The stories in this week’s climate news reveal a single, uncomfortable truth: we are far more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than most of us care to admit. Our world is burning, flooding, drying, and breaking in ways that are no longer abstract or far away — we are in the midst of a clear and present danger, and a failure to act will have repercussions that are terrible to imagine.

At a book launch I attended this week, former Canadian environment minister Catherine McKenna put it this way:

Imagine this: your child is standing in the middle of the road, and a Mack truck is barreling toward them. Wouldn’t you do everything in your power to save them? Of course you would. There’d be no hesitation — you’d run into the street, scoop them up, and get them to safety.

Crossing the boundaries

If you have any doubt about the reality of that Mack truck, consider some of the stories that made the news this week.

A newly released scientific report warned this week that humanity has now crossed seven of the nine planetary boundaries — the environmental limits that define a safe operating space for life on Earth. Each boundary represents a system that keeps the planet stable — from biodiversity and freshwater cycles to the ozone layer and the climate itself. Crossing them means we are destabilizing the natural foundations that have supported human civilization for millennia.

The latest breach came as scientists confirmed that ocean acidification has reached dangerous new levels. Acidity in the oceans has increased by 30 to 40 percent since the start of the industrial era, pushing countless marine ecosystems beyond safe limits and weakening one of Earth’s great stabilizers: the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide. For generations, the seas have buffered us, drawing down roughly a third of the CO₂ we release. That capacity is now breaking down.

At the same time, the World Meteorological Organization just reported that atmospheric CO₂ levels have hit a record 425 parts per million — the highest in 800,000 years, and far above the 350 ppm scientists consider safe. Even more troubling, the rate of increase is accelerating: last year’s rise was the largest ever recorded.

For the past 11,700 years — essentially the whole span of human civilization — the Earth system has been remarkably stable. That stability is ending. Fossil fuel burning, deforestation, and industrial agriculture have pushed us beyond the limits of safety, undermining the very systems on which all life depends.

Feeling the consequences

If that’s how we are destabilizing the planet, this week also showed what that damage now looks like on the ground. The impacts of climate change are no longer distant or theoretical — they’re measurable, devastating, and accelerating.

In the United States, a new analysis by Climate Central found that in just the first six months of this year, 14 separate weather disasters each caused more than $1 billion in damages. Together, they cost $101 billion — more than in any other first half of a year since records began in 1980. Homes, businesses, highways, and livelihoods wiped away in a matter of months.

In Canada, the picture is equally sobering. Following the third consecutive year of record-setting wildfires, six national organizations have urged the federal government to boost wildfire-defence funding by $4.1 billion over five years, beginning with $820 million in 2026. That’s on top of the $1 billion Canada already spends annually fighting fires — and another $500 million in indirect costs.

Wildfire experts report that the frequency and severity of fires have quadrupled since the 1970s, with nearly 8 percent of Canada’s forests burned since 2023. A Corporate Knights analysis estimates that wildfires have caused more than $30 billion in economic losses over the past five years — not just in destroyed property, but in lost business and health-system costs. During the record-breaking 2023 season, 98 percent of Canadians were exposed to hazardous smoke. In Ontario alone, wildfire-related health damages topped $1 billion in a single week.

And while some regions burn, others dry out. This week, well-drilling companies in New Brunswick warned that prolonged droughts are leaving wells empty, forcing residents to drill deeper or haul water. Officials urged conservation, noting that groundwater recovery could take months or even years.

Together, these stories paint a single picture: the harm we’ve inflicted on the planet is circling back to us — in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the stability of the world we once took for granted.

Leaders without care

You’d think that those elected to lead us would show the same instinct to protect their citizens that any parent would for their child. Yet week after week, we hear from people in power whose words and actions do the opposite — downplaying danger, deflecting responsibility, and perpetuating harm.

Appearing before a parliamentary committee this week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was asked a simple question: Does she believe human activity is the main driver of climate change? Her answer: “I’m not a scientist.” Pressed further, she suggested that hydroelectric dams, not fossil fuels, might be the real problem.

This, from the leader of Canada’s most carbon-intensive province, who has pledged to reach “net zero by 2050” while simultaneously doubling Alberta’s oil and gas production over that same period.

It’s a goal that seems to align uncomfortably with the message from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s own appointee, Dawn Farrell, head of Canada’s new Major Projects Office. Farrell — the former President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Trans Mountain Corporation, the federal Crown corporation that owns and operates the Trans Mountain Pipeline- told the House of Commons environment committee that the pipeline has actually helped in the fight against climate change.

Her reasoning? “Most of the oil,” she claimed, “is cracked to make naphtha, which goes into petrochemicals, which goes into making electric cars, to electrify the grid in Asia.”

The statement, offered without evidence, is absurd. But the deeper issue is what it represents: a senior official, paid $700,000 a year to oversee Canada’s “nation-building” projects, using her platform to justify fossil-fuel expansion as climate progress.

When those entrusted with a duty of care — our premiers, our ministers, our public servants — use their platforms to distort reality or downplay risk, the damage isn’t just political. It’s personal.

