CofA25 Heating Planet: 2025

Sunday, September 14, 2025

No one will call global warming a hoax again after 2025- Heating Planet blog

Past 24 hours posts at CofA25 Heating Planet

Live: tornadoes forming today in North Dakota; "rare Sept weather producing damage" Heating Planet blog

Watch BREAKING Tornadoes On The Ground In North Dakota- more Tornadoes Likely- With Live Storm Chasers- Blogger: as I type it's now "12 tornadoes, another in progress east of 83" Max Velocity- Severe Weather Center video:

Aussie Cities unlivable by 2030? Heatwaves increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration; video n transcript, Heating Planet blog

"Scientific research is screaming from the rooftops. An increase in frequency, intensity, and duration of heat waves.is what we're seeing and what scientists have been documenting. The warnings are loud and clear. Our cities are facing some huge, and I mean colossal, challenges from climate change. We're not talking about some distant maybe in the future thing, we're talking about now and the changes are accelerating." Divergion Channel Report Aussie Cities UNLIVABLE by 2030? The SHOCKING Climate Truth! Sep 14, 2025

TRANSCRIPT fast by AI:

Hey everyone and welcome back. So that 0:02 2030 unlivable deadline, is it legit or 0:05 is it more complicated? Well, it's 0:08 definitely more complicated. While the 0:10 idea of entire major AI cities becoming 0:12 completely uninhabitable in just a few 0:14 years isn't quite what the main body of 0:16 scientific research is screaming from 0:18 the rooftops. The warnings are loud and 0:20 clear. Our cities are facing some huge, 0:23 and I mean colossal, challenges from 0:25 climate change. We're not talking about 0:27 some distant maybe in the future thing, 0:29 we're talking about now and the changes 0:31 are 0:32 accelerating. So, what are we really up 0:34 against? Instead of just saying 0:36 unlivable, let's break down the specific 0:38 pressures that scientists are pointing 0:40 to. And trust me, the evidence is there 0:43 and it's coming from the big guns. 0:45 Organizations like Australia's own CCO 0:47 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial 0:49 Research Organization and the Bureau of 0:51 Meteorology, BOM, as well as global 0:53 bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel 0:55 on Climate Change, IPCC. These aren't 0:58 just opinions. This is based on decades 1:00 of research and climate modeling. First 1:03 up, let's talk extreme heat. Yeah, 1:05 Aussie summers are famously hot, right? 1:07 But what we're seeing and what 1:08 scientists have been documenting is an 1:10 increase in the frequency, intensity, 1:12 and duration of heat waves. The CZ state 1:15 of the climate reports, for instance, 1:17 highlight that Australia has warmed by 1:19 over 1.4° C since 1910, leading to more 1:23 extreme heat days. Think about cities 1:25 like Perth, Adelaide, and even parts of 1:27 Sydney and Melbourne. A 2024 study 1:30 highlighted in technology networks 1:32 mentioned that heatwave related deaths 1:33 in Australia have already risen due to 1:35 climate change and city dwellers, 1:37 especially in areas with less green 1:39 space, the urban heat islands are 1:42 particularly vulnerable. Imagine 1:44 consecutive days over 40° C or even 1:47 nudging 50° C in some inland urban 1:49 areas. That doesn't just make life 1:51 uncomfortable. It's a serious health 1:53 risk, especially for the vulnerable. It 1:55 strains our power grids. Everyone 1:57 blasting the AC impacts outdoor work and 2:00 can even buckle infrastructure. Are 2:02 these cities unlivable? Not entirely by 2:05 2030 perhaps, but the livability score 2:08 definitely takes a massive hit during 2:09 these increasingly common events. Then 2:12 there's water security. This is a big 2:14 one for the driest inhabited continent 2:16 on Earth. The IPCC's sixth assessment 2:19 report has specific sections on 2:21 Australasia, noting that southern and 2:23 eastern Australia are projected to 2:25 experience reduced rainfall and 2:26 increased evaporation. This directly 2:28 impacts the water supplies for major 2:30 cities. CER research has also pointed to 2:33 declining stream flow in catchments for 2:34 cities like Melbourne and those in 2:36 southwestern Australia. Places like 2:38 Perth have already invested heavily in 2:40 deselination because their traditional 2:42 water sources are under so much stress. 2:44 And it's not just about less rain. It's 2:46 about when it rains. More intense 2:48 downpours, but longer dry spells in 2:50 between. That's a recipe for both floods 2:53 and droughts, sometimes in cruel 2:55 succession. Add a growing population to 2:57 the mix, and you can see why water wars 2:59 isn't just a sci-fi trope, it's a 3:01 looming concern. Next, the one that 3:04 haunts our summers, bushfires. The black 3:06 summer of 3:07 2019-2020 is seared into our national 3:10 memory. And the science, the BOM and CC 3:13 clearly state that climate change is 3:15 exacerbating fire weather conditions. 3:16 Hotter, drier periods mean more fuel and 3:19 more days with extreme fire danger. 3:21 Cities that are on the Sojinton urban 3:23 bushland interface. Think parts of 3:25 Sydney, the Adelaide Hills, outskirts of 3:27 Cber and even some areas near Perth and 3:29 Brisbane are increasingly at risk. It's 3:32 not just the fires themselves, but the 3:34 smoke pollution that can blanket cities 3:35 for weeks causing widespread respiratory 3:38 problems. Can you call a city truly 3:40 livable when you can't safely breathe 3:41 the air for a significant chunk of the 3:43 year? That's a genuine question many are 3:45 starting to ask. And for our coastal 3:48 cities, which is, let's face it, most of 3:51 our major population centers, their sea 3:53 level rise and coastal inundation, sound 3:55 of gentle waves than a more aggressive 3:57 crashing wave. The CZ research on sea 4:00 level rise points out that global mean 4:02 sea level has risen by about 25 sea air 4:04 since 1,80 with half of that since 1970. 4:08 and the rate is accelerating. This means 4:10 increased coastal erosion, more frequent 4:12 and extensive flooding during high tides 4:14 and storm surges. Think about low-lying 4:17 areas in Sydney, Melbourne's Docklands, 4:19 the Gold Coast, Brisbane's Riverside 4:21 suburbs, and parts of Hobart and 4:22 Adelaide. It's not just about beaches 4:24 disappearing. It's about critical 4:26 infrastructure, roads, railways, ports, 4:28 and even homes and businesses being 4:31 threatened. Some projections show that 4:33 by 2050 or 2,100 without serious 4:36 intervention, parts of these cities 4:38 could be regularly inundated. 2030 might 4:41 be too soon for widespread abandonment, 4:43 but the planning for managed retreat or 4:45 massive coastal defenses needs to be 4:46 happening now. Okay, that was a heavy 4:49 dose of reality and it's easy to feel a 4:52 bit hopeless, right? But here's the 4:54 thing. Just because the challenges are 4:55 immense doesn't mean nothing is being 4:57 done. This is where we talk about the 4:59 antithesis, the response to these 5:01 threats. Many of the official reports 5:04 like those from the Department of 5:05 Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, 5:07 and Water DCC outline national 5:09 strategies for climate resilience and 5:11 adaptation. But what does that look like 5:13 on the ground? Well, for heat, cities 5:16 are exploring options like increasing 5:18 urban greening, more trees, parks, green 5:20 roofs to combat the urban heat island 5:22 effect. Some are looking at cool 5:24 pavement technologies. And there's a big 5:26 push for better building design and 5:28 public awareness campaigns. Think about 5:30 Melbourne's urban forest strategy or 5:32 Sydney's plans to increase canopy cover. 5:34 These aren't just about making the city 5:36 look nicer. They're vital for cooling. 5:39 For water security, it's a multi-pronged 5:41 approach. Perth has been a leader in 5:43 disselination and large-scale water 5:45 recycling. Other cities are focusing on 5:47 water sensitive urban design, rainwater 5:49 harvesting, and yes, those sometimes 5:52 unpopular water restrictions during 5:53 droughts. There's a huge investment in 5:56 more efficient irrigation for 5:57 agriculture, which uses a lot of our 5:59 water to free up resources for urban 6:01 areas. The Australian Water Association 6:04 often features innovations in smart 6:05 water management. When it comes to bush 6:08 fires, it's about improved forecasting, 6:10 better land management practices, 6:12 including indigenous fire management 6:14 techniques, stricter building codes in 6:16 at risk areas, and well-unded emergency 6:18 services. But it's also about tough 6:20 conversations about where we build and 6:22 whether some areas are simply too risky. 6:25 And for sea level rise, we're seeing a 6:27 mix of strategies. Some areas are 6:29 investing in seaw walls and other 6:31 coastal defenses. Others are looking at 6:33 restoring natural coastal habitats like 6:35 mangroves and salt marshes which act as 6:37 natural buffers. And in some highly 6:39 vulnerable spots, difficult discussions 6:41 about relocation or managed retreat are 6:44 beginning. Though this is often a last 6:45 resort, the climate council, an 6:47 independent body, has released reports 6:50 identifying vulnerable electorates, 6:52 sometimes pointing out that a percentage 6:53 of properties could become uninsurable 6:55 by 2030, which is a slightly different 6:58 but very impactful way of looking at 7:00 livability. For example, their 7:02 uninsurable nation report from 2022 7:05 identified places like Nits in Victoria 7:07 and Richmond in NSW as having high 7:10 percentages of properties at risk. This 7:12 isn't scientists saying the city is 7:14 unlivable, but that for individual 7:16 property owners, the financial viability 7:18 of living there could plummet. But 7:20 here's a critical point. Many argue that 7:22 these adaptation measures, while 7:24 essential, are often playing catch-up. 7:26 They're treating the symptoms. The 7:28 argument is that without aggressive 7:30 global action on reducing emissions, the 7:32 root cause of climate change, adaptation 7:34 can only tag us so far. It's like 7:36 bailing water out of a boat with a hole 7:38 in it. You need to plug the hole, too. 7:41 And some critics say current adaptation 7:43 plans aren't ambitious enough or that 7:45 funding is insufficient or that 7:47 implementation is too slow given the 7:49 urgency. They might point to the fact 7:51 that while we have national strategies, 7:53 the on ground action can be fragmented 7:55 across different states and local 7:57 councils. 7:58 So, where does this leave us? This is 8:00 the synthesis part. It's not a simple 8:02 case of cities will be fine versus we're 8:04 all doomed by 2030. The reality is far 8:07 more nuanced and frankly more 8:09 challenging. Australian cities are not 8:12 likely to be entirely abandoned. Ghost 8:14 towns by 2030 in the way some 8:16 sensationalist headlines might imply. 8:19 However, the quality of life and the 8:21 fundamental livability in many areas are 8:23 undeniably under serious threat and are 8:25 already being impacted. Some specific, 8:27 highly exposed communities or coastal 8:29 fringes might face extreme existential 8:31 choices much sooner than others. The 8:34 crucial understanding here is that 8:36 livability isn't a switch that just 8:37 flips off. It's a spectrum. And climate 8:40 change is pushing many of our urban 8:42 environments towards the more 8:43 challenging end of that spectrum. What 8:45 we're likely to see by 2030 and 8:48 certainly beyond are cities that are 8:50 more expensive to live in due to 8:51 insurance costs, adaptation measures, 8:53 higher prices for scarce resources like 8:56 water, cities with greater inequalities 8:58 as vulnerable populations often live in 9:00 the most at risk areas with the fewest 9:02 resources to adapt, and cities where our 9:04 lifestyle is increasingly dictated by 9:06 environmental extremes. Think more 9:08 indoor days due to heat or smoke, 9:10 restrictions on water use, and constant 9:12 anxiety about the next flood or fire. 9:15 What's becoming clear is that we need a 9:17 massive coordinated effort from 9:19 individuals making sustainable choices 9:21 to communities building local resilience 9:23 to governments implementing bold 9:25 science-led policies for both adaptation 9:27 and rapid decarbonization. The science 9:29 from CCRO, BOM, and the IPCC all 9:32 converges on this point. The window to 9:34 avoid the worst impacts is closing, but 9:37 decisive action can still make a huge 9:39 difference to the future livability of 9:41 our cities. So, this brings us to the 9:43 really big questions, the ones I want 9:45 you to chew on and discuss in the 9:47 comments below. One, when does a city or 9:50 part of a city actually become 9:52 unlivable? Is it when insurance becomes 9:54 unaffordable for most? When essential 9:56 services like water and power are no 9:58 longer reliable? When health impacts 10:00 become chronic for a large part of the 10:02 population? What's your personal tipping 10:04 point? Two, who should bear the primary 10:07 responsibility and cost for adapting our 10:10 cities? Is it individual homeowners, 10:12 local councils, state governments, the 10:14 federal government, or the industries 10:16 contributing most to emissions? How do 10:18 we make this equitable? Three, given 10:21 these projections, if you were planning 10:23 to buy property or raise a family in an 10:25 Australian city, how would this 10:27 information influence your decisions 10:28 about where to live or even if to live 10:30 in certain highly vulnerable areas? 10:33 Four, and perhaps the biggest one, are 10:36 we as a society truly grasping the scale 10:38 and urgency of these threats? Or is 10:40 there still a sense of it won't happen 10:41 to me or technology will save us at the 10:43 last minute? What will it take to 10:45 galvanize the level of action that the 10:47 science says is necessary? This isn't 10:49 just about abstract scientific data. 10:51 It's about our future, our kids' future, 10:54 and the very nature of life in 10:55 Australia. It's a tough conversation, 10:57 but it's one we absolutely need to keep 10:59 having. All right, that's a lot to think 11:02 about. Let me know your thoughts down 11:03 below. I really want to hear what you 11:05 think. If you found this valuable, 11:08 please give it a thumbs up, subscribe if 11:10 you haven't already, and share it with 11:11 anyone who needs to be part of this 11:13 conversation. Stay safe, stay informed, 11:15 and I'll see you in the next All

