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	Changes in climate resulting from emissions of greenhouse gases harm the welfare of people by National Academy of Sciences USA   Sep. 2025   A new report from the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says the evidence for current and future harm to human health and welfare created by human-caused greenhouse gases is beyond scientific dispute.   The report focuses on evidence gathered by the scientific community since 2009, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare. The EPA recently gave notice of proposed rulemaking indicating its intention to rescind this finding.   The report says Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 finding was accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence. Much of the understanding of climate change that was uncertain or tentative in 2009 has now been resolved by scientific research, the report says.   “This study was undertaken with the ultimate aim of informing the EPA, following its call for public comments, as it considers the status of the endangerment finding,” said Shirley Tilghman, professor of molecular biology and public affairs, emeritus, and former president, Princeton University, and chair of the committee that wrote the report. “We are hopeful that the evidence summarized here shows the strong base of scientific evidence available to inform sound decision-making.”   To prepare its report, the committee considered widely available datasets that provide information about greenhouse gas emissions, the climate system, and human health and public welfare; a broad range of peer-reviewed literature and scientific assessments; and more than 200 comments submitted in response to a request for information.   The report concludes:   Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from human activities are increasing the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere. Human activities, such as the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, cement and chemical production, deforestation, and agricultural activities, emit greenhouse gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, into the atmosphere.   Total global GHG emissions continue to increase, even though U.S. emissions of CO2 have decreased slightly in recent years largely due to changes in energy production and consumption. Multiple lines of evidence show that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the primary driver of the observed long-term warming trend. No known natural drivers, such as incoming solar radiation or volcanic emissions, can explain observed changes.   Improved observations confirm unequivocally that greenhouse gas emissions are warming Earth’s surface and changing Earth’s climate. Longer records, improved and more robust observational networks, and analytical and methodological advances have strengthened detection of observed changes and their attribution to elevated levels of greenhouse gases.   Trends observed include increases in hot extremes and extreme single-day precipitation events, declines in cold extremes, regional shifts in annual precipitation, warming of the Earth’s oceans, a decrease in ocean pH, rising sea levels, and an increase in wildfire severity.   Human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases and resulting climate change harm the health of people in the United States. Climate change intensifies risks to humans from exposures to extreme heat, ground-level ozone, airborne particulate matter, extreme weather events, and airborne allergens, affecting incidence of cardiovascular, respiratory, and other diseases.   Climate change has increased exposure to pollutants from wildfire smoke and dust, which has been linked to adverse health effects. The increasing severity of some extreme events has contributed to injury, illness, and death in affected communities.   Health impacts related to climate-sensitive infectious diseases — such as those carried by insects and contaminated water — have increased. New evidence is developing about additional health impacts of climate change, including on mental health, nutrition, immune health, antimicrobial resistance, kidney disease, and negative pregnancy-related outcomes.   Groups such as older adults, people with preexisting health conditions or multiple chronic diseases, and outdoor workers are disproportionately susceptible to climate-associated health effects. Even as non-climate factors, including adaptation measures, can help people cope with harmful impacts of climate change, they cannot remove the risk of harm.   Changes in climate resulting from human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases harm the welfare of people in the United States. Climate-driven changes in temperature and precipitation extremes and variability are leading to negative impacts on agricultural crops and livestock, even as technological and other changes have increased agricultural production. Climate change, including increases in climate variability and wildfires, is changing the composition and function of forest and grassland ecosystems.   Climate-related changes in water availability and quality vary across regions in the United States with some regions showing a decline.   Climate-related changes in the chemistry and the heat content of the ocean are having negative effects on calcifying organisms and contributing to increases in harmful algal blooms. U.S. energy systems, infrastructure, and many communities are experiencing increasing stress and costs owing to the effects of climate change.   Continued emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities will lead to more climate changes in the United States, with the severity of expected change increasing with every ton of greenhouse gases emitted. Despite successful efforts in many parts of the world to reduce emissions, total global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase, and additional warming is certain.   All climate models — regardless of assumptions about future emissions scenarios or estimates of climate sensitivity — consistently project continued warming in response to future atmospheric GHG increases. Applying fundamental physics of the Earth system leads to the same conclusion.   Continued changes in the climate increase the likelihood of passing thresholds in Earth systems that could trigger tipping points or other high-impact climate consequences.   http://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2025/09/national-academies-publish-new-report-reviewing-evidence-for-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-u-s-climate-health-and-welfare
	Extreme heat impacts millions of people by World Meteorological Organization   Aug. 2025   Extreme heat is sometimes called the silent killer, but with today’s science, silence is no excuse. Between 2000 and 2019, approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred each year, with 45 per cent of these in Asia and 36 per cent in Europe. Worldwide, the official diagnosis and reporting of heat-related illness, injuries and deaths are recognized to be under-reported.   Temperature records   July 2025 was the third-warmest July globally (after July 2023 and 2024), according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The average sea surface temperature was also the third highest on record. Arctic sea ice extent ranked joint second-lowest for July in the 47-year satellite record, virtually tied with 2012 and 2021.   Within Europe, heatwave conditions particularly affected Sweden and Finland, which experienced an unusually long spell of temperatures above 30 °C. Southeast Europe also faced heatwaves and wildfire activity, with a national record temperature of 50.5°C in Türkiye.   Outside Europe, temperatures were most above average across the Himalayas, China and Japan, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service monthly bulletin.   The heat has continued into August. An update from the World Meteorological Centre Beijing on 5 August said that in the past week, maximum temperatures exceeded 42°C in parts of West Asia, southern Central Asia, most of North Africa, southern Pakistan, and the southwestern United States, with localized areas surpassing 45°C.   Maximum temperatures in southwestern Islamic Republic of Iran and eastern Iraq locally exceeded 50°C – causing disruptions to electricity and water supplies, education and labour. The National Meteorological Service of Morocco issued a heat warning for temperature between 40 and 47°C for the week of 4 August.   Japan reported a new national temperature record of 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on 5 August, beating the record of 41.2 °C set on 30 July. During the extended and extraordinary heatwave, many dozens of new station records – both maximum daytime and minimum overnight ones – were set. Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued special heat stroke alerts, urging the public to take precautionary measures.   The Korea Meteorological Administration has also issued widespread extreme heat warnings and advisories. Station temperature records also tumbled in parts of China.   The World Meteorological Centre Beijing said that in the next week, the heatwaves are expected to continue across most of West Asia, southern Central Asia, most of North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Pakistan, the southwestern United States, and northern Mexico. Localized temperatures could reach above 45°C in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, western and southern Iran, the southwestern United States, and parts of North Africa.   Wildfires   The extreme heat has fuelled devastating wildfires, causing casualties and worsening air quality.   Fire fighters in Cyprus, Greece and Türkiye struggled against wildfires, which forced people to flee their homes, claimed a number of lives, and filled the skies with thick plumes of smoke.   Smoke from hundreds of wildland fires burning in Canada created poor air quality across multiple provinces and northern U.S. states in late July and early August 2025. Air pollution affected areas of the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, as well as parts of the U.S. Upper Midwest and Northeast, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory.   Canada is facing one of its worst fire seasons on record in terms of area burned. As of August 3, more than 6.6 million hectares (16.3 million acres) had burned, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. That exceeds the 25-year average of about 2.2 million hectares.   For at least the second time this season, smoke from these blazes travelled across the Atlantic Ocean bound for Europe. Carried by a strong jet stream, it was expected to reach Western European skies between August 5 and 7. In mid-June 2025, another smoke plume from Canada degraded air quality and reddened skies in Central and Southern Europe.   “Extreme heat is no longer a distant or seasonal concern—it’s a daily reality for millions.” says Joy Shumake-Guillemot, lead of the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme. “Climate change will continue to worsen extreme heat for years to come. This is not just a climate issue, it’s a public health emergency,” she said.   Devastating floods across Asia   China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea were among the countries affected in Asia, with hundreds of lives lost, whilst flash flooding in the US states of Texas and New Mexico also killed more than 100 people. In the latest disaster, more than 100 people were reported missing as a flash flood swept through a town in India’s Himalayan region.   “Flash floods are not new, but their frequency and intensity are increasing in many regions due to rapid urbanization, land-use change, and a changing climate. Rising temperatures play a role because each additional degree Celsius of temperature increase allows the atmosphere to hold about 7% more water vapor, according to the law of thermodynamics. This is increasing the risk of more extreme rainfall events. At the same time, glacier-related flood hazards are increasing due to enhanced ice melting in a warmer climate,” said Stefan Uhlenbrook, Director of Hydrology, Water and Cryosphere at WMO.   “Floods and flash floods pose major threats to lives and infrastructure, claiming thousands of lives each year,” said Hwirin Kim Chief of Hydrological Water Resources Services Division at WMO.   An update from the World Meteorological Centre Beijing on 5 August said that in the past week, northern India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam experienced heavy to very heavy rainfall, with localized areas exposed to extreme downpours. It warned of potential secondary disasters, including flooding, landslides, debris flows, and urban waterlogging.   China: In Beijing tens of thousands of people were evacuated because of the risk of flooding from exceptionally heavy rainfall on 4 and 5 August. More than 40 people were reportedly killed by floods in the Chinese capital at the end of July. Chinese authorities also activated emergency flood response mechanisms in the northwest of the country.   India: A deadly intense flash flood event occurred on 5 August in Dharali village, Uttarkashi, following heavy rainfall in the upper catchment of the Kheer Ganga river. More than 100 people were reported missing as the torrent of water raged down the hillside and destroyed houses and swept away vehicles and people in the town.   Pakistan declared a state of emergency in the worst affected areas and sent in army helicopters for the rescue and relief effort after flooding in June and July. During August over 400 people are reported to have died in flooding events.   Republic of Korea: From 16-20 July, some areas in the southern part of the country received record rainfall of more than 115 mm per hour. The President declared a special disaster zones and activated national emergency management mechanisms.There were at least 18 confirmed deaths, with dozens injured. More than 13,000 people were evacuated from their homes. There was widespread damage to property, roads and infrastructure and disruption to energy supplies and transport.   A devastating flood swept through Nepal’s Rasuwa district on 7 July, apparently due to a glacial lake outburst over the border in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. Initial reports said seven people died and 19 people were missing. It destroyed hydropower capacity, swept away an important bridge and disrupted cross-border trade.   Scientists have expressed shock at the increased frequency of glacial origin flooding hazards. In the 2000s experts would anticipate a glacial origin flood to hit the Hindu Kush Himalaya region once every 5 to 10 years. In two months - May and June 2025 alone saw three glacial origin floods hit the region, in Nepal (Limi), in Afghanistan (Andorab valley) and Pakistan (Chitral, Hunza). On 7 July, there was not just one, but two glacial origin floods strike Nepal. Temperature rise is known to play a key role in the increasing frequency of glacial origin floods.   Texas Hill Country Floods   More than 100 people were confirmed dead and dozens more missing after months worth of rain fell in the space of a few hours in Texas Hill Country on 4 July. Many of the victims were young children at vacation camps swept up in the swollen river waters.   A global study by the World Bank estimates that 1.81 billion people (23% of the world population) are directly exposed to high risk flood events, with 89% of them residing in low- and middle-income countries.   Global climate predictions show temperatures are expected to continue at or near record levels in the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on societies, economies and sustainable development, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).   http://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2025/09/110665/needs-are-huge-pakistan-reels-floods-millions-left-homeless http://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/pakistan-monsoon-floods-2025-flash-update-9-16-september-2025 http://www.savethechildren.net/news/monsoon-floods-extreme-weather-wreak-havoc-across-asia-killing-more-130-children-and http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/global-climate-predictions-show-temperatures-expected-remain-or-near-record-levels-coming-5-years   * World’s Largest Fossil Fuel and Cement Producers are responsible for half the intensity of recent Heat Waves, new study shows. The study published in the journal, Nature documents how human-induced climate change has increased the frequency and severity of more than 200 heat waves:   http://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2025/09/rising-heat-waves-tied-to-fossil-fuel-and-cement-production.html http://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09450-9 http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02915-x http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02938-4 http://carbonmajors.org/index.html Visit the related web page
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