We’ve grown used to it — the evasions, the false equivalencies, the “I’m not a scientist” shrugs. We shake our heads, dismiss it as ignorance, and move on. But we shouldn’t. Because these statements don’t just mislead — they harm us. They delay action in the face of a clear and present danger, and every delay carries a cost measured in lives, livelihoods, and the livability of our planet.

Call it what it is

In a powerful op-ed published this week, climate activist Zain Haq – who was controversially deported from Canada earlier this year for peaceful protest — put the issue in stark moral terms. With people dying around the world from the accelerating effects of climate change, he asked:

“At what point is the poisoning of our habitat going to be acknowledged as criminal negligence?”

In most countries, the law defines criminal negligence as the failure to exercise a duty of care that could have prevented harm. Haq offered a simple example: if someone lights a campfire during wildfire season, knowing the risks, they may not intend to cause harm, but by neglecting their duty of care, death or destruction can result, and the person can be held liable for their acts or failures to act.

Our governments, he argued, are guilty of a similar neglect. By failing to act decisively to protect citizens from the known dangers of climate change — and by promoting policies that deepen those dangers — they are breaching that same duty of care. “All of our governments,” Haq wrote, “have a duty of care to their citizens, and at the moment this duty is being neglected.”

We can no longer simply shake our heads when leaders make false or misleading statements about climate change. Their words cause harm. They delay action in the face of a clear and present danger. And when those in positions of public trust fail to protect us — or worse, mislead us — they must be held accountable.

More than a century ago, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wrote in a landmark 1919 U.S. Supreme Court decision that even free speech has limits when it poses a “clear and present danger” of harm. His example — that it is not acceptable to falsely shout “Fire!” in a crowded theatre — was meant to remind us that words can have real-world consequences.

The same principle applies today. Misinformation that downplays or delays climate action creates its own kind of clear and present danger. The truck is coming — and the people we have trusted to protect us are standing on the curb telling us not to worry about it.

A moment to act

In just over a week, Prime Minister Mark Carney will table his first federal budget — one expected to unveil his long-promised climate competitiveness strategy. In a sense, Carney now stands on the sidewalk, watching that same truck hurtling toward us — fully aware of the danger, and in a position to act.

The question is: will he? Will he shout the warning loud enough for the country to hear? Will he run into the street and pull us to safety? Or will he stand still, calculating the odds, as the moment passes and the damage becomes irreversible?

Our country is holding its breath.

Here are the other major climate stories from the week of October 20 to 26, 2025:

Canada Policy

With just over a week until Prime Minister Mark Carney unveils his 2025 budget — expected to outline his “climate competitiveness” strategy — Canadian climate coverage again centred on the pipeline debate and the country’s conflicting goals of expanding fossil fuels while protecting the climate.

• Major Projects Office can’t back up its boss’ claim Trans Mountain helps fight climate change – National Observer – October 21
• Canada, let’s stop doubling down on bad bets – National Observer – October 23
• Carney government could face legal challenges on climate – National Observer – October 10
• Canada needs strong climate policy to be competitive in countries beyond the U.S – Corporate Knights – October 20
• The pipeline ‘petrobloc’ is pressuring Carney to cave on Northern Gateway revival – National Observer – October 20
• The CO2 extractors: British Columbians are among world’s most aggressive – National Observer – October 18
• How One Pipeline Turned Canada Into a Global Energy Power – Oil Price.com – October 21
• Danielle Smith dodges climate science in parliament – National Observer – October 23
• Danielle Smith’s pipeline still doesn’t have a business case – National Observer – October 23
• Canada should include climate solutions in its defence spending – Corporate Knights – October 23

US Policy

Trump continued his support for the oil and gas industry this week by opening an Alaskan wildlife refuge to fossil fuel development. Meanwhile, U.S. ports and shipbuilders are feeling the economic fallout from his freeze on offshore wind projects.

• US reopens Alaska wildlife refuge to oil and gas development – Reuters – October 23
• US shipbuilders, ports take knock-on hit from Trump assault on offshore wind – Reuters

EU Policy

Not content to roll back climate policies at home, the U.S. government is now pressuring other countries to do the same — this week, urging the EU to weaken rules requiring companies to protect human rights and cut emissions or face hefty fines.

• US demands EU reverse new climate rules to allow surge in gas imports – The Guardian – October 22

COP

Europe is still struggling to agree on its 2040 emissions target ahead of COP, while scientists warn that 90% of detected methane leaks worldwide are being ignored.

• EU leaders to debate conditions for new emissions goal – Reuters – October 23
• Super-warming methane gas is being tackled too slowly, UN says ahead of COP30 – Reuters – October 22

Oil and Gas Sector

The push for a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty gained momentum this week as a major international coalition joined calls for a rapid shift away from oil and gas. Meanwhile, the EU confirmed it will end Russian gas imports by the end of 2027.

• International Coalition Joins Push for Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty: ‘We Cannot Protect Nature While Expanding Fossil Fuels’ – Inside Climate News – October 17
• EU agrees to gradually end Russian gas imports by January 1, 2028 – Reuters – October 20

Renewable Energy

China continues to dominate clean energy technology and innovate rapidly, while other countries struggle to address this emerging energy security risk.