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Diversion channel Description See What Others Miss We explore the unpopular truths, challenge conventional wisdom, and analyze what gets overlooked

Australia algal bloom- "Dead dolphins stingrays even penguins washing up" Scientist warnings ignored: Video n transcript; CofA25 Heating Planet blog

"Dead dolphins washing up. We've had dead stingrays and even penguins. Scientists had been warning for months and in fact a number of years that aa environmental catastrophe like this was just lurking offshore that this could happen and they weren't really listened to. Guardian Australia Sep 8, 2025 report: South Australia algal bloom shows new criteria for climate disasters needed, Hanson-Young says- Video and transcript:

Transcript

This is a vital inquiry that is going to 0:03 be looking at uh how on earth this 0:06 deadly toxic algae bloom started in the 0:09 first place and what really needs to be 0:11 done uh in the short, medium and long 0:13 term uh to manage it but also to 0:16 mitigate against it happening again or 0:19 to be devastating uh the community in 0:21 the way that it has. right where I'm 0:24 standing um just uh 50 m away we have 0:27 had uh dead dolphins uh washing up. 0:30 We've had dead stingrays and even 0:32 penguins. Um this still hasn't been 0:35 declared by the prime minister a 0:36 national disaster because uh the 0:39 government says it doesn't fit the 0:41 criteria. Well, we need a new set of 0:44 criteria for climate disasters like 0:46 this. scientists had been warning um for 0:49 months and in fact a number of years 0:51 that aa environmental catastrophe like 0:54 this was just lurking offshore that this 0:57 could happen and uh they weren't really 1:00 listened to. They weren't really taken 1:01 seriously enough. So that's the first 1:03 thing we need to really be listening to 1:05 the science. If this had been on uh the 1:08 northern beaches of Sydney or on Bondi, 1:12 uh would it have taken so long for the 1:14 government to respond? Um, look, 1:16 frankly, I think it probably wouldn't 1:18 have. I think the prime minister would 1:19 have been down there quick smart. 1:21 However, it is unprecedented and that's 1:24 why this inquiry is so essential because 1:27 we really now need to start listening to 1:30 the science, to the community, and to 1:33 the concerns that things like this, a 1:35 disaster like this, a climate disaster, 1:38 could very well happen again, most 1:41 likely will happen again. And we need to 1:43 be much better prepared.

