“We are on the deathbed. Humanity cannot survive – the way it has been behaving with nature – for more than fifty years, sixty years, or, at the most, one hundred years, which is nothing. If the Third World War does not happen, then we will be committing a slow suicide. Within a hundred years, we will be gone. Not even a trace will be left.”¹ Osho

See also: Osho, “Religion: The Crimes Against Nature and the Environment”

And: Priests & Politicians: The Mafia of the Soul

It is becoming increasingly clear that humanity just doesn’t have the consciousness to prevent the inexorable destruction of the only home it has.

• Carbon Dioxide Levels in the Atmosphere
• The Human Population Clock is Ticking
• The Emissions Gap Report 2025
• NOAA Global Climate Report 2025

The Unfolding Story – 2026 – Updated Regularly: 

Read 2025 Edition HERE

April 15, 2026
England Has 1.2 Million Buildings at Risk of Flooding With No Defenses
“A new study has found that 1.2 million buildings at risk of flooding in England currently aren’t included in any of the country’s flood defenses.
“Most of the properties at risk are homes, and are at risk due to surface-water flooding rather than from rising rivers or sea levels.” – Bloomberg

April 4, 2026
A massive arctic thaw is unleashing carbon frozen for thousands of years
The Arctic is thawing and releasing ancient carbon into the planet’s system.
“A sweeping new study reveals that as Arctic permafrost thaws, it is dramatically reshaping rivers and releasing vast amounts of ancient carbon that had been locked away for thousands of years. By analyzing decades of high-resolution data across northern Alaska, scientists found that runoff is increasing, rivers are carrying more dissolved carbon, and the thawing season is stretching further into the fall. This carbon eventually reaches the ocean, where some of it turns into carbon dioxide, intensifying global warming.” – ScienceDaily

March 27, 2026
The ice protecting Alaska is vanishing faster than expected
“Alaska’s once-reliable coastal ice is vanishing faster than expected—shortening seasons, shrinking coverage, and putting communities at risk.” – ScienceDaily

March 25, 2026
Cold weather linked to 40,000 extra heart deaths each year in the U.S.
“When temperatures plunge, the risk to your heart rises dramatically. A large U.S. study shows cold weather is linked to far more cardiovascular deaths than heat, accounting for tens of thousands of extra deaths each year. Scientists found the safest temperature sits around 74°F, with danger increasing as conditions get colder—or hotter. As more people live with chronic illnesses, the threat from extreme cold may only intensify.” – ScienceDaily

March 25, 2026
US has caused $10tn worth of climate damage since 1990, research finds
US, top carbon emitter in history, has ‘a lot of responsibility’ for causing ‘substantial’ harm globally, scientist says
“The US has caused an eye-watering $10tn in global damages to the world over the past three decades through its vast planet-heating emissions, with a quarter of this economic pain inflicted upon itself, new research has found.
“By being the largest carbon emitter in history, the US has caused greater harm to worldwide economic growth than any other country, ahead of China, now the world’s largest emitter that is responsible for $9tn in GDP damage since 1990, according to the findings of the paper.
“About 25% of this GDP dampening has occurred in the US itself, although other countries have borne a heavy toll, with economic losses disproportionately felt in the poorest countries. Since 1990, US emissions have caused an estimated $500bn of economic damage to India and $330bn in damage to Brazil, the research finds.”– The Guardian

March 23, 2026
Far more countries face critical food insecurity if world heats up by 2C, analysis shows
Exclusive: Food systems of low-income nations projected to deteriorate seven times as fast as those of wealthy ones
“The number of countries falling into critical food insecurity could almost triple to 24 if global temperatures increase by 2C, research has shown.
“Analysis by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) shows the climate crisis will disproportionately affect food systems in poorer nations, widening the gap between the most and least vulnerable countries.
“Although global heating will increase the risk of food insecurity worldwide, food systems in low-income countries are projected to deteriorate seven times as fast as those in wealthy nations.
Ritu Bharadwaj, a researcher for the IIED and author of the study, said: ‘Countries already facing poverty, fragility and limited safety nets are projected to see the fastest deterioration in food systems, despite having contributed the least to global emissions.
“‘Today, nearly 59% of the world’s population already lives in countries with below average food security, and our projections show that climate change is likely to widen this gap.'” – The Guardian

