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The World Inches Toward Catastrophic Climate Events: ‘Bigger Shocks Are on the Way’
Scientists say warming has raised the odds of severe heat waves, storms and floods, with some risks increasing by every tenth of a degree.
Global temperatures in 2025 were 1.44 degrees Celsius warmer than the early 1800s, driving more frequent and intense extreme weather events worldwide. Scientists warn rising heat is fueling increasingly destructive climate disasters.
Amateur scientist Eunice Newton Foote identified the greenhouse effect over 150 years ago, yet humanity continues releasing emissions into the atmosphere. Many nations now target net-zero emissions by 2050 to mitigate damage that could take centuries to reverse.
Australia's 'Black Summer' wildfires in 2019 and 2020 scorched over 46 million acres, while Pakistan's 2022 flooding left a third of the country underwater. Hurricanes Milton and Helene ravaged parts of the United States in 2024.
President Trump dismissed climate policies as a 'Green New Scam,' while seismologist Lucy Jones advocates for infrastructure retrofitting. This political divide complicates unified government-led efforts as the United States marks its 250th birthday.
Catastrophic events are not a matter of if, but when, according to climate scientist Daniel Swain. He warns of a 'Boy Who Cried Wolf' problem where people ignore risks until unavoidable, even as the time between extreme events shrinks.