‘…But this year’s will be a grimmer affair – by far. As recent reports have made clear, the world may no longer be hovering at the edge of destruction but has probably staggered beyond a crucial point of no return. Climate catastrophe is now looking inevitable. We have simply left it too late to hold rising global temperatures to under 1.5C and so prevent a future of drowned coasts, ruined coral reefs, spreading deserts and melted glaciers.

Source: Portrait of a planet on the verge of climate catastrophe | The Guardian

‘The negotiations will take place against a background of ominous news: the past four years have been the hottest on record and global emissions were rising again, when they need to fall by half by 2030. Climate action must be increased fivefold to limit warming to the 1.5C scientists advise, according to the UN.’

Source: ‘We are last generation that can stop climate change’ – UN summit | The Guardian

‘On Friday 30 November, young Australians from more than 200 schools around the nation put down their books and picked up their placards to demand better climate policies from their government.’

Source: Australian Kids Just Staged a Climate Change Protest – Check Out Their Epic Signs | sciencealert.com

‘Butte County’s Camp Fire not only claimed a staggering amount of lives and property, it spewed out a whole lot of greenhouse gases – about as much as all of California’s cars and trucks produce in a week, according to new state estimates.’

Source: Camp Fire’s climate toll: Greenhouse gases equal about a week of California auto emissions | San Francisco Chronicle

‘…One of his most important contributions is related to the recently released 4th National Climate Assessment. President Bush was a central figure in this activity. In fact, some have asked me why the Trump administration would release a report that the current president says he doesn’t believe. The short answer: It’s the law. George H.W. Bush’s Administration and the Congress of that time period deserve credit.’

Source: The Surprising Climate And Environmental Legacy Of President George H. W. Bush | Forbes

‘Trump officials are minimizing warnings from scientists by arguing they are exaggerated and based on the worst-case scenario. They say the National Climate Assessment (NCA) – an expansive federal government report on the dangers of climate change in the US – considers only the highest possible levels of greenhouse gas emissions.’

Source: Trump officials argue climate change warnings based on ‘worst-case scenario’ | The Nation