The world is at a crossroads. The impacts of climate change are destabilizing societies, causing conflict and deepening economic hardship.Instead of rising to this challenge, too (viac…)

The latest climate bulletin from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reports that April 2025 was the second warmest April on record worldwide. It was the 21st month in the last 22 months in which the global average surface air temperature was more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. More on climate.copernicus.eu

Europe is at a crossroads. Political pressure to delay or mitigate environmental measures is constantly undermining the ambitious direction of the European Green Deal. Creators (viac…)

Air pollution and climate change are urgent global problems, with urban areas contributing significantly to both pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. (viac…)

Low rainfall, dry soils and shrinking rivers are putting pressure on ecosystems, agriculture and transport routes across Europe and neighbouring regions. (viac…)

From South Asia to North America, extreme heat waves are becoming more frequent, intense and widespread. In April 2024, temperatures in Jaipur, India, reached 44°C and in Shaheed Benazirabad, Pakistan, a scorching 50°C, as a heat wave swept across South Asia. Experts now warn that these conditions are fast becoming the new normal in many parts of the world.

According to NASA, there is “unmistakable evidence that the Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate.” To support this, the Copernicus Earth observation program confirmed that on July 22, 2024, the highest average daily temperature in the world was measured – 17.16 °C since records began in 1940.

This Statista map highlights a selection of national and continental temperature records over the past six years. (Bruno Venditti, more at visualcapitalist.com)

Global warming, driven by rising atmospheric greenhouse gases, continues to occur and manifests itself in a variety of ways, with 2024 being the warmest year on record for global surface atmospheric temperatures. More than 90 % of the Earth’s energy imbalance has accumulated in the ocean over the past half century, leading to record highs in temperature and ocean heat content (OHC) year after year. These changes in OHC affect air-sea and ice-sea interactions, and thus have significant impacts on other components of the climate system.

Despite continued warming, it has been difficult to discern meaningful patterns so far. However, when looking at the ocean as zonal averages across latitude bands, striking patterns of change emerge. An analysis of the period from 2000 to 2023, when the availability of reliable data has improved, shows a clear picture. While the ocean is warming almost everywhere, the most significant increases in heat content are observed in mid-latitudes. Specifically, strong warming occurs in regions near 40°N and 40°–45°S. In contrast, only small warming is observed in subtropical regions near 20°N and 25°–30°S. These patterns are most evident in zonally averaged ocean heat content and are also noticeable in sea surface temperatures.

The strongest warming is recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, where aerosol effects are small. Nevertheless, sea surface temperatures (SST) have increased more in the Northern Hemisphere, especially after 2020. This contrast with the Southern Hemisphere results, among other things, from stronger winds, greater mixing, and a deeper mixed layer in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as the much larger extent of the ocean in the Southern Hemisphere.

The patterns of OHC changes are not directly linked to radiation at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). Rather, they appear in net surface energy fluxes and derived ocean heat transport, underscoring their connected (tied) origin. A key role in these changes is played by changes in atmospheric circulation, particularly through the poleward shift of ocean jet streams and storm tracks. These changes in the atmosphere are reflected in the surface wind-driven ocean Ekman transport.

Energy balance analyses show that the combination of TOA radiation and atmospheric energy transports leads to estimates of net surface energy fluxes (Fs). These surface fluxes have a pronounced meridional structure that resembles the pattern of OHC changes. Combining Fs with OHC changes yields the ocean heat divergence (OEDIV), which shows the divergence of heat away from the equator and some subtropics and the convergence of heat toward the midlatitudes.

The meridional ocean heat transport (MHT), derived from OEDIV, clearly shows this redistribution of heat. For example, in the Northern Hemisphere, the anomalous southern MHT peaks from 40° to 50°N, while the anomalous northern MHT from 10° to 35°N combine to contribute to convergence near 40°N. In the Southern Hemisphere, the anomalous southern MHT from the equator to 40°S and the slightly northern anomalous MHT from 40° to 65°S lead to huge convergence of heat near 40°SThis divergence of heat away from the subtropics towards the midlatitudes is evident in both hemispheres and provides a viable explanation for OHC patterns.

Changes in surface wind stress, a key driver of ocean currents, also play a role. Shifts in zonal wind stress lead to anomalous Ekman convergence near 40°S and 50°N, which contributes to changes in OHC and sea level changes. The observed poleward shift of the zonal mean jet stream in both hemispheres, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, is associated with changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation.

