“Indonesia death toll rises to 248 after catastrophic flooding in Sumatra.
“Rescue workers in Indonesia are continuing to battle to reach victims in several devastated areas submerged by cyclone-driven torrential rain over the past week, as authorities said the death toll has now reached 248 and would likely continue to rise.”
“Never ending record heat in INDONESIA:
“Today the Minimum Temperature of 25.9C [78.6F] at Tanjung Pinang was the highest ever recorded in November. For nearly 3 years, [every day has seen a monthly record somewhere on the Indonesian archipelago].”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1993976024871424225
“Hottest spring on record for Australia’s east coast as dangerous weekend storms return.
“An ongoing heatwave along Australia’s eastern seaboard will fuel further extreme weather this weekend, and its longevity is now breaking long-standing records. Both Sydney and Brisbane are on track for their hottest-ever springs, with temperatures comfortably above all previous years dating back to the 1800s.”
“HISTORIC HEAT IN NEW CALEDONIA:
“Minimum 27.2C [81F] at Loop Island is hottest November night in New Caledonia history. The territory has broken nearly every possible record all months of 2023,2024 and 2025.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1994583616660410645
“40C [104F] IN PATAGONIA – exceptional heat in Patagonia in the past few days with Temperatures up to 40.5C at San Antonio Oeste.
“Nights were also very warm. The Min. of 23.2C at Neuquen was the highest ever recorded in November. Heat has moved North with Up to 43C and very hot nights coming.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1994091607508046353
“Heavy rains flood homes in Jopala, Puebla; governor promises aid [Mexico].
“The governor of Puebla, Alejandro Armenta Mier, toured the municipality of Jopala, in the Sierra Nororiental, where the intense rains that fell in recent hours caused the overflow of a stream that crosses through the town of Chicontla.”
https://www.milenio.com/comunidad/lluvias-inundan-viviendas-jopala-puebla-gobernador-promete-apoyos
“Last month was the hottest October on record for North America in this dataset… yet another extreme event.”
[Zack Labe]
https://bsky.app/profile/zacklabe.com/post/3m6jurxzkkc2c
“Christmas tree farmers forced to adapt to climate change and affordability crisis [Canada].
“Increasingly unpredictable weather is one of the biggest challenges Michael Cormack faces on the Christmas tree farm he owns and operates one hour north of Toronto in Goodwood, Ont. His grandfather started the business back in the 1950s.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/xmas-tree-trends-2025-9.6993539
“Amphibians see steep global decline: Study finds 788 species in decline over four decades.
“A global study has found that 788 amphibian species have declined in conservation status in the last 40 years, compared with just 121 that improved. Habitat loss, agriculture, climate change and disease are the biggest threats, affecting thousands of species.”
“Plastic pollution is worsened by warming climate and must be stemmed, researchers warn.
“Climate change conditions turn plastics into more mobile, persistent, and hazardous pollutants. This is done by speeding up plastic breakdown into microplastics—microscopic fragments of plastic—spreading them considerable distances, and increasing exposure and impact within the environment.”
https://phys.org/news/2025-11-plastic-pollution-worsened-climate-stemmed.html
“El Niño is beginning to occur more regularly, every 2 to 5 years.
“A new climate modeling study suggests that El Niño may soon become stronger and more regular. This Pacific pattern already disrupts weather across the planet, so a shift in its behavior would matter almost everywhere.”
https://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-is-beginning-to-occur-more-regularly-every-2-to-5-years/
“Investing in a climate crisis: Are cat bonds a win for your portfolio?
“…First developed for the US market in the 1990s, cat bonds are issued by governments, insurers, or reinsurers to cover the costs of natural disasters. Investors buy the instrument in the hope that a payout won’t be triggered, meaning they’ll get their money back plus a return.”
“Beyond the negative headlines, some truly good things came out of Cop30…
“A nonbinding process that allows countries to decide their own pathways, policies and timetables toward the eventual phaseout of oil, gas and coal has far more chance of succeeding than anything that is seen as an outside imposition.”
[“That’s the spirit – If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.” General Melchett; Blackadder IV].
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 on Monday with an “Economic” thread.
“A nonbinding process that allows countries to decide their own pathways, policies and timetables toward the eventual phaseout of oil, gas and coal has far more chance of succeeding than anything that is seen as an outside imposition.”