March 21, 2026
5m tonnes of CO2 emitted in just 14 days of US war on Iran, analysis finds
Exclusive: War in the Middle East is draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined
“The US-Israel war on Iran is a disaster for the climate, according to an analysis that finds it is draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined.
“As warplanes, drones and missiles kill thousands of people, level infrastructure and turn the Middle East into a gigantic environmental sacrifice zone, the first analysis of the climate cost has found the conflict led to 5m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in its first 14 days.
“The analysis, shared exclusively with the Guardian, adds another layer on to reporting of the catastrophic environmental harm being caused by attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure, military bases, civilian areas and ships at sea.
“‘Every missile strike is another downpayment on a hotter, more unstable planet, and none of it makes anyone safer,’ said Patrick Bigger, a research director at the Climate and Community Institute and a co-author of the analysis.” – The Guardian

March 21, 2026
Himalayas’ glacier loss threatens 2 billion people in ‘greatest problem of climate change’
Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn
“Accelerating glacial retreat in the Himalayas over the past decades is threatening over 2 billion people in the region who depend on meltwater from the “water tower of Asia” for their daily needs, according to climate scientists.
“Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region have been losing ice at twice the rate since 2000, with smaller glaciers under 0.5 sq km shrinking more rapidly than larger ones, according to two landmark reports published on Saturday to coincide with the World Day for Glaciers. Researchers warn that such a pace of loss poses immediate risks of localised water shortage and intensifying climate-related hazards.” – The South China Morning Post

March 19, 2026
The Weather Is Getting Wilder, and Some See a Dire Signal in the Data
Several of the Earth’s systems are changing faster than predicted as global temperatures rise, scientists say.
Scientists who study global warming are currently wrestling with a question that, while seemingly technical, is profoundly consequential: Is climate change accelerating?…
An acceleration in the pace of climate change could have dire implications for a planet grappling with more powerful storms, floods and heat waves….
“‘Taken together, we see the first signs of a planet that is losing resilience, or losing strength to buffer heat stress,’ said Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. ‘The consequence of such loss of resilience will be increased rate of warming.'” – The New York Times

March 17, 2026
How a Melting Glacier Could Affect Tens of Millions Around the Globe
A collapse of the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica would sharply accelerate sea-level rise in coastal cities.
“Scientists spent the first weeks of the year on an expedition to Antarctica to study Thwaites Glacier, which is melting at an alarming rate. If it breaks apart entirely, it could push up global sea levels by two feet over the course of several decades, affecting tens of millions worldwide….” – The New York Times

March 6, 2026
Earth Is Warming Faster Than Previously Estimated, New Study Shows
Researchers found the first statistically significant evidence that global warming is accelerating.
“Planetary warming has significantly accelerated over the past 10 years, with temperatures rising at a higher rate since 2015 than in any previous decade on record.
“The Earth warmed around 0.35 degrees Celsius in the decade to 2025, compared to just under 0.2C per decade on average between 1970 and 2015.
‘”The past three years have been the hottest on record, and in 2024, warming went past 1.5C, the lower limit set by the Paris Agreement.”– Bloomberg

February 26, 2026
Antarctica just saw the fastest glacier collapse ever recorded
“Antarctica’s Hektoria Glacier stunned scientists by retreating eight kilometers in just two months, with nearly half of it collapsing in record time. The rapid breakup was driven by a flat, underwater bedrock surface that allowed the glacier to suddenly float and fracture from below. Satellite and seismic data captured the dramatic chain reaction in near real time. The findings raise concerns that much larger glaciers could one day collapse just as quickly.” – ScienceDaily

February 24, 2026
Space lasers reveal oceans rising faster than ever
“A new 30-year analysis reveals that melting land ice is now the main force behind rising global sea levels. Researchers discovered that oceans rose about 90 millimeters since 1993, with most of the increase coming from added water mass rather than just warming expansion. Ice loss from Greenland and mountain glaciers accounts for the vast majority of this gain. Even more concerning, the rate of sea-level rise is accelerating.” – ScienceDaily