Heat Scorches China 158℉ on ground, glass shatters, ACs burst into flames; Video n transcript CofA 25 Heating Planet blog

"Electric cars bubble, shoes get stuck in hot asphalt, people take refuge in subway stations," this video is like a cry for help from the other side of the planet, "geese in ponds die, unprecedented heat for July, like living in a sauna" China Observer channel report Jul 17, 2025

Hanan, how hot is it really? I was just 0:05 standing still at a red light, not even 0:06 moving, and I was already drenched in 0:08 sweat. But that's not even the worst 0:10 part. How did the heat melt my shoes? 0:12 This is way too hot. In summer, driving 0:15 a car feels like sitting on a burning 0:16 stove. One woman driving a Porsche had 0:19 just sat down when she immediately 0:20 jumped up. She said, "Is this seat 0:22 trying to cook me alive?" Under the 0:24 video, someone left a comment. Turns out 0:26 a Porsche gets just as hot as my 0:28 bicycle. A million yen and a hundred yen 0:30 don't feel that different when it comes 0:31 to the heat. In another clip, a young 0:34 woman tried to sit on her electric 0:35 scooter, but the seat was so hot she 0:37 bounced right off. Same thing in 0:39 Guangshi. After days of scorching heat, 0:41 a man tried to get on his electric 0:43 scooter and jumped straight up from how 0:44 hot the seat was. In yet another case, a 0:47 man was driving on the highway when he 0:49 realized his battery was almost dead. To 0:51 save power, he didn't dare to turn on 0:53 the air conditioning. Sweat poured down 0:55 his face as the heat inside the car 0:56 became unbearable. Honey. 0:59 Yes. 1:00 Can we turn on the AC? 1:01 No. If we do, we won't make it to a 1:04 charging station or power station. 1:06 But it's too hot. Hang there. 1:08 I can't anymore. It's 38°. How much 1:11 farther? 1:12 Just over 10 km. We're almost there. 1:15 It's way too hot. 1:17 Well, that's what happens when you buy 1:18 an electric car. No choice. We have to 1:21 stick with it. 1:22 This summer, the intense heat hasn't 1:23 just made people sweat. It's also 1:25 exposed to the weakness of electric 1:26 vehicles. Electricity prices have 1:29 soared, and what used to be a 1:30 money-saving option now costs almost as 1:32 much as driving a small gas car. In some 1:35 places, public charging stations have 1:36 doubled their prices. And with charging 1:38 still difficult in many areas, electric 1:40 vehicle owners are facing a lot of 1:42 frustration. Recently, nearly 20 1:44 provinces across China have been hit by 1:46 extreme heat waves. In many places, 1:48 temperatures have gone above 40 degrees 1:50 C, and ground temperatures have reached 1:52 as high as 82 degrees C. When combined 1:55 with high humidity and strong sunlight, 1:57 it creates a true sauna effect. This 1:59 kind of heat wave is rare in China's 2:00 history. Wide reaching, intense, and 2:02 long-lasting. It's taking a serious toll 2:05 on daily life, farming, energy supply, 2:07 and public health. Recently, due to 2:09 extreme heat, many car hoods have 2:11 started to balloon up, catching the 2:13 attention of netzens. People have been 2:15 commenting, "This shape looks pretty 2:16 cool. If you didn't know, you might 2:18 think the car is pregnant. How do you 2:20 even drive with the front all blocked 2:22 like that? I thought it was a new car 2:23 model. Looks pretty flashy. That's a bit 2:26 over the top, right?" Oh my gosh, this 2:28 is too funny. So, what is going on here? 2:30 Let's hear what the experts have to say. 2:32 If you suddenly notice a big bubble 2:34 forming on your car while driving, 2:36 resist the urge to pop it because if 2:38 you're not careful, it can lead to tens 2:40 of thousands of y in damages. These 2:42 bubbles are slowly growing like 2:43 balloons. Why do these bubbles appear on 2:46 cars? They are most common on cars that 2:48 have had a color change, film wrapping 2:50 or PPF, paint protection film. The 2:53 reason these bubbles form is due to the 2:54 heat, especially in the summer. When car 2:57 films are exposed to intense sunlight, 2:59 this can often happen. In this case, you 3:01 shouldn't use scissors to pop them. The 3:03 right way to handle it is to use a heat 3:05 lamp to shine on the bubble. After a 3:07 while of heating, the car film will 3:09 slowly smooth back out. 3:11 In a video from Jung Joe's subway 3:12 station, it's hard to watch the scene 3:14 unfold. It's not easy for workers trying 3:16 to make a living, especially in this 3:18 heat. The subway station has become the 3:20 best place for workers to cool off and 3:22 escape the scorching sun. On the 3:24 streets, the road surface was so hot 3:25 that it became sticky under temperatures 3:27 over 40° C. A woman's flip-flop got 3:30 stuck, and she couldn't stand the heat 3:32 anymore. She quickly ran across the 3:34 street, not even caring about her shoes. 3:36 In Hanan, this heat wave has become 3:38 intense. On July 15th, the highest 3:40 temperature in Junga reached 44.2° C, 3:44 and some residents reported their window 3:45 shattered into a spiderweb pattern from 3:47 the heat. 3:51 Today, Joel, it's so hot that even the 3:53 glass is cracking. The temperature hit 3:55 43° today. 3:57 Around 10:00 a.m. on July 15th, Mr. Ten 3:59 from Jung Jo noticed that the inner 4:01 layer of the glass on his bathroom 4:02 window had cracked into a spiderweb 4:04 pattern. He said the air conditioning 4:06 was set to about 27° C, but the bathroom 4:09 window faces east and gets direct 4:11 sunlight. He said, "I didn't hear any 4:13 sound and it cracked from the inside, so 4:15 it wasn't caused by an impact. It must 4:17 have been the extreme heat." His phone 4:19 showed that the temperature would reach 4:20 43° that day. He contacted someone to 4:23 replace the glass, but since it was so 4:25 hot, they were too busy and would come 4:26 the next day. According to an official 4:28 notice from Hanan, the heat will persist 4:31 with road temperatures exceeding 72° C, 4:34 drivers are advised to be cautious on 4:36 the roads and be aware of the risk of 4:37 tire blowouts. A local responded to a 4:40 request asking how hot it is in Hanan. 4:43 Let's put it this way. Besides the rooms 4:45 with air conditioning, going to the 4:46 living room almost makes me faint. 4:48 Another person confirmed the heat, 4:50 saying, "I just got home last night, 4:51 killed a chicken at noon, and just had 4:53 another one die from the heat. I can't 4:55 even eat at all." On July 15th, a 4:58 reporter in Jung Joe tested the 4:59 temperature on the road. They placed a 5:01 frying pan on the ground, and cracked an 5:02 egg, added a few large shrimp, and some 5:04 pork belly. After an hour of direct 5:06 sunlight, the thermometer broke, reading 5:08 over 70° C. The egg solidified, the 5:11 shrimp turned red, and the pork was 5:13 partially cooked. On July 16th, another 5:16 in Hunan tried to fry an egg on the 5:18 asphalt. Within moments, the egg started 5:20 sizzling, and the egg whites began to 5:22 solidify with little bubbles popping up 5:24 around the edges. This extreme heat test 5:26 quickly went viral. 5:29 The combination of high heat and 5:30 humidity makes it difficult for the body 5:32 to cool down, increasing the risk of 5:34 heat stroke. 5:39 On July 12th, during an international 5:41 boxing match in Chenol, an athlete from 5:43 Ronda suffered heat stroke before the 5:45 match. During weigh in that morning, he 5:47 was 1.5 kg over the weight limit. 5:49 Normally in this heat, he could easily 5:50 lose that weight by sweating it out in 5:52 just half an hour. But on his first lap 5:55 around the track, he collapsed from the 5:56 heat. He told event organizers, "Trench 5:59 is hotter than Africa." 6:00 Additionally, in Shing Shang, Hanan, 6:02 five domesticated white geese died from 6:04 the heat in a pond. On July 14th, Mr. 6:07 Jong, a manor owner, spoke about the 6:09 extreme heat in Hanan. He said even the 6:11 geese in the water can't survive this 6:13 heat. The water temperature is around 50 6:15 to 60° C. He mentioned that the 6:17 thermometer on the farm had bent from 6:18 the heat. After raising geese for more 6:20 than 10 years, this was the first time 6:22 he experienced such extreme 6:24 temperatures. Geese are typically hearty 6:26 animals, able to tolerate both heat and 6:28 cold, but these geese actually died from 6:29 the heat in the water. Now, Mr. Jong has 6:32 to rely on wellwater to cool the geese 6:33 down. This story made it to the trending 6:35 list on July 16th. In addition to Han in 6:38 Yentai Shandong, the heat wave lasted 6:40 for several days and caused domestic 6:41 geese to die from the heat. China is 6:44 currently experiencing extreme high 6:45 temperatures with many regions 6:47 surpassing 40° C. Areas with 6:50 temperatures above 35° C cover over 2 6:52 million square kilm. Meteorologists say 6:55 that this level of heat is unprecedented 6:57 for this time of year. In Beijing, areas 6:59 have surface temperatures exceeding 60° 7:01 C with certain locations even reaching 7:04 nearly 70° at certain times. Historical 7:07 records show that during the reign of 7:08 Emperor Chenlong in theQing dynasty, 7:10 northern China experienced extreme heat 7:13 with Beijing reaching 44.4 degrees C. In 7:16 the summer of Chandlong's 8th year, more 7:18 than 10,000 people died from the heat in 7:20 just 12 days, making it one of the 7:22 hottest summers in Chinese history. On 7:25 the afternoon of July 8th, a video 7:26 posted by a Nison from Chongqing showed 7:28 an air conditioner's external unit 7:30 suddenly catching fire and emitting 7:32 thick smoke. During the summer heat, 7:34 many families run their air conditioners 7:35 on a 24-hour cycle. The machines and 7:38 electrical systems are overloaded, 7:39 leading to short circuits and other 7:41 dangerous problems. On July 15th, a 7:44 blogger from Chongqing mentioned, 7:47 "It's so hot here. I've been outside for 7:49 just 10 minutes, and I'm already 7:50 drenched in sweat. This is the second 7:52 outfit I've worn today. The air is so 7:54 hot. It's not just the temperature 40°, 7:56 but the humid heat. It's like being in a 7:58 sauna back in the northeast. Every 8:00 breath I take feels hot. This city 8:02 really lives up to the its nickname of 8:04 furnace city. I'm done. 8:07 In Shien, the temperature was so high 8:09 that the asphalt on the streets melted. 