The expectation is that we’ll talk about collective action and implement some half-measures and blame the bad guys for reversing them, while looking out for number one. We can be as self-righteous as we want, so long as we secure for ourselves the captaincy of the sinking Titanic; when it hits the ocean floor we the winners will get to write history and transcend all nihilistic doubt, guilt and criticism forever. Amen.
That’s pretty much it, Jupiviv. What a piece of pollyannaish pretzel logic that article is.
I still think Panopticon should put a heading of “Sardonic Humor” over those final posts to help the tens of thousands of new readers distinguish appropriately.
(“tens of thousand”being another example of sardonic humor. 🤪 )
“…tens of thousands of new readers.”
We live in hope, Cassandra. 😂
I’ll have a think about your header idea. Not all threads end of an sardonic note, so it would be a sporadic thing.
Ehhh. No need for the header. I enjoy (not quite the right word) those ridiculous links.
I think we need a revision of Robert Frost’s famous poem, Fire and Ice:
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
—
Replacing “ice” with “flood.”
There’s certainly plenty of those about, Cassandra.
SE Asia’s struggles bring to mind some of the more extreme rainfall events we’ve seen recently like Valencia and Rio do Grande do Sul last year or Greece/Libya in 2023.
Hey Pan,
Shit is hitting the fan again as usual. As is the new normal. As predicted.
You liked my old song by ‘Dragon’ so here is another tune, retroactively applied to both depression and the floods going on around the world.:
Dragon – Rain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTMj2WuUlaY
Thanks you, James. It is a good track. I’ve come to appreciate that more “indie” 80’s sound much more than I did back in the day.
Another rain-related 80’s gem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbDJjjJQJ-o&list=RDTbDJjjJQJ-o&start_radio=1
Thanks, Pan. I hadn’t heard this one before, but loved it! The YouTube comments are raving about what a great album this is, too.
How can we fail? We got so many plans and ideas in the works…
Carbon capture project goes from ‘fatalistic uncertainty’ to key Canada energy plank
Pathways Alliance project seen as critical to ‘grand bargain’ but big challenges and opposition remain
Joel Dryden · CBC News ·
…”On Thursday, Alberta and Ottawa reached an agreement that laid out the groundwork for a new bitumen pipeline through British Columbia, part of a suite of changes to Ottawa’s environmental regulatory landscape that charts a course for the country’s energy sector over the coming decades.
Here’s what to know about Canada’s landmark energy agreement with Alberta
As a precondition to the approval of a bitumen pipeline, federal officials said Pathways Plus must move ahead.
That’s the major project proposed by the Pathways Alliance, a consortium of major Canadian oilsands companies that have committed to achieving net-zero emissions from oilsands production by 2050.”
And..
The EU’s grand new plan to replace fossil fuels with trees
Replacing oil and gas with homegrown biomass will boost strategic autonomy and cut emissions, Brussels argues.
“The so-called Bioeconomy Strategy, released Thursday, aims to replace fossil fuels in products like plastics, building materials, chemicals and fibers with organic materials that regrow, such as trees and crops.
“The bioeconomy holds enormous opportunities for our society, economy and industry, for our farmers and foresters and small businesses and for our ecosystem,” EU environment chief Jessika Roswall said on Thursday, in front of a staged backdrop of bio-based products, including a bathtub made of wood composite and clothing from the H&M “Conscious” range”
BUT…How renewable is it?
“But environmentalists worry Brussels may be getting too chainsaw-happy.”
Trees don’t grow back at the drop of a hat and pressure on natural ecosystems is already unsustainably high. Scientific reports show that the amount of carbon stored in the EU’s forests and soils is decreasing, the bloc’s natural habitats are in poor condition and biodiversity is being lost at unprecedented rates.
Don’t worry, 😜 look at the chart, we’ll be 0K
EnergyThe Future of World Energy Supply (2024–2050), ChartedPublished 11 hours ago on November 28, 2025
By Bruno Venditti
Graphics/Design:
Amy Kuo
See more visuals like this on the Voronoi app.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-future-of-world-energy-supply-2024-2050-charted/
Now you see me, now you don’t….magic
That chart shows some poor nutrition for the global economic superorganism, Vince – dilute energy from renewables replacing coal, significantly, and oil; can’t maintain growth and rising complexity on that diet. Our net energy bind means nutrition would be inadequate even if we stuck to ff’s though, so it’s somewhat moot.