February 17, 2026
The grim message in the ‘rusting’ Arctic rivers
The bright orange waterways are a sign that permafrost is thawing rapidly, with potentially hazardous consequences
“In Alaska’s Brooks Range, a wilderness of rugged peaks and crystalline rivers just north of the Arctic Circle, a strange new force is blighting the landscape.
“Bright orange water is flowing through rivers in quantities visible from outer space. As with wastewater from mines, the rust-orange colour comes from iron that dissolves after exposure to acidic water. But in this case, mining isn’t the culprit, it’s global warming.
“‘I’ve been most startled by the spatial extent,’ says Brett Poulin, a scientist at the University of California, Davis who studies ‘rusting’ rivers. ‘And there’s no way to stop it,’ he adds. ‘Once it starts, it just starts.'” – Financial Times

February 12, 2026
Trump’s EPA repeals landmark climate finding in gift to ‘billionaire polluters’
Rollback of government’s ability to limit climate-heating pollution will make families ‘sicker and less safe’, environmental advocate says
“The Trump administration has revoked the bedrock scientific determination that gives the government the ability to regulate climate-heating pollution. The move was described as a gift to “billionaire polluters” at the expense of Americans’ health.
“The endangerment finding, which states that the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere endangers public health and welfare, has since 2009 allowed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to limit heat-trapping pollution from vehicles, power plants and other industrial sources….
“The former secretary of state John Kerry called the new rule ‘un-American.’
“‘Repealing the Endangerment Finding takes Orwellian governance to new heights and invites enormous damage to people and property around the world,’ said Kerry, who also served as Joe Biden’s climate envoy. “Ignoring warning signs will not stop the storm. It puts more Americans directly in its path.’” – The Guardian

February 11, 2026
Point of no return: a hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ getting closer, scientists say
Continued global heating could set irreversible course by triggering climate tipping points, but most people unaware
“Continued global heating could trigger climate tipping points, leading to a cascade of further tipping points and feedback loops, they said. This would lock the world into a new and hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ climate far worse than the 2-3C temperature rise the world is on track to reach. The climate would also be very different to the benign conditions of the past 11,000 years, during which the whole of human civilisation developed.
“At just 1.3C of global heating in recent years, extreme weather is already taking lives and destroying livelihoods across the globe. At 3-4C, ‘the economy and society will cease to function as we know it,’ scientists said last week, but a hothouse Earth would be even more fiery.” – The Guardian

February 9, 2026
Global economy must move past GDP to avoid planetary disaster, warns UN chief
Exclusive: António Guterres says world’s accounting systems should place true value on the environment
“The global economy must be radically transformed to stop it rewarding pollution and waste, UN secretary general António Guterres has warned.
“Speaking to the Guardian after the UN hosted a meeting of leading global economists, Guterres said humanity’s future required the urgent overhaul of the world’s ‘existing accounting systems’ he said were driving the planet to the brink of disaster.
‘We must place true value on the environment and go beyond gross domestic product as a measure of human progress and wellbeing. Let us not forget that when we destroy a forest, we are creating GDP. When we overfish, we are creating GDP.’” – The Guardian

February 9, 2026
Economic growth is still heating the planet. Is there any way out?
Rising GDP continues to mean more carbon emissions and wider damage to the planet. Can the two be decoupled?
‘This week, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, called for economies to ‘move beyond GDP’ as a measure of progress, warning that the world’s ‘existing accounting systems’ were driving the planet towards disaster.
His remarks echo an increasingly influential school of economics, known broadly as ‘post-growth,’ that asks what was once unthinkable: will solving the climate crisis mean learning to live without constant expansion?
“Post-growth economists often reject GDP in favour of new frameworks that account for environmental damage – such as the ‘doughnut economics’ adopted recently by Amsterdam, or New Zealand’s attempt at a ‘wellbeing budget.’” – The Guardian

February 9, 2026
Forests are changing fast and scientists are deeply concerned
Forests may be growing faster—but they’re also becoming weaker, simpler, and far more vulnerable.
“Forests around the world are quietly transforming, and not for the better. A massive global analysis of more than 31,000 tree species reveals that forests are becoming more uniform, increasingly dominated by fast-growing ‘sprinter’ trees, while slow-growing, long-lived species are disappearing. These slower species act as the backbone of forest ecosystems, storing carbon, stabilizing environments, and supporting rich webs of life—especially in tropical regions where biodiversity is highest.” – ScienceDaily

February 6, 2026
An invisible chemical rain is falling across the planet
The chemicals that helped save the ozone layer are now coating the planet with a pollutant that may never go away.
“A new study reveals that chemicals used to replace ozone-damaging CFCs are now driving a surge in a persistent ‘forever chemical’ worldwide. The pollutant, called trifluoroacetic acid, is falling out of the atmosphere into water, land, and ice, including in remote regions like the Arctic. Even as older chemicals are phased out, their long lifetimes mean pollution is still rising.” – ScienceDaily

February 5, 2026
Climate crisis could cause global financial crash as economic models fail to capture risk
Researchers say governments and financial institutions underestimating threat because they rely on models that assume climate crisis impacts will be gradual
“The climate crisis could trigger a global financial crash as temperatures rise beyond 2C, but governments and investors are relying on economic models that fail to account for the scale and severity of the damage, new research warns.
“Researchers warn that governments and financial institutions are underestimating the threat because they rely on models that assume the impacts of the climate crisis will be gradual.
“The analysis finds that as global heating increases, climate damage is more likely to arrive through extreme weather, cascading disruptions and tipping points, rather than through slow, manageable changes to economic growth. These risks, the researchers say, are largely missing from the tools used to guide public policy and investment decisions.” – The Independent

January 30, 2026
Something Dark Is Growing on Greenland’s Ice. And Melting It Faster.
New studies show how algae grows on ice and snow, creating “dark zones” that exacerbate melting in the consequential region.
“On snow it’s green or red. On ice it’s a brownish gray. And it’s melting the frozen mass that encases Greenland faster and faster.
“As a warming climate eats away at the ice that covers most of the world’s largest island, algae blooms are speeding up that process, according to two new studies. Greenland is shedding hundreds of billions of tons of ice every year and raising sea levels as it does.” – New York Times

January 29, 2026
A breakthrough that turns exhaust CO2 into useful materials
“Scientists have created a device that captures carbon dioxide and transforms it into a useful chemical in a single step. The new electrode works with realistic exhaust gases rather than requiring purified CO2. It converts the captured gas into formic acid, which is used in energy and manufacturing. The system even functions at CO2 levels found in normal air.” – ScienceDaily

January 29, 2026
US leads record global surge in gas-fired power driven by AI demands, with big costs for the climate
Projects in development expected to grow global capacity by nearly 50% amid growing concern over impact on planet
“The US is leading a huge global surge in new gas-fired power generation that will cause a major leap in planet-heating emissions, with this record boom driven by the expansion of energy-hungry datacenters to service artificial intelligence, according to a new forecast.
“This year is set to shatter the annual record for new gas power additions around the world, with projects in development expected to grow existing global gas capacity by nearly 50%, a report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) found.
“The US is at the forefront of a global push for gas that is set to escalate over the next five years, after tripling its planned gas-fired capacity in 2025. Much of this new capacity will be devoted to the vast electricity needs of AI, with a third of the 252 gigawatts of gas power in development set to be situated on site at datacenters.
“All of this new gas energy is set to come at a significant cost to the climate, amid ongoing warnings from scientists that fossil fuels must be rapidly phased out to avoid disastrous global heating.” – The Guardian

January 21, 2026
The world’s mountains are warming faster than anyone expected
The world’s mountains are changing fast—and the water, weather, and ecosystems billions rely on are changing with them.
“Mountain regions around the world are heating up faster than the lands below them, triggering dramatic shifts in snow, rain, and water supply that could affect over a billion people. A major global review finds that rising temperatures are turning snowfall into rain, shrinking glaciers, and making mountain weather more extreme and unpredictable. These changes threaten water sources for huge populations, including those in China and India, while also increasing risks of floods, ecosystem collapse, and deadly weather events.” – ScienceDaily

January 20, 2026
Era of ‘global water bankruptcy’ is here, UN report says
Overuse and pollution must end urgently as no one knows when whole system might collapse, says expert
“The world has entered an era of ‘global water bankruptcy’ that is harming billions of people, a UN report has declared.
“The overuse and pollution of water must be tackled urgently, the report’s lead author said, because no one knew when the whole system could collapse, with implications for peace and social cohesion.
“All life depends on water but the report found many societies had long been using water faster than it could be replenished annually in rivers and soils, as well as over-exploiting or destroying long-term stores of water in aquifers and wetlands.
“This had led to water bankruptcy, the report said, with many human water systems past the point at which they could be restored to former levels. The climate crisis was exacerbating the problem by melting glaciers, which store water, and causing whiplashes between extremely dry and wet weather.” – The Guardian

January 17, 2026
Microplastics are undermining the ocean’s power to absorb carbon
“Tiny plastic particles drifting through the oceans may be quietly weakening one of Earth’s most powerful climate defenses. New research suggests microplastics are disrupting marine life that helps oceans absorb carbon dioxide, while also releasing greenhouse gases as they break down. By interfering with plankton, microbes, and natural carbon cycles, these pollutants reduce the ocean’s ability to regulate global temperatures.” – ScienceDaily

January 14, 2026
The ocean absorbed a stunning amount of heat in 2025
“Earth’s oceans reached their highest heat levels on record in 2025, absorbing vast amounts of excess energy from the atmosphere. This steady buildup has accelerated since the 1990s and is now driving stronger storms, heavier rainfall, and rising sea levels. While surface temperatures fluctuate year to year, the ocean’s long-term warming trend shows no sign of slowing.” – ScienceDaily

January 14, 2026
The World Is in the Midst of an ‘Extreme’ Temperature Spike
“Last year was the third hottest on record, according to an analysis of temperature data released Wednesday by three independent agencies. That puts 2025 just behind the second-hottest year, 2023, and the hottest, 2024.
“What makes this result extraordinary, scientists say, is that 2025 saw a cooling phase in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, or La Niña, that suppresses global temperatures. In other words: Heat from greenhouse gases countered that cooling influence enough that the year still landed among the very warmest.” – Bloomberg

January 14, 2026
Earth to breach 1.5C warming a decade early, scientists say
EU’s Copernicus observation service sees temperatures passing Paris goal by 2030
“Scientists believe irreversible changes to the planet will begin if temperatures over 1.5C are sustained over decades, endangering human health, food security, water supplies and economic growth.
“’To all intents and purposes, the 1.5C limit is now dead in the water,’ said Bill McGuire, professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London. ‘Whichever way you look at it, dangerous climate breakdown has arrived, but with little sign that the world is prepared, or even paying serious attention.’ – The Financial Times

January 9, 2026
Oceans are storing record heat, intensifying climate disasters
“The world’s oceans absorbed unprecedented amounts of heat in 2025, setting a new record and intensifying extreme weather events. Scientists report that oceans take up more than 90% of the heat trapped by human-caused carbon pollution, making ocean warming one of the clearest indicators of the accelerating climate crisis. This excess heat is fueling stronger hurricanes and typhoons, heavier rainfall and flooding, prolonged marine heatwaves that devastate ocean life, and rising sea levels through thermal expansion—threatening billions of people worldwide. Researchers warn that the oceans are likely hotter than at any point in at least 1,000 years and are warming faster than at any time in the past 2,000 years. Because the atmosphere is more affected by natural climate variability, scientists emphasize that “global warming is ocean warming”, and that ocean heat content provides the most reliable measure of how rapidly the planet is heating—until emissions fall to zero.” – The Guardian

January 8, 2026
India arrests prominent climate activist for campaigning against fossil fuels
Financial crimes agency raids Harjeet Singh’s home and office after accusing him of using foreign funds to promote an international green initiative
“Indian authorities raided a prominent climate activist’s home and office, accusing him of using foreign funding to campaign against fossil fuels in ways that could undermine the country’s energy security.
“Investigators searched properties linked to Harjeet Singh, a long-time climate campaigner, and his wife Jyoti Awasthi earlier this week. The couple are co-founders of Satat Sampada, an organisation that works on climate action, sustainable development, and organic farming….
“The initiative is an international campaign calling for a binding agreement to stop the expansion of new coal, oil and gas projects and to manage a gradual phaseout of fossil fuels. It is backed by several nations, including small island states, as well as the World Health Organisation and the European parliament.” – Independent