8:10 When the kickstand of an electric 8:12 bicycle was placed on the ground, it 8:13 sank right in. The outdoor temperature 8:15 reached 61.2°. 8:18 Starting from July 15th, Shien 8:20 experienced two consecutive days with 8:21 temperatures over 44° C, breaking 8:24 historical records. The intense heat 8:26 forced local residents to seek refuge in 8:28 the subway stations, which became 8:30 bustling with people trying to enjoy the 8:31 air conditioning. Subway stations became 8:34 a summer refuge for nearby residents. 8:36 Mr. Chong, an elderly man living in the 8:38 southern suburbs, shared, "Normally, I 8:40 would take a walk around the 8:41 neighborhood after dinner, but it's too 8:42 hot these days, so I'm hiding in the 8:44 subway to enjoy some free cool air." At 8:47 the subway station, people are making 8:48 themselves comfortable in different 8:50 ways. Some are sleeping on the floor. 8:52 Others are sitting on the stairs playing 8:54 games on their phones. And there are 8:55 older people chatting casually while 8:57 taking care of kids, completely ignoring 8:59 the passing commuters. This is 9:01 especially common near subway entrances 9:03 in densely populated residential areas 9:05 where more and more people are seeking 9:06 refuge from the heat. In Hjo, the 9:09 continuous high temperatures have caused 9:10 windows in multiple apartments to 9:12 shatter. On July 4th, a huge noise broke 9:15 the silence in a neighborhood in 9:16 northern Ho. Miss Tao, who lives on the 9:18 11th floor, was sitting on the sofa, 9:20 scrolling through her phone when the 9:22 entire living room shook. She said it 9:24 felt like the windows were hit by a 9:25 bomb. The shattered glass fell 9:27 everywhere. On social media, residents 9:29 from a local community started sharing 9:31 photos of cracked windows. With one 9:33 resident saying, "The property 9:34 management said, "We have to pay for 9:36 repairs after the warranty period." Mr. 9:38 Leo, a glass installer, mentioned, "In 9:40 the past 2 months, I've replaced more 9:42 than 60 windows, about one a day. That's 9:44 four times more than usual." 9:48 Hanjo is currently the hottest place in 9:50 China with temperatures reaching over 9:52 39°. The surface temperature is said to 9:55 be around 40°. A thermometer test 9:58 revealed that the temperature under 10:00 direct sunlight reached 74.7° 10:03 with white cars registering 65.5°, 10:06 gray cars 79.6°, 10:08 and black cars 89.4° nearing 90°. Darker 10:13 colored cars absorb more heat. Electric 10:15 bikes left outside were exposed to 10:17 temperatures of 83.4°. 10:19 Shared bikes, after being sunbaked, 10:21 become extremely hot to sit on. Many 10:23 shared bikes even have sun shields to 10:25 protect them, but these still reach 10:27 55.1°. 10:29 It's best to avoid sitting on sunheated 10:31 stone posts, which reached 60°. Even 10:34 bike handles can become dangerously hot. 10:36 After 2 hours of being parked outside, 10:38 one handle reached 59.7° and the seat 10:41 was 64.3°. 10:43 No wonder people complain about burning 10:45 seats. 10:46 The intense summer heat in Hjo has been 10:48 relentless, pushing temperatures close 10:50 to 40° for days. Air conditioning has 10:53 become essential, but with it comes a 10:55 significant increase in electricity 10:57 bills. Many workers can't afford the 10:59 rising costs and have had to return to 11:00 their hometowns. 11:05 We've had to go back home because it's 11:06 too hot to work anymore. Recently, 11:08 Hanjo's record-breaking heat has been 11:10 trending nationwide. People know that in 11:12 Haw many factory workers earn only 11:15 around 4,000 to 5,000 yen a month 11:17 without food or housing included. Rent 11:19 can be anywhere from 800 to several 11:21 thousand yen and electricity bills can 11:23 reach 1.5 yen per kilowatt hour. Water 11:26 costs 7 to 8 yen per ton. Many people 11:28 are unable to pay their water and 11:30 electricity bills because the summer 11:32 heat has electricity bills higher than 11:33 their rent. 11:35 Changa, known for its scorching heat, is 11:37 also experiencing a long hot summer this 11:39 year. Starting in July, the city entered 11:41 its hot, humid season, adding to the 11:43 discomfort of its residents. 11:48 Oh my goodness, it's so hot in Chong Sha 11:50 today. The temperature is over 30° C, 11:53 and I really can't handle it anymore. 11:55 I'm thinking about going to another 11:56 province to escape the heat. Can you 11:58 recommend any cooler places? I feel like 12:00 I'm about to spontaneously combust. In 12:03 Wuhan, the surface temperature reached a 12:05 staggering 81° C. The scorching heat is 12:08 hitting us hard. 12:12 Even at 7:30 p.m. in Wuhan, it's still 12:14 unbearably hot. In a video, a blogger 12:17 was seen wearing a DIY lotusle leaf 12:19 sunshade mask, and it quickly sparked a 12:22 lot of comments. Some joked that it 12:23 looked like the stem wasn't removed, 12:25 making her look like a mosquito. Others 12:27 pointed out that it wasn't that people 12:29 couldn't afford a sunshade mask, it was 12:31 just that the lotus leaf mask offered 12:32 more value for the price. This year's 12:34 high temperatures have been extreme. The 12:36 three northeastern provinces, Halong, 12:38 Jang, Jilin, and Lea Ning, are 12:40 experiencing a heat wave that hasn't 12:42 been seen in 55 years. Cities like 12:44 Harbin and Wuh have seen temperatures 12:47 break 35° C, with surface temperatures 12:50 reaching as high as 65°, and in some 12:52 cases, the perceived temperature has 12:54 exceeded 50°. 12:56 This heat wave is in stark contrast to 12:58 the region's traditional image as a cold 13:00 place, leading to a surge in demand for 13:02 air conditioners. In Halong Jang, air 13:04 conditioner sales have increased 13:06 sevenfold. This has caused significant 13:08 discomfort for both locals and tourists. 13:10 The combination of high heat and 13:12 humidity has led residents to say, "I've 13:14 lived long enough to see everything. 13:16 Especially considering that 3 months 13:17 ago, the area was covered in heavy 13:19 snow." Harbin resident Jang Lee said, 13:22 "The perceived temperature is almost 40° 13:24 C, and I'm sweating just by moving. This 13:27 summer in the Northeast is unusually hot 13:28 and humid." Students at universities in 13:31 the northeast have been hit hardest by 13:32 the heat. Many university dorms in 13:34 Harbin lack air conditioning. With the 13:37 high temperatures, students have been 13:38 constantly calling for air conditioning 13:40 on social media. Some students even 13:42 reported that people have suffered from 13:44 heat stroke due to the unbearable heat 13:45 in their dorms. Students have been 13:47 suggesting that air conditioners be 13:48 installed, but the school has simply 13:50 responded with, "We're hot, too." At the 13:52 moment, only a few classrooms and the 13:54 library are air conditioned. To cope 13:57 with the heat, many students have been 13:58 sharing tips online, such as setting up 14:00 camp in the dormatory hallways or taking 14:02 the bus just to enjoy the air 14:04 conditioning. One student mentioned that 14:06 because the dorms lose power at night, 14:07 even the fans don't work. As a result, 14:10 students have been laying mats on the 14:11 floors in the hallways, and some have 14:13 even set up tents in the dormatory 14:15 buildings. Meanwhile, hotel bookings 14:17 around universities have surged. A staff 14:19 member at a hotel near Harbin University 14:21 of Science and Technology said the rooms 14:23 are fully booked and most of the 14:24 reservations are made by students. They 14:26 emphasized that all rooms have fully 14:28 functioning air conditioning. This rush 14:30 for off-campus hotel rooms has caused 14:32 prices to skyrocket with some hotels 14:35 charging up to 300 yen per night and 14:37 even then rooms are still fully booked. 14:39 Due to the economic pressure, some 14:41 students have had to give up on staying 14:42 in hotels leaving them with no place to 14:44 go in the extreme heat. This heat wave 14:47 has exposed the serious lag in climate 14:49 adaptive infrastructures at universities 14:50 in northeast China. Halong Jang 14:52 University of Eastern Science responded 14:54 by saying that the dorm's electrical 14:56 systems are outdated and unable to 14:58 support large-scale air conditioner 15:00 usage. They stated that improvements are 15:02 difficult to implement in the short 15:03 term. The temporary measures proposed by 15:05 the university such as providing ice, 15:07 batterypowered fans, and extending 15:09 library hours have been criticized as 15:11 half-hearted solutions. University's 15:13 response to this heat wave has revealed 15:15 a significant gap in climate resilience 15:17 infrastructure, highlighting a weakness 15:19 in China's approach to adapting to 15:21 extreme weather. 15:23 [Music]

The Heat: Climate Crisis- 2 professors discuss "impacts that are only escalating because of the warming planet" CofA25 blog, video n transcript

"From extreme heat to intensive wildfires and rising floodwaters, climate change remains an urgent global threat. The world is facing severe climate crises from shrinking forests to rapidly melting glaciers and catastrophic flooding. The World Meteorological Organization issued a warning in May that extreme heat and arctic warming will continue to impact our lives for years to come." Michael Shank of NYU Center Global Affairs and Michael K. Dorsey of Sustainability Solutions Service at Arizona State University were guests on CGTN America this week. The Heat: Climate Crisis Sep 10, 2025 report video transcript below:

TRANSCRIPT:

The world is facing severe climate 0:02 crises from shrinking forests to rapidly 0:05 melting glacias and catastrophic 0:08 flooding. The World Meteorological 0:09 Organization issued a warning in May 0:12 that extreme heat and Arctic warming 0:14 will continue to impact our lives for 0:16 years to come. Later, we'll hear from 0:18 experts on plastics pollution and the 0:21 health of our oceans. But we begin with 0:23 the climate crisis. Joining us now from 0:25 Virginia is Michael Shank. He's an 0:27 adjunct professor with the Center for 0:29 Global Affairs at New York University. 0:31 And from Arizona, Michael K. Dorsey is 0:34 the director and chair of the Rob and 0:36 Melanie Walton Sustainability Solutions 0:39 Service at Arizona State University. 0:41 Thanks to both of you for being with us. 0:44 Michael Dorsy, let me start with you and 0:45 let's start with conditions in China. In 0:48 fact, you've just returned from China. 0:50 Well, the forecast there calls for heavy 0:52 and prolonged periods uh of very heavy 0:56 rainfall. Um and it's coming at a cost 0:58 for the country. In fact, there's a 1:00 report from the country's Ministry of 1:02 Emergency Management which says that 1:03 natural disasters uh in China in August 1:07 cost $2.75 billion. 1:10 What's behind these extreme conditions? 1:15 Extreme weather events are a direct 1:17 byproduct of the unfolding climate 1:19 crisis on it. Uh we've known this for 1:22 now decades. Uh and actually the 1:24 situation is getting worse. It's getting 1:25 worse in terms of the loss of lives, 1:28 particularly in the margins of countries 1:30 like China, but also in the United 1:31 States. We're celebrating, 1:33 unfortunately, this year a remarkable 1:35 event, the uh the anniversary of 1:37 Hurricane Katrina, which is still the 1:38 largest catastrophic weather event uh in 1:42 terms of real money costs in this 1:43 country and also in terms of loss of 1:45 life. More than 1,800 people lost their 1:47 lives in that catastrophic weather 1:49 event. So extreme temperatures and 1:51 extreme uh weather are directly a result 1:54 of the unfolding climate crisis that we 1:56 see happening right before our very 1:58 eyes. 1:59 Michael Shank uh let's look at the 2:01 situation in Pakistan. Monsoon rains 2:04 there have caused severe flooding and 2:07 forced millions of people to leave their 2:08 homes as well. uh and according to the 2:11 climate risk index, Pakistan is now one 2:14 of the most vulnerable countries to the 2:17 effects to the impact of climate change. 2:20 Um and if we look at some of what is 2:22 taking place there, I mean there's been 2:24 deforestation pretty extensive in that 2:27 country. There's also of course glacial 2:29 melting. Uh to what extent are those two 2:32 things compounding the crisis? 2:36 Well, they're definitely compounding the 2:37 crisis and there's little reprieve for 2:41 countries like Pakistan other than the 2:42 International Court of Justice saying 2:44 this summer that countries like Pakistan 2:47 can sue for reparations because they are 2:50 not responsible for the impacts that 2:51 they're witnessing and experiencing. Of 2:54 course, more developed countries in the 2:56 OECD are most responsible for historical 2:59 or archived emissions, and they would be 3:01 the ones to pay reparations to countries 3:04 like Pakistan and other countries that 3:06 are seeing these kinds of hits from very 3:08 unnatural disasters, which I'm naming 3:11 specifically because we created them and 3:13 exacerbated them and escalated them with 3:15 our greenhouse gas emissions. So yet to 3:19 be seen in terms of how courts will rule 3:21 in the future. But given that we keep 3:23 seeing these kinds of stories pop up in 3:25 the news cycle now every week, every 3:27 month, these are regular events and will 3:30 only escalate in number and ferocity and 3:32 frequency. So we need to set up 3:34 mechanisms to help countries like 3:36 Pakistan prepare and ultimately recover 3:38 from these kinds of disasters. 3:40 Right. Michael Shank, of course, going 3:41 down the legal path is uh is one way to 3:46 uh address this, but it doesn't address 3:48 the root cause, does it? 3:51 No. No, it doesn't. And if we look to 3:53 COP 30 in Brazil and just take as a 3:56 litmus test how many countries have 3:58 submitted their updated NDC's nationally 4:02 determined contributions in advance of 4:04 the UN General Assembly summit later 4:06 September in New York City. Very few 4:09 have and only one or two have created 4:12 timelines targets for 2035 and beyond. 4:15 So 4:17 ultimately the NDC NDC's were intended 4:19 to ratchet up ambition and accelerate 4:22 climate action. But based on what we've 4:25 seen so far and if folks are interested 4:26 you can check out climate action tracker 4:28 to see who has submitted and how 4:31 aggressive or ambitious your country is 4:33 in committing to 2030 2035 and 4:36 unfortunately very few are stepping up 4:38 to the plate. 4:39 Right. Michael Dorsy, there was a study 4:41 that was published in Nature magazine 4:43 which said that uh glacias in the Alps 4:47 and the Pyrenees have lost about 40% of 4:50 their mass. That's a huge number and 4:52 that's since 2000. But in 2022 and 2023 4:57 there were records set in that rate of 5:00 loss that I'm talking about that also 5:03 coincided with peak global temperatures. 5:06 uh question is how can that trend be 5:09 reversed? 5:12 So we need to take aggressive action 5:15 against the problem of carbon pollution 5:18 which is driving the unfolding climate 5:20 crisis. Uh I would say that legal 5:22 approaches can uh begin to pick away at 5:26 the problem of carbon pollution. But we 5:29 also need to have more aggressive 5:31 regulatory rules that prevent uh those 5:34 that are emitting uh the carbon 5:36 pollution in the first place and putting 5:37 it in the atmosphere. We need to also 5:39 shift monies out of those polluters and 5:42 away from them. Right now the World Bank 5:44 and other in international institutions 5:46 still invest tremendously uh in fossil 5:49 fuel pollution and and the sort of the 5:51 industries that are causing it in the 5:52 first place. And at the same time we 5:54 need to put those monies out of the 5:56 polluting uh the carbon pollution and 5:58 put them into the solution set which is 6:00 really renewable energy. So we need a 6:02 multiaceted approach that focuses on uh 6:05 getting out of the bad stuff the carbon 6:07 pollution and putting monies into it and 6:09 then getting more aggressively into the 6:11 good stuff. On the good stuff uh in 6:13 terms of scaling and investing in 6:15 renewable energy that's actually 6:16 growing. Uh this year we're looking to 6:18 be past $2 trillion invested worldwide 6:21 uh in renewable energy. primarily in 6:23 solar and wind. Uh and that's going to 6:25 be a record uh setting amount of 6:27 investment on the planet and that's only 6:29 set to continue because it's up from the 6:32 uh over one trillion from years past. 6:36 Michael Shank uh you know nearly all of 6:39 the planet uh experienced very high 6:42 temperatures this past summer. If we 6:43 look at you know the temperatures in 6:45 Asia, Africa, the Americas, in Europe um 6:48 there were very high temperatures. And 6:50 now if we look at uh you know what has 6:52 happened say in in Europe nearly 1 6:54 million hectares of land burned across 6:56 the European Union making it the worst 6:58 wildfire season since 2006. So what is 7:02 the connection between climate change uh 7:04 and these high temperatures we are 7:06 seeing and these wildfires. 7:09 Yeah the connection is clear as the 7:11 world heats up and we've seen now we are 7:14 witnessing the 10 hottest years on 7:17 record have happened in the last 10 7:19 years. So if you think of the Paris 7:21 climate agreement in 2015, since then, 7:23 the last 10 years have been the hottest 7:25 years on record. And what that does is 7:27 of course dries up land and forest, 7:30 creates it more uh more timber ready, 7:32 more fire ready. And so we're seeing 7:34 more fires as a result, and we're seeing 7:36 more flooding as a result. And what many 7:39 subnationals like cities are doing 7:40 around the world is they're creating 7:43 staff to focus specifically on this. So 7:45 you see more chief heat officers around 7:47 the world at the city level. you see 7:49 more of course fire responding, but this 7:52 idea that we create staff to to focus 7:56 solely on the climate impacts facing 7:58 society is an interesting one. We're 8:00 starting to see again more cities hire 8:02 chief heat officers. Perhaps we could 8:04 have chief flood officers, chief fire 8:06 officers, chief drought officers to 8:09 focus solely on these climate impacts 8:11 that are only escalating because of the 8:12 warming planet. 8:15 And uh we're also seeing uh Michael 8:17 Shank with these wildfires that there 8:19 are also very high levels of air 8:22 pollution. Um and this could be very far 8:25 away from uh where these fires are 8:27 burning. Here's uh Lorenzo Labrador who 8:30 is the chief scientific officer at the 8:32 World Meteorological Organization. Let's 8:35 listen. 8:37 Even though you are quite far from the 8:40 sources of fires, these the smoke 8:42 pollution and the uh PM2.5 that comes 8:46 from those fires have the power to 8:48 basically go across borders and travel 8:50 very long distances and degrade their 8:52 quality in far away cities. We have also 8:55 seen that basically from um wildfires as 9:00 far a field as Canada making it all the 9:03 way across Europe. 9:06 So Michael Shank here you have a 9:07 situation where air quality is really 9:09 poor because of what is being spread by 9:12 these fires. There's high levels of 9:14 pollution. I mean how does one address 9:15 that? How do cities address that? 9:19 Yeah, we know that air pollution is 9:21 connected with premature death and 9:24 cities like London have created some 9:26 legal infrastructure to prosecute uh 9:29 based on what air pollution can do 9:31 including killing of urban residents. Uh 9:34 we also know based on recent studies 9:36 that air pollution leads to early 9:38 dementia. So, we have the health 9:40 arguments in place to prevent and stop 9:43 air pollution. And as people witness 9:44 more of it, experience it, feel it, uh, 9:47 floating across borders because air 9:49 pollution certainly fires no borders, I 9:52 think we'll see more action based on 9:54 health frames, health interest, and some 9:56 of our cities are putting their 9:57 environmental sustainability programs in 9:59 the departments of health because that's 10:02 the the leading frame in which the 10:04 public can understand the problem here. 10:06 So we are seeing cities start to create 10:08 legal protections for their urban 10:11 residents. Uh but we're also seeing more 10:13 studies out I think making the case for 10:15 people that air pollution not only 10:17 causes premature death but also also 10:19 causes premature suffering like dementia 10:21 like I mentioned. 10:22 Michael Dorsey um cities in China have 10:26 managed to improve their air quality 10:28 pretty dramatically. I mean I remember a 10:29 time when the pollution in a city like 10:32 Beijing was very very high. It was 10:34 extremely unhealthy. But how did China 10:36 do that? 10:38 Well, the air quality index in places 10:40 like China is really uh gotten better 10:44 over the years because of some of the 10:46 processes and tendencies that Michael 10:48 Shank mentioned. You've got uh committed 10:50 regulators that are working with 10:52 industry and uh levying regulations on 10:55 industry to reduce uh those emissions 10:58 that which ultimately lead to 10:59 improvements in air quality. uh at the 11:01 same time in addition or a little bit 11:04 beyond those sort of heat officers and 11:07 folks working in the public health 11:08 divisions of cities across China but 11:10 also across other cities around the 11:12 world. We've got folks that are 11:14 committed to scaling the solution set as 11:16 well right alongside of checking the 11:18 problem. So we've got chief 11:19 sustainability officers across cities 11:22 around the world and they're working 11:24 oftentimes with utilities and industry 11:26 not just to reduce their emissions but 11:28 to scale up investments in renewable 11:30 energy uh that don't uh offer those 11:33 emissions in the first place. So we got 11:34 folks that are working on the problem 11:36 but also folks that are scaling the 11:37 solution set. And we've got to do both 11:39 of those things at at the same time. And 11:41 that's really the core of what we do 11:43 here at the sustainability solution 11:44 service. work on scaling the solution as 11:47 well as assisting those that are working 11:48 on the problem. 11:49 Right. And one other thing uh and this 11:51 is in Arizona where you are right now 11:53 Michael Dorsey um the medical examiner 11:56 there is investigating more than 400 11:59 deaths that could be heat related. Um I 12:03 mean is is these high temperatures that 12:04 we seeing right now extreme heat uh how 12:08 uh big a public health emergency has it 12:11 become? 12:12 It's absolutely a public health 12:14 emergency that uh has really been 12:16 growing year on year. Uh it's been 12:18 growing in part because the last 10 12:20 years since we left the Paris climate 12:22 negotiations have been the hottest on 12:24 record. Uh and that trend is likely to 12:26 continue. And really we see those that 12:28 die from heat related uh death are those 12:31 on the margins of society, the poorest 12:33 of the poor, those that are uh with uh 12:36 lacking housing and so forth. So it's a 12:39 real problem. uh but the problem is 12:41 being addressed by those that are in 12:43 those public health departments but at 12:44 the same time those that are scaling the 12:46 solution set that uh doesn't offer 12:48 pollution in terms of renewable energy 12:50 and so forth. 12:52 Michael Shank, what kind of progress are 12:53 we seeing with cities trying to address 12:56 this issue trying to mitigate the 12:58 problem by creating green spaces? 13:02 So a lot of cities are scaling up their 13:04 sponge ability, if you want to call it 13:06 that, becoming more 13:08 sponge friendly to absorb flooding, sea 13:11 level rise, storm surge, etc. So you are 13:14 definitely seeing cities invest in in 13:16 green spaces. You're also seeing cities 13:19 scale up their resilience hubs and 13:21 resilience departments in part because 13:23 in some countries like the United States 13:25 where climate and sustainability are 13:27 words that are soon on the chopping 13:29 block or are currently on the chopping 13:30 block in farright 13:32 uh governments either in Europe or the 13:34 United States. You're seeing resilience 13:36 as the framework that is more 13:37 multipartisan, apartisan, nonpartisan. 13:40 So there's a lot of investment and I'm 13:42 talking to cities all the time that are 13:44 changing their language to be more 13:46 resilience focused and resilience 13:48 forward. So that's a helpful framework 13:50 for cities to invest in the kind of 13:52 green spaces that will help with 13:53 certainly flood and storm surge etc. 13:56 Right. I've just got a little over a 13:57 minute left. I want to get both your 13:59 views on the upcoming climate conference 14:01 that's going to be taking place in 14:03 Brazil in November. That's COP 30. 14:05 Michael Dorsy, let me start with you 14:06 first. What are your expectations? 14:10 Well, we need to have more monies 14:12 committed through the multilateral 14:13 system to the solution set to investing 14:16 in renewable energy, particularly wind 14:18 and solar. We also need to have stronger 14:20 regulations uh and put on those that are 14:23 generating the problem, those in the 14:24 fossil fuel sector. If we can get those 14:26 two things, we can leave uh the 30th 14:29 meeting of the parties of the United 14:31 Nations framework convention on climate 14:32 change successfully. 14:34 Right. Michael Shank uh you know, 14:36 Michael Dorsey mentioned money there. 14:37 There's also climate change adaptation, 14:39 transition to uh green energy as well. 14:42 So, what are you expecting? 14:45 Well, I think we're going to see a lot 14:47 of civil resistance on the road to COP 14:50 30. I think the publics are becoming 14:52 more and more frustrated with lack of 14:54 national leadership for the reasons I 14:56 mentioned earlier. And so we're starting 14:58 to see in Yale and George Mason 15:00 University have done some recent polling 15:02 on this, the appetite for nonviolent 15:04 action in response to the lackluster 15:07 leadership at the national level. I 15:09 think we'll see more of that going 15:10 forward, which could put pressure on 15:11 these national governments to take more 15:13 leadership at COP 30 in Brazil. So we'll 15:16 see. And TBD, 15:18 yes, we shall see. Michael Shank, 15:20 Michael Dorsy, thanks to both of you for 15:22 being with us. Plastic pollution is 15:24 considered one of the biggest 15:25 environmental problems of our lifetime. 15:28 Every year, millions of tons of plastic 15:30 waste end up in landfills and makes its 15:33 way to our oceans, harming wildlife and 15:36 ecosystems. In August, nearly 200 15:38 nations gathered at a United Nations 15:40 conference in Geneva to negotiate a 15:43 treaty to tackle the explosive growth in 15:45 plastic waste. But after extensive 15:47 negotiations, the talks ended in 15:50 deadlock. For more, let's bring in our 15:52 next guests. Joining us now from 15:54 Montreal is Alexandra Harrington. She's 15:56 the chair of the IUCN World Commission 16:00 on Environmental Law Agreement on 16:02 Plastic Pollution. And Julia Cohen is 16:04 the co-founder and managing director of 16:06 Plastic Pollution Coalition right here 16:08 in Washington DC. Thanks very much to 16:11 both of you for being with us. Julia, uh 16:13 that conference that I was talking about 16:14 that took place in Geneva. Well, the UN 16:17 had hoped to have a plastics treaty in 16:19 place with up to 175 signaries. Um, that 16:23 would have placed curbs on plastics 16:25 pollution, but that was not to be. As I 16:28 mentioned, the talks ended in deadlock. 16:30 Negotiations failed. Uh, how big a 16:33 setback is that? 16:36 We don't see it as a setback. Um, we 16:39 held the line. We are left with the same 16:42 text pretty much that we came into these 16:46 negotiations with. And you know there 16:50 were a lot of distra distractions and 16:52 delay tactics being used by the 16:54 prochemical industry and countries very 16:58 much dependent on and influenced by 16:59 them. And so no treaty is better than a 17:03 weak treaty to us. And we continue to 17:05 advocate and work towards a strong 17:08 binding treaty with caps on plastic 17:10 production, phasing out chemicals of 17:12 concern, protecting people on the front 17:14 lines, and all of us, you know, being 17:17 protected from being polluted by 17:19 microplastics. 17:20 Right. And Julia, at these talks in 17:22 Geneva, what was the main sticking point 17:24 or sticking points? 17:28 Well, I think key to what I just said is 17:31 that there were a lot of distractions 17:32 from pro states trying to keep this 17:36 treaty from going upstream and not to be 17:38 binding and to only talk about waste 17:42 management and recycling. 17:45 Alexandra, um, several countries 17:48 expressed disappointment, bitter 17:50 disappointment, uh, some calling it a 17:52 failure of multilateralism. Here's a 17:54 delegate from the island nation of 17:56 Tvalu. Let's listen. 18:00 Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, 18:02 no agreement has been reached and we 18:05 leave empty-handed 18:06 for our islands. This means that without 18:08 the global global cooperation and state 18:12 action, millions of tons of plastic 18:14 waste will continue to be dumped in our 18:16 oceans, affecting our ecosystem, food 18:19 security, livelihood, and cultures. 18:23 So Alexandra, can you give us a sense of 18:25 how uh plastics pollution affects island 18:28 nations like Tuvalu? 18:31 Of course. Absolutely. And um I think if 18:34 we can come back to the failure question 18:35 at some point, I would also like to 18:37 address that um particular issue and and 18:39 agree with Julia. Um but what we know 18:42 and and again this is something that um 18:45 we have a great deal of scientific 18:46 research on um is that plastic pollution 18:50 affects both uh terrestrial and ocean uh 18:54 systems but differently um but equally 18:57 and is very much interlin. And so for 18:59 island nations like Tuvalu uh and many 19:02 of the Pacific Islands or the pieces as 19:04 they're they're often called um this is 19:07 an existential issue. It is something 19:10 that literally washes up on their shores 19:12 every day. It also has a very large 19:15 impact on their tourist activities and 19:17 economies, their fishing activities, 19:19 their food sources. Um and in many 19:22 instances has a great deal of exposure 19:25 options or potential for chemicals and 19:28 for other types of very dangerous uh 19:31 wastes that are causing not only 19:34 immediate impacts but also that have the 19:36 potential to be very much lifelong and 19:39 also generational impacts uh for current 19:41 and future generations living in those 19:43 islands. 19:45 Alexandra, as Julia pointed out, you 19:48 know, these talks deadlocked, but rather 19:49 have no treaty than have a weak treaty. 19:52 So, where do you see it going to from 19:54 here? 19:56 So, as as an international lawyer, I I 19:58 do certainly agree uh with Julia that, 20:01 you know, when we're looking at a text, 20:03 the rush to have a text also sometimes 20:05 makes us not realize that we we do need 20:07 to make sure we're having a very good 20:08 text. And so indeed I do think that 20:11 Julia is completely correct in saying 20:13 that no text is a better option than 20:15 something that would not meet the 20:17 mandate that was given to the the 20:19 negotiation process by the environment 20:21 assembly. From here what uh we will 20:25 likely see is um another session that 20:27 will be called a 5.3 20:29 um and it will be meeting at a time and 20:32 place to be determined. Most likely uh 20:36 it may meet after the UN environment 20:38 assembly meeting which will be uh in 20:40 early December and which may perhaps 20:43 give us a bit more guidance at that 20:44 point on timing. Um but we can expect 20:47 that we will see the negotiations 20:49 continuing forward. And while we did see 20:52 a great deal of of um I think 20:55 frustration coming out of that this 20:56 particular meeting, we also then did see 20:59 a great deal of uh commitment to the 21:02 idea of having um a treaty and the 21:06 necessity of a treaty. So we will see 21:08 another session in the future and then 21:10 we'll see hopefully how we might be able 21:13 to progress further from there. 21:16 Julia, of course, plastics are 21:17 everywhere right now. Everything comes 21:18 in plastic. Our food comes in plastic. 21:20 Drinking bottles are made out of 21:21 plastic. You buy anything online, it 21:24 comes in plastic. I mean, is there a 21:26 strong case to be made for recycling 21:29 um in addition to bringing down the 21:32 volume of plastic that is being 21:33 produced? 21:35 The the most important case is to bring 21:38 down the volume. We can't recycle our 21:40 way out of this problem. There is 21:43 already more plastic on the planet and 21:46 existence and has been made than we can 21:49 manage. Um we are at crisis levels of 21:53 what already exists and we are at a 21:56 moment where not only are there about 21:59 480 metric tons of plastic being 22:02 produced annually but that this is set 22:05 to triple by 2050. So you know we need 22:08 to turn off the plastic tap. We really 22:11 literally need to stop producing so much 22:13 plastic and we need to start with the 22:15 stuff that's single use. So food 22:18 packaging, sachets, cups, bottles, bags 22:23 need to be, you know, done with. We we 22:27 cannot survive as humanity and this 22:29 planet if we continue to operate at the 22:31 levels we're operating right now. 22:33 And Alexander, of course, the challenges 22:35 that we face with this kind of uh 22:37 pollution is that they're all 22:38 interconnected. uh if we see what's 22:40 happening with the impact of climate 22:42 change as well. Well, one of the UN 2030 22:45 sustainable development goals is called 22:47 life below water. The goal is 22:49 sustainable consumption of marine 22:51 resources while at the same time 22:53 protecting um these marine ecosystems 22:57 and reducing pollution. Uh 2030 is not 23:00 far away. Are these goals going to be 23:02 met? 23:04 It is indeed not far away. Um I think 23:06 what we can say now is that at least 23:08 some aspects of them will be. So the 23:10 within the goals themselves we have a 23:12 number of different targets as well as 23:14 indicators. Um, and it may be difficult 23:16 to entirely meet the the goal itself, 23:20 but I think we are seeing a good deal of 23:22 progress in terms of legal designations 23:25 of areas as being protected areas, 23:27 marine protected areas, especially those 23:29 coming out of the recently adopted uh 23:32 biodiversity beyond national 23:33 jurisdiction treaty, the BB&J agreement. 23:36 Um, and I I do think that a number of 23:38 countries are starting to become more 23:40 aware of the plastic uh connection 23:42 between oceans and marine ecosystem 23:45 protections and the provisions of things 23:47 like SG um 15 on life uh below water and 23:52 how that then winds up impacting on uh 23:55 broader issues as well. So we are seeing 23:57 a number of national measures that are 23:59 being adopted even while we're looking 24:01 to the international system to then come 24:03 up with other more creative solutions 24:05 like the plastics treaty potentially um 24:07 to hopefully be able to meet as much of 24:09 that as we can by 2030. 24:12 We're also hearing uh Alexander of a new 24:14 term right now. It's called plastics uh 24:17 plastics addiction which is negatively 24:19 affecting our health. What exactly is 24:21 that? Um I mean this threat of 24:23 microlastics that we hear about. 24:26 So I think microplastics are things that 24:28 we hear about but we don't necessarily 24:29 understand what they they really mean 24:32 and what they really mean is that uh 24:34 they are a breakdown of plastics at at 24:38 certain levels um but that is not always 24:40 a good thing. I mean you know there 24:41 there is a breakdown and people often 24:43 think that is a good part of of any type 24:45 of um kind of degrading process. It is 24:49 not uh in the microplastics context 24:51 because it is something that we have 24:53 seen scientifically and again a number 24:55 of studies have have proven uh become 24:58 part of the water which is then consumed 25:02 by uh fish by humans by every form of 25:06 life uh also become part of the air and 25:08 the soil. So we wind up breathing it in 25:11 uh we breathe it in it becomes part of 25:13 our bodies it becomes part of our own 25:15 organisms. uh indeed we know that that 25:18 microplastics have been passed now from 25:20 mother to child through placenta uh 25:23 transfer. So it is something that is 25:26 present in our environment and more than 25:28 that is also present now in our bodies 25:31 um and the sense of plastic addiction uh 25:34 has to do with our consumption and the 25:36 way that we are as a society a global 25:38 society consuming but it also has to do 25:41 with our own health and our own 25:43 environmental health as well. Julia, one 25:46 of the uh other uh unfortunate 25:49 developments we've seen with this kind 25:51 of pollution is that it's become so 25:52 politicized 25:54 uh especially here in the United States. 25:55 I mean, President Trump has considered, 25:57 for instance, a climate change denier. 25:59 He signed an executive order to bring 26:02 plastic straws back. Uh the previous 26:05 Biden administration did order a gradual 26:07 reduction in their use. Uh and that also 26:11 included plastic cutlery and packaging 26:14 as well. But now we have this other 26:16 order which reverses that from President 26:18 Trump. What kind of impact will that 26:20 have uh on the environment? 26:23 Well, I think this is problem is so much 26:25 bigger than straws and utensils and we 26:29 don't want to be distracted by putting 26:32 energy and attention just into that. 26:34 There are 120 countries who are all 26:38 aiming for a more ambitious global 26:41 treaty 26:42 and there's a lot of great work 26:43 happening um as Alexander said at the 26:46 state and local and you know even 26:48 individual country level around the 26:50 world. Um so many countries including 26:53 the United States have extended producer 26:56 responsibility bills in particular in 26:58 the United States and Maine and Oregon 27:00 are very strong ones. There are others 27:02 in other states that are getting watered 27:04 down and we need to make sure that we 27:05 have some of the strongest local and 27:08 state policies and regulations on the 27:11 broader plastic pollution crisis. Um, 27:13 and then even in California, the 27:15 attorney general of California is suing 27:16 Exon Mobile for, you know, their their 27:20 continued decades work on, you know, 27:24 distrust building about what they're 27:26 doing and, you know, plastic pollution 27:28 specifically. And then in addition, we 27:30 have over 450 businesses that signed 27:33 onto the Champion of Change um 27:36 initiative and they're calling for world 27:38 governments to negotiate an ambitious 27:40 treaty as well. And they are innovative 27:43 businesses using alternative materials 27:46 um creating reuse and refill systems. 27:48 And this is going on around the world. 27:50 And so we have the solutions now. And we 27:53 really need to start uplifting, 27:55 implementing, supporting, providing 27:57 resources for the solutions. 28:01 Julia, you know, you mentioned some 28:03 states that are taking action here in 28:05 the United States that is um I mean, 28:07 could that be expanded? Could other 28:08 states be encouraged to take their 28:10 action regardless of what the federal 28:12 government is doing? 28:14 Yes, 100%. And we have a global plastic 28:16 laws database where we are tracking all 28:19 the past laws around the world that 28:21 includes extended producer 28:23 responsibility laws in the United 28:24 States. And there are there is 28:26 contextual information about the you 28:29 know pros and cons of the different 28:30 versions of laws that are happening all 28:32 over the world. And in order to have a 28:34 global treaty, those ministers need 28:36 their countries to also have the kinds 28:38 of laws and policies in our own country 28:41 and their countries in order to support 28:44 ministers in negotiating a global treaty 28:46 as well. 28:47 Okay, and that is where we have to leave 28:49 it. Thanks to both of you for being with 28:50 us. That is it for this edition of the 28:53 Heat. I'm Arand Naidu in Washington.

