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On January 13th, two Just Stop Oil activists defaced Charles Darwin’s grave in Westminster Abbey with orange spray chalk, writing “1.5 is dead” – a reference to exceeding the 1.5°C global warming threshold. The activists cited the ongoing sixth mass extinction as justification for their actions. Westminster Abbey confirmed the incident and reported minimal damage, while the Metropolitan Police arrested the two women involved for criminal damage. This act follows a pattern of high-profile protests by Just Stop Oil targeting various cultural and political sites.
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Donald Trump’s return to power on January 20th necessitates continued robust reporting. HuffPost remains committed to providing fearless coverage of the new administration. This critical news will remain freely available to all, thanks to reader support. Readers can contribute financially or by simply creating a free account to help sustain this vital reporting.
Dramatic footage captured a firenado forming within the rapidly spreading Palisades Fire near Brentwood, California. This rare meteorological phenomenon, a fire whirl or fire devil, occurs when intense heat creates a spinning vortex of air, drawing in surrounding air and intensifying the fire’s destructive power. The fire’s smoke generates pyrocumulus clouds, further fueling the weather system. While such firenadoes can be hundreds of feet tall, their duration is typically brief. The Palisades Fire, already spanning nearly 24,000 acres, is expected to grow due to approaching Santa Ana winds.
Southern cities found themselves brought to a standstill as a historic winter storm unleashed unprecedented snowfall across the region. The sheer volume of snow, far exceeding what many Southern communities are equipped to handle, caused widespread disruptions to daily life.
The unexpected intensity of the storm left many residents unprepared. Images and videos circulated online showcased the surprising reactions of adults playfully engaging with the unusual snowfall, a stark contrast to the struggles faced by those attempting to navigate the hazardous conditions. The lack of snow removal infrastructure in many areas, coupled with the unfamiliarity of drivers with winter driving conditions, led to significant traffic delays and numerous accidents.… Continue reading
2024 marks the first year to exceed the symbolic 1.5°C global warming threshold above pre-industrial levels, according to Copernicus Climate Service data, making it the hottest year on record. This surpasses the previous record set in 2023 by over 0.1°C, highlighting a concerning trend of escalating global temperatures. While this does not represent a breach of the long-term 1.5°C target agreed upon in Paris, it brings the world significantly closer to that critical threshold. The increased warming is primarily attributed to human emissions of greenhouse gases, exacerbated by natural weather patterns like El Niño, underscoring the urgent need for emission reductions.
Analysis by Oxfam GB reveals that the world’s wealthiest 1% have already exhausted their fair share of the 2025 carbon budget within the first ten days of the year, emitting over twice the carbon pollution annually as the poorest 50%. This extreme disparity highlights the disproportionate impact of high-consumption lifestyles on climate change, with the richest benefiting from climate-controlled environments while the poorest bear the brunt of extreme weather events. To align with the 1.5°C warming target, the richest 1% need a 97% emissions reduction by 2030, a stark contrast to the projected 5% decrease. Oxfam urges governments to implement policies that hold the wealthy accountable for their excessive carbon footprint, suggesting increased taxes on luxury, high-emission items like private jets and superyachts.
A 1.7-mile-long ice core, the oldest ever discovered at 1.2 million years old, has been extracted from Antarctica’s Little Dome C. Recovered by an international team, the core contains a high-resolution climate record spanning 1.2 million years, detailing atmospheric temperatures and greenhouse gas concentrations. Analysis of this core may resolve climate mysteries surrounding glacial cycle disruptions between 900,000 and 1.2 million years ago. The ice core will be transported to Europe for further analysis, potentially revealing even older climate records and insights into East Antarctica’s glacial history.
Former President Trump falsely blamed California Governor Newsom for wildfires raging near Los Angeles, claiming Newsom prioritized a small fish over water for fire hydrants by refusing a nonexistent water agreement. This assertion is inaccurate; the dispute concerned water allocation in the San Francisco Bay Delta, a separate issue from Los Angeles’ water supply. The wildfires resulted from drought, high winds, and prior development decisions, not water management related to the smelt. Trump’s comments demonstrate a disregard for factual accuracy and a politicization of a natural disaster.
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood