r/Environmentalism • • Nov 05 '25

The 2025 state of the climate report: a planet on the brink

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27 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • Sep 05 '26

On the likelihood and related consequences of a “blue ocean event” in the Arctic Ocean...

66 Upvotes

Annoyed at being called an “anti-science doomer,” I decided to sort through and present some quotes from academic literature about the likelihood of a “blue ocean event” (BOE) wherein the Arctic Ocean becomes ice-free during the summer. Additionally, I conclude with quotes from scientific articles about the severe, diverse, and under-recognized consequences of that BOE happening.

Previously, a BOE had not been expected until mid-century because overly-optimistic climate change models didn’t have us projected to reach the +1.5C to +1.9C threshold of warming (required to trigger the event) until much later. Unfortunately… the dramatic acceleration of global warming over the past decade (capped off by the current “Supersized” “Godzilla” El Nino) means that we will reach and breach that threshold for Arctic melting much sooner than previously expected.

The first ice-free day in the Arctic Ocean could occur before 2030

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To quantify the amount of warming that would cause the Arctic Ocean to become nearly ice free, we examine at which level of warming sea ice area drops below 1 × 106 km2. For the high-sensitivity observational estimate, we find that sea ice area in September drops below this threshold for about 1.7°C global warming. Considering the ensemble spread in sensitivities, we obtain a 95% confidence interval of 1.5°C to 1.9°C for the global warming at which September Arctic sea ice vanishes.

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Global average temperatures are likely to continue at or near record levels in the next five years, with Arctic temperature anomalies expected to continue to be higher than the global mean, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), produced by the UK’s Met Office.

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For the second consecutive year, winter sea ice in the Arctic reached a level that matches the lowest peak observed since satellite monitoring began in 1979.

The impacts of a BOE include...

Overall, we find a median additional global warming of 0.43 °C (interquartile range: 0.39−0.46 °C) at a CO2 concentration of 400 ppm. Most of this response (55%) is caused by albedo changes, but lapse rate together with water vapour (30%) and cloud feedbacks (15%) also contribute significantly. While a decay of the ice sheets would occur on centennial to millennial time scales, the Arctic might become ice-free during summer within the 21st century.

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This is equivalent to the effect of one trillion tons of CO2 emissions. These results suggest that the additional heating due to complete Arctic sea ice loss would hasten global warming by an estimated 25 years.

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We present evidence that material from the sea ice was indeed present in the water column and that this mechanism appears to be important in maintaining active populations of planktonic protists through the polar night. Our upscaling exercise based on observed ridge formation rates suggests that such release of food particles can supply extra energy during the polar night to the pelagic food web in the entire Arctic Ocean. It follows from this that the predicted ice-free summers in the Arctic Ocean due to global warming, may have implications for the protist community at the base of the food web, because the winter food reservoir in the sea ice will be very much reduced if there is no sea ice to accumulate it during the most productive summer period.

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Finally, we suggest that shifts in the phenology, distribution and biomass of sea ice primary production anticipated with declining seasonal sea ice will disrupt sympagic-pelagic-benthic coupling and consequently the structure and the functioning of the food web which is critical for Indigenous Peoples, commercial fisheries, and global biodiversity.

This collection of quotes (with links to to formal academic sources) represents the backbone of my broader general belief that ecological collapse (and therefore social & civilizational collapse) is likely within the next few years. Taken together, I believe that it paints a rather clear picture of what is shortly in store for the world. But, until that point, I hope this post can serve as a resource whenever related concerns about collapse are dismissed or denied as being alarmist or anti-science.

I do understand that the prognosis this post represents is grim. However... I am of the sort which believes that “the truth shall set you free,” and the prognosis is even more grim if people don’t widely understand the true nature and extent of the actual problems we are facing. You can’t fix a problem if you don’t recognize the problem. And if society doesn’t generally understand a problem... it will be more likely to obstruct any potential solution or proper response. Whether any viable solutions are possible or not... I think the truth affords people some dignity insofar as they don’t have to behave in ridiculous or counterproductive ways while the environment and society collapses around them.

Whether you intend to prevent the related ecological collapse, or if you’d rather just live more freely in these final years of human life on Earth... it is my hope that this document facilitates that.


r/Environmentalism • • 7h ago

Artificial mangrove roots offer a stopgap for Thailand’s eroding coastline

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65 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 12h ago

Climate Denialism: Are We Ignoring the Science or Protecting Our Comfort?

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47 Upvotes

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence, climate denialism continues. But why?

In this discussion, Acharya Prashant challenges common climate denial arguments using scientific data on rising CO₂ levels, natural warming cycles, fossil fuel emissions, and the economic consequences of climate change.

He also conducts a live experiment using ice, water, and temperature measurements to visually demonstrate glacial melting, rising water levels, and the dangers of sudden ice collapse and flooding.

His central argument goes deeper:

Climate denialism is an unwillingness to accept truths that threaten our desires, conveniences, and economic interests

The desires can only be tackled by approaching and understanding the central error creating those desires: the ego

We know what fossil fuels are doing to the planet, yet our lifestyles and economies remain deeply attached to them.

The environmental crisis isn't about what we don't know, it is about what we're unwilling to change despite knowing.

Can we truly address climate change without questioning the desires and consumption habits driving environmental destruction?


r/Environmentalism • • 23h ago

What climate action have you took ?

42 Upvotes

Like not just changing your own actions like , joining a environmentalist group , making a wildlife charity , contacting your mp etc etc , what have you done or want to do but just haven’t yet


r/Environmentalism • • 1d ago

Plastic isn't as inert as we'd thought: Everyday microplastics sitting in water spontaneously make reactive oxygen, a damaging chemical that makes proteins clump and burst red blood cells.

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227 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 1d ago

Need help reporting an illegal dump that heavily pollutes a pond and sounding area

26 Upvotes

I use to go to a farm and found out they have a dump on their property that leaks horse waste into the water bed, they also dump trash. I can't report it because Florida makes the reports public. Does anyone live in Florida that would be willing to file the report for me


r/Environmentalism • • 1d ago

Why We Should(n't) Geoengineer Our Planet

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16 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 2d ago

Trump says that 'wild animals' will eat locals in Montana if Democrats 'take away' guns

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998 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 3d ago

IPCC is under pressure to delay publication of key global climate report

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theguardian.com
98 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 3d ago

Reclamation — Brief Ecology

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12 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 4d ago

Scientists deploy a 24-armed secret weapon to save California’s kelp forests

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theguardian.com
128 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 5d ago

Donald Trump accused of 'pet vanity project' as federal judge urged to halt golf course plans after over 500 trees cut down

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themirror.com
1.8k Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 4d ago

New salmon farmers scheme condemned as “greenwashing opportunity”

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theferret.scot
68 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 4d ago

Extreme drought and heat from the last El Niño signal a 'new normal' for tropical forests

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58 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 5d ago

At 76, a retired Australian doctor restored 120 hectares of a 200-hectare property with thousands of native trees, turning a long-term conservation project into a legacy for future generations

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590 Upvotes

When Susan Downes bought an old farmhouse in York, Western Australia, she had imagined a quiet life in the countryside, with a small garden to look after. Instead, she found herself the owner of a 200-hectare property, including a hill where old native trees had survived more than a century of grazing but much of the vegetation beneath them had disappeared.

Nearly two decades later, the 76-year-old retired general practitioner has turned a substantial part of the land into a conservation project. About 120 hectares have been restored, around 45,000 native seedlings have been planted, and 45 plant species have returned naturally from seeds already present in the soil. As reported by The Guardian, Downes is now working to ensure that the work continues long after she is gone.

Downes was in her 60s, widowed and with her children grown up, when she began looking for a home in the countryside. The farmhouse in York appealed to her, but the size of the property initially seemed impractical. A second visit changed her mind. At the back of the farm, she discovered Mount Mackie, a 295-metre hill where ancient York gums and wandoos had survived about 150 years of grazing. Much of the understorey had vanished, leaving the old trees as some of the most visible remnants of the original landscape.

“I felt a great connection to the land,” Downes told The Guardian.

She decided to buy the property and began looking for ways to restore it. Her first step was to obtain a small local grant to control foxes and feral cats. She then secured funding for 24,000 trees over three years, giving her the means to begin planting on a larger scale. Downes had started her professional career as a botanist, but restoring a large property required more than an interest in plants.

The work involved managing invasive animals, removing weeds, planting seedlings and organising the practical details of a long-term conservation effort. Today, the restoration covers 120 hectares of her working farm. The return of 45 plant species through the soil's natural seed bank has also contributed to the recovery of the landscape.

For Downes, restoring the land is only part of the task. She also wants to ensure that the area cannot be cleared again in the future. She is working to place the restored land under a conservation covenant, a legal arrangement that can protect land from certain forms of development or clearing. The project is supported by Friends of Mt Mackie, a local volunteer group with a core team of about eight people and more than 80 others who take part in organised planting and seed-collection days. Downes has also been thinking about who will look after the property in the future.

The deaths and dementia diagnoses of friends have made her more conscious of how uncertain the time available to complete a long-term project can be.

She told The Guardian that she wants the arrangements for the land's future responsibility to be firmly established. Her hope is that her children and grandchildren will be inspired by the work, while the wider community will continue to have access to the place. The project also has a cultural dimension.

Ballardong women from York visit Mount Mackie several times a year for cultural healing sessions. Downes is working with Ballardong elders to find an Aboriginal name for the hill. Planning is also under way for a reconciliation event in 2030, marking 200 years since European arrival in the region.


r/Environmentalism • • 5d ago

Thousands urge EU for climate action at Brussels demonstration

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126 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 5d ago

They taking off the trees off ! What should I do?

64 Upvotes

Before, it was so beautiful, so many trees, and now they are taking it off ! It's not a road. it's a place people go to admire the beauty of nature ! What is wrong with those people! What can I do?


r/Environmentalism • • 5d ago

SIGN to defend UK nature from toxic chemical companies

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57 Upvotes

Hey, please can you sign this urgent petition. The nature and wildlife we all love: birds, bees, hedgehogs - are being silently poisoned by a group of powerful chemical companies making billions selling toxic pesticides and fertilisers. The UK government can stop this, but they’re failing to act, so we have to build enough pressure to force them to step up and save UK wildlife. It only takes 2 minutes. Thanks!


r/Environmentalism • • 5d ago

What happens when a Google data centre comes to town? Southern India is finding out | CBC News

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15 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 6d ago

Wilding West Chevington | Northumberland Wildlife Trust

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7 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 6d ago

OG-Brian breaks down the lies and the lying liars via the giant oil company’s own internal documents.

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82 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 7d ago

Trump claims he has Hurricane Isaias 'under control' despite over 600,000 left without power

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930 Upvotes

r/Environmentalism • • 7d ago

This is what it's like living next to SpaceX and Elon Musk

3.1k Upvotes

Save Boca Chica Beach: surfrider.org/campaigns/Save%20Boca%20Chica%20Beach

Here's a related petition: Stop the SpaceX Takeover of Texas Wildlife Refuge Land: change.org/p/stop-the-spacex-takeover-of-texas-wildlife-refuge-land

Video is Oct 7, 2026. Savannah Fortune reporting for More Perfect Union. Here it is on YouTube: THIS is what it's like living next to SpaceX and Elon Musk - More Perfect Union - Oct 7, 2026 (YouTube)

Description: Elon Musk has taken over the town of Brownsville, one of the poorest and economically disadvantaged communities in America. ~:~ This is what it looks like on the ground. ~:~ Video by: Savannah Fortune

More Perfect Union is an Emmy-winning, nonprofit newsroom whose mission is to build power for working people. Here’s what that means: We report on the real struggles and challenges of the working class from a working-class perspective. We attempt to connect those problems to potential solutions. We report on the abuses and wrongdoing of corporate power. And we seek to hold accountable the ultra-rich who have too much power over America’s political and economic systems.~:~ perfectunion.us ~:~ Donate: secure.actblue.com/donate/mpu-splash


r/Environmentalism • • 7d ago

Still wielding a chainsaw at 85: the Australians restoring nature in retirement

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68 Upvotes