It is important to note that in addition to human-caused warming, internal natural variabilityFor example, ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation) causes large interannual variability in the deep tropics, although it is less visible in extratropical zonal averages. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) also modulates ENSO and may have played a role in SST anomalies in recent years.

In conclusion, the characteristic patterns of global warming, most clearly visible in the zonally averaged OHC, are primarily the result of systematic redistribution of heat from global warming through coupled changes in atmospheric circulation and ocean currentsThese changes have a profound impact on the local climate. Spring

Study published on AMS

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Glossary of key terms:

• Ocean heat content (OHC): The amount of heat stored in a given volume of ocean, usually measured at depths of 0-2000 meters. An increase in OHC is a key indicator of global warming because the ocean absorbs most of the excess heat in the climate system.
• Earth Energy Imbalance (EEI): The difference between the amount of solar radiation that the Earth absorbs and the amount of thermal radiation that it radiates back into space. A positive EEI means that the Earth is gaining energy that is stored in the climate system, especially in the oceans.
• Top of Atmosphere (TOA): The upper boundary of the atmosphere (usually around 100 km) where the balance of incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial radiation is measured. TOA radiation is important for understanding the Earth's overall energy balance.
• Sea Surface Temperature (SST): The temperature of the water in the uppermost layer of the ocean. SST is important for the exchange of energy and moisture between the ocean and the atmosphere and influences atmospheric circulation.
• Zonal average: The average of a meteorological or oceanographic variable calculated along a latitudinal band (zonal). Zonal averages help reveal global patterns that are consistent across the entire circumference of the globe.
• El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO): A natural climatic phenomenon in the tropical Pacific Ocean that involves fluctuations in sea surface temperature (El Niño and La Niña) and associated changes in atmospheric pressure and precipitation. ENSO has a significant impact on global climate patterns.
• Meridional heat transport (MHT): North-south heat transport in the oceans (meridional direction). MHT is important for the redistribution of heat from the tropics to higher latitudes and influences regional climate conditions.
• Ekman transport: Water transport in the upper ocean layer driven by surface wind tension. Due to the Coriolis force, Ekman transport is directed perpendicular to the wind tension (to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, to the left in the Southern Hemisphere). Changes in wind tension can affect Ekman transport and consequently heat redistribution and sea level.
• Jet stream: A fast, narrow stream of air high in the atmosphere that influences storm tracks and regional weather. Changes in the position and intensity of a jet stream are associated with changes in atmospheric circulation and energy transport.
• Atmospheric reanalysis: The systematic processing of historical observations using a climate model to create a consistent and global record of the state of the atmosphere. ERA5 is an example of modern atmospheric reanalysis.
• Surface energy fluxes (Fs): The net transfer of energy between the atmosphere and the surface (ocean or land). Fs includes the transfer of radiation, sensible heat, and latent heat and is important for the energy balance of the surface.
• Ocean Heat Divergence/Convergence (OEDIV): A measure of whether heat is being accumulated (convergence) or lost (divergence) in a given ocean region due to ocean currents.
• Subduction: The process by which surface water in the ocean sinks to deeper layers, often occurring in areas of convergence of Ekman transport or in areas of formation of water masses. Subduction can transfer heat and other properties to deeper parts of the ocean.
• Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO): Longer-term (decadal) variations in sea surface temperature and associated circulation in the Pacific Ocean, which can modulate the influence of ENSO and influence global climate patterns.

🌳 The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched its groundbreaking Biomass satellite, which is designed to provide an unprecedented view of the world's forests and their key role in the Earth's carbon cycle. The satellite launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on April 29, 2025.

Biomass separated from the upper part of the rocket less than an hour after liftoff, and ESA's control center in Germany received the first signal confirming its functionality in orbit. The launch and initial orbit phase will take place in the coming days, during which all systems will be carefully checked and complex maneuvers will be performed on the deployment of a 12-meter network reflector supported by a 7.5-meter boom.

The Biomass mission is designed to provide essential information about the state of our forests and how they are changing, and to deepen our understanding of the role of forests in the carbon cycle. Forests are crucial to the Earth's carbon cycle because they absorb and store large amounts of carbon dioxide, helping to regulate the planet's temperature. They are estimated to absorb around 8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. However, deforestation and degradation, particularly in tropical regions, are releasing stored carbon back into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

The main problem for scientists and politicians is lack of accurate data on how much carbon forests store and how these stocks are changing due to factors such as rising temperatures, increasing atmospheric CO2 levels, and human-induced land use changes.

Biomass is the first satellite equipped P-band synthetic aperture radar, which is able to penetrate tree crowns and measure woody biomass – trunks, branches and stems – where most of the forest’s carbon is stored. These measurements serve as surrogate indicators for carbon storage, which is the mission’s primary goal.

Biomass satellite data significantly reduce uncertainties in estimates of carbon stocks and flows, including those related to land use change, forest loss and regrowth. The mission was developed by more than 50 companies, led by Airbus UK. The Biomass satellite joins the prestigious family of ESA Earth Explorers missions, which continue to deliver groundbreaking discoveries and advance scientific knowledge about our planet. In addition to measuring biomass, the data will contribute to a better understanding of habitat loss and its impact on biodiversity, mapping subsurface geology in deserts, ice sheet structures and forest floor topography.

Thanks to the Biomass satellite, ESA is poised to gain Key new data on how much carbon is stored in the world's forests, thereby helping to fill gaps in our knowledge of the carbon cycle and ultimately the Earth's climate system. Spring

🌡️ A message The Emissions Gap Report 2024, released on October 24, 2024 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), delivers a crucial message to the world’s nations. At a time when climate impacts are (viac…)

🤝 The fight against climate change and efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from Agenda 2030 are two major global commitments. These goals, although separate, are significantly interconnected (viac…)

📢 Climate change cannot be communicated on its own, as decades of awareness-raising and public engagement initiatives have shown. There is growing evidence (viac…)

🌡️ The new annual report "State of the Global Climate 2024" from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) provides important insights into the current state of our planet. A message stresses that the year 2024 was marked by (viac…)

🥱 Climate apathy – a feeling of helplessness, fatigue and disinterest in climate change – has become increasingly widespread in recent years. While awareness of the urgent need for climate action is growing, many people are closing themselves off to the topic out of a sense of overload and pessimism. This apathy is hampering political ambitions and social initiatives and is a significant obstacle to real climate action.

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What is climate apathy?

Climate apathy is characterized by a loss of motivation to act, even when one is aware of the problem and recognizes its seriousness. People suffering from apathy feel that their individual efforts are “sand-dusting” on the vast global emissions, which discourages them from lifestyle changes and social engagement. This phenomenon is different from ignorance – it is a conscious resignation due to emotional fatigue and a sense of helplessness.

Psychological causes

• Overload and anxiety: Constant news about extreme manifestations of climate change (floods, heat waves, fires) leads to chronic stress and fatigue.
• Feeling of lack of influence: Individual steps are often presented as crucial, although in reality they encounter systemic barriers (insufficient infrastructure, political unwillingness).
• Social norm: If people around us are not involved in climate initiatives, we ourselves are less inclined to engage in activities that may be emotionally demanding for us.

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Why is apathy growing?

Massive information noise

In the age of social media, we are bombarded with news of climate catastrophes, expert warnings, and conflicting political debates. This information overload without a clear way out leads to a feeling of burnout.

Insufficient systems support

Without policies that facilitate the transition to renewables, energy-efficient buildings, and clean transportation, it is difficult for individuals to maintain their commitment. If governments and businesses fail to offer real alternatives, many will walk away in disgust.

Polarization and disinformation

Climate change has become part of a political battle, leading to a division in society. Where skepticism prevails, apathy grows – people prefer to avoid the topic altogether rather than argue about it.

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Consequences of climate apathy

1. Slowdown in political reforms: If voters do not feel personal responsibility, politicians do not feel pressured to introduce ambitious laws.
2. Limited social mobilization: Without massive citizen support, strong climate movements cannot emerge in the streets or on social media.
3. Economic risks: Companies perceive weak demand for "green" products and postpone investments in clean technology.

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How to turn apathy into action?

1. Focus on local solutions

Local projects – community gardens, apartment building insulation, or electricity-sharing programs – show concrete benefits and give people the feeling that their efforts have a real impact.

2. Strengthening social support

When friends, family, or colleagues are involved in climate change, our commitment increases. Organizing smaller groups, discussion evenings, or volunteer events creates a sense of community.

3. Connecting with other values

We can present climate action as a path to a healthier life (cleaner air), savings in the household, or improving the quality of public space.

4. Political involvement

Not only voting in elections, but also writing petitions, lobbying for laws, or participating in municipal councils will show that the public's voice is heard.

5. Positive communication

Instead of fearing disasters, it is more effective to point to successful examples – cities that have reduced emissions or communities that have restored native wetlands and mitigated floods.

Climate apathy poses a real threat because it hinders the social and political shifts needed to avert the worst impacts of the crisis. The solution lies in a combination of emotional support, concrete local projects, and systemic reforms. If we can turn apathy into support, we will gain enormous strength in the fight for a sustainable future. Spring

🍎 The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) adopted its Management Board meeting on 24 June 2021 strategy by 2027. This document, revised in 2024, represents a response (viac…)

💨 Coastal wetlands are key ecosystems that play a significant role in the global carbon and nitrogen cycle. They have traditionally been considered a small source of methane (CH₄). Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has a significant (viac…)

🧊 The Arctic is currently at the epicenter of dramatic global change. Unprecedented warming and its intensification in the region are leading to rapid sea ice retreat and irreversible losses (viac…)

🦋 Cities around the world are collaborating to share nature observations as part of the City Nature Challenge 2025. Why participate? Nature is all around us! Knowing what species are in our city and where they are helps us study and protect them, but the only way to do that is if all of us – scientists, land managers, and the community – work together to find and document nature in our area.

By joining the City Nature Challenge, you will not only learn more about your local nature, but you can also make your city a better place – for you and other species!

(More on citynaturechallenge.org)

⚡ Lightning strikes near the geographic North Pole are raising troubling questions about our changing climate. This was evident in August 2019, when atmospheric conditions aligned in a way few could have imagined.

The researchers discovered 342 lightning strikes, with 122 in a single storm that passed over the ice and reached within about 43 kilometers of the North Pole.

Jianqiu Zheng and colleagues at the University of Science and Technology of China analyzed the event and found that it was associated with an unusual influx of warm air. (Jordan Joseph, more on earth.com)

🇪🇺 The EU LIFE programme, which has funded more than 6,000 green projects since 1992, is a key instrument supporting the European Union's policies on the environment, nature conservation and climate. (viac…)

The world is on track to exceed the temperature targets set in the 2015 Paris Agreement. A growing number of scientists and experts say that to achieve long-term climate goals, carbon dioxide (CO₂) will need to be removed from the atmosphere later this century. Governments, energy companies and hundreds of startups around the world are investing billions of dollars in carbon removal strategies. By some estimates, the world could need to remove more than 6 billion tons of CO₂ per year.

There are three main approaches to carbon removal:

1. Direct capture from the air: Large-scale facilities can extract CO₂ directly from thin air. While this is the simplest method on an industrial scale, it is also the most expensive, costing around $600 to $1,000 per ton of CO₂. Several large direct capture facilities are planned in the US. For example, a consortium of Occidental Petroleum and Carbon Engineering plans to launch the world’s largest facility in West Texas, which is expected to capture 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. The captured carbon is often pumped and stored underground.
2. Ocean modifications: The oceans have the potential to absorb more carbon than usual. One approach is to increase the alkalinity of seawater. The $10 million LOC-NESS project, set to begin in the coming months off the coast of Massachusetts, will test this method by pouring a solution of an alkaline material (sodium hydroxide) into the water. The scientists hope to demonstrate that it is possible to monitor and quantify the CO₂ absorbed. If this method could be scaled up even a small fraction, coastal countries could collectively remove a billion tons of CO₂ per year. Other ocean methods include fertilizing the water with iron to promote phytoplankton growth or growing seaweed.
3. Improving carbon removal on land: The cheapest way is to plant more forests, but trees are not a permanent solution due to the risk of logging or fires. More permanent methods include converting plant matter into biochar, a carbon-rich material that is added to the soil. Experiments are also being conducted with applying silicate-rich minerals, such as basalt, to agricultural fields. These minerals react with CO₂ and water to form stable bicarbonate ions that enter the ocean and lock up carbon. Agricultural waste, forest residues, and purpose-grown crops also have the potential to be converted into long-lasting products like building materials. These techniques could potentially eliminate carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. up to 800 million tons of carbon per year at a price of under $100 per ton of CO₂.

Despite growing investment, the carbon removal industry faces obstacles. These include insufficient international standards, a lack of formal commitments from governments, and policy changes, such as the cuts in US research funding under the Donald Trump administration. There are also scientific questions about whether the technologies can deliver on expectations. In addition, some methods, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), can have negative impacts, such as requiring large amounts of fresh water and fertilizer or damaging biodiversity. There are also concerns that carbon removal could lead companies and countries to justify further emissions rather than transitioning to clean energy.

Experts emphasize that while carbon removal technologies are important for the future, there are no easy ways to large-scale carbon removal. This means that global leaders must accelerate efforts to halt emissions now, rather than relying on future generations to solve the problem. It is crucial that science keeps pace with private sector activities and validates the effectiveness and impacts of these new approaches. Spring

The research was published in nature.com