CGTN in Washington, D.C., is the American arm of the English language China Global Television Network.

Tokyo Underwater! Japan Flooding NOW! Video n transcript- Heating Planet at CofA Blog

"More than 100 mm of rain within an hour in parts of Tokyo Sep 11 left streets submerged and commuters stranded; recovery efforts are underway in Tokyo and Yokaiichi, but officials caution that unsettled weather may bring more heavy rains." Watch Under Sphere report: Tokyo Underwater! Japan Flooding NOW! Submerged Streets, Power Outages & Evacuations, Tokyo flooding Sep 13, 2025 TOKYO transcript below:

Under Sphere channel on YouTube– Your Global Window into Nature's Fury

Transcript [Music] 0:44 Heavy rainfall has unleashed widespread 0:46 flooding across parts of Japan with 0:49 Tokyo and its southern districts among 0:50 the hardest hit.1:30 On September 11th, 2025, an intense 1:34 downpour overwhelmed drainage systems in 1:36 the capital, leaving streets submerged 1:38 and commuters stranded. The Japan 1:40 Meteorological Agency recorded more than 1:43 100 mm of rain within an hour in parts 1:45 of Tokyo, prompting emergency alerts and 1:48 power outages that affected tens of 1:50 thousands of households. 2:29 Public transportation suffered severe 2:31 disruption. options with both rail 2:33 services and flights suspended across 2:35 the city. In southern Tokyo, the 2:37 flooding worsened late into the evening 2:39 of September 11th as low-lying 2:42 neighborhoods struggled to cope with the 2:43 surge of storm water. 3:06 Hold sh 3:18 local authorities reported several 3:20 instances of vehicles being stranded and 3:23 residents forced to evacuate as water 3:25 levels rose quickly. Emergency crews 3:28 worked overnight to restore order, but 3:30 lingering disruptions continued into 3:32 September 12th, 2025, leaving businesses 3:36 and schools closed in affected 3:38 districts. 4:19 Meanwhile, in Yokaiichi, MI Prefecture. 4:22 The situation escalated on September 4:24 12th, 2025 when torrential rains 4:27 triggered flash floods that inundated 4:30 residential zones and industrial areas. 4:32 The city located along Ice Bay 4:35 experienced swollen rivers and road 4:37 closures, forcing hundreds of people to 4:39 seek shelter. Authorities warned of 4:41 potential landslides as the saturated 4:44 ground posed further risks. 5:11 You want to come up? 5:22 Local officials emphasized that 5:24 continuous rainfall over the coming days 5:27 could aggravate conditions, urging 5:29 residents to remain vigilant and 5:31 prepared for emergency evacuations. As 5:34 of today, September 13th, 2025, recovery 5:38 efforts are underway in Tokyo and 5:40 Yokaiichi, but officials caution that 5:42 unsettled weather may bring more heavy 5:44 rains. Heat. 5:48 Heat. 6:07 Thank you. 6:37 The government has mobilized disaster 6:39 response teams to assist flood victims 6:41 while the Japan Meteorological Agency 6:44 continues to monitor the risk of 6:46 additional flooding and landslides 6:47 across the country. 7:07 Heat. Heat. 7:23 That's 7:35 right. 7:47 Don't forget to subscribe to the channel 7:48 to get the latest news about natural 7:50 disasters around the world and stay 7:52 safe. All Rain Politics News

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AI Overview: Tokyo's summer is extremely hot and humid, with temperatures frequently exceeding 30°C (86°F), especially in July and August. The city experienced record-breaking heat during the summer of 2025, which saw average temperatures far above normal

Saturday, September 13, 2025

DIY Hospice- side trip on a Saturday

You're only human, someone said and I responded no I'm not. They thought I was joking but I wasn't. I'm 77 and know I'm not going to be a human much longer. Often I get a sense like I'm already transitioning, starting to segue into the next place or being I'm going to be. I'm not scared of death, I'm kind of looking forward to seeing what happens next. Meanwhile, I'm here on Earth, and the planet is heating too damn fast.

Kay Ebeling in Tahoe

‪@rogueagent48.bsky.social‬

DIY Hospice is my life today in Tahoe.

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