Re the H&M “Conscious” range: “‘Sustainable Style’: The Greenwashing Truth Behind H&M’s Conscious Collection Adverts…
“In terms of explaining why these products are ‘conscious’ and ‘sustainable’, the only justification given is that they use up to 50% recycled material (or 20% for cotton products) in production.
“However, they don’t go into detail about the types of items they’re recycling, how they’re recycled, how they’re produced, what the carbon footprint of these products is compared to their other ranges, or even what their definition of ‘sustainable’ is…
“The fashion industry churns out over 1 billion items of clothing every year, producing 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent at the same time, accounting for 5% of global greenhouse gases.”
“Furthermore, cotton is one of the main crops used in the production of clothing. Although it’s often portrayed as an eco-friendly option compared to synthetic alternatives, cotton is actually an incredibly thirsty crop. It takes 20,000 litres to grow 1kg of cotton, which is the amount needed to make one t-shirt and one pair of jeans.”
https://tabithawhiting.com/2024/02/23/hms-conscious-collection/
Regarding ‘drying up’ in central Poland: confirmed. Small pond in my back yard has been dry for last few summers. Well needs to be extended deeper if I want to use it. General lack of snow fall for many years now. I recall reading a few years ago some state hydrologist saying that Poland needs 5-7 years of steady rain (as in every day) to bring ground water levels back to normal. Good thing I gave up on the raspberry plantation several years ago. Only viable with adequate rain.
Thanks for the on the ground reporting from the land of half my forebears. Here in western Carolina it has also been too dry!! 😬 Occasional rain but not nearly enough. I’d love to hear from others, please chime in.
My home patch has been all-season wet for some years now, we got the steady rain to help re-charge the largest aquifer on Earth.
The basin is officially “under pressure” again, springs are bubbling.
Although our first day of summer is officially 1 December, they are forecasting a nasty hot dry summer, but … I’m still In JO-JO weather mode for the moment..
(ie Jackets On, Jackets Off)
https://www.arabana.com.au/post/abc-news-story-water-is-under-pressure-in-the-great-artesian-basin
Thank you, BlueMoose. I recall reading about the Vistula hitting a record low in Warsaw a few months ago, with the previous record-low having been set in 2023.
The UK has, these past few years, been swinging back and forth between record, extended periods of rainfall and dryness, which is hell on farmers, of course. The current fear is drought next year but…
Watch for action on silver when the market opens on Monday . Read my comments on yesterday’s post . The CME was closed for the Thanksgiving long weekend after the glitch . I would look at collateral damage .
Another factor to look at is Ukraine . If some here has been following Alex Krainer — the end of war means that IMF has to write off $ 50 billion and the City of London + Frankfurt have to write off $ 150 – 200 billion . Who is on the hook ?
Thank you, Ravi. Silver does not get the attention gold does but it’s been an even better investment this year:
“Silver hit record highs in 2025 – here’s why the ‘Devil’s metal’ has further to run… Silver mine production has been decreasing for the past ten years, especially in Central and South America, due to mine closures, resource depletion and infrastructure challenges…
“Unlike the previous investment waves, silver’s boom in 2025 relied on a mix of low supply and high demand from India as well as industrial needs and tariffs.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/29/silver-hit-record-highs-in-2025-and-still-has-further-to-run.html
It is not the price — the question is what happens when it becomes ” unobtanium ” . We are seeing the trailer of this in the Rare Earth materials . Coming shortly to a theatre near you .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sa7uh192r0
Just in case this has not yet been posted.
Thanks for this. I’ll repost it under tomorrow’s thread so more folks will see it.
I’ve been following YouTube ,Tic Tok, etc. videos about people losing jobs losing homes due to lost jobs & increasing property & health insurance, increasing food prices, loss of tourist dollars putting businesses at risk & a question many had was – What am I supposed to do? The real question should be – What should I have done to prevent this present situation? What’s sad, is that many never think of AGW.
When someone would exclaim – “I should have thought of that.” A friend I worked with would say – “So you weren’t thinking, were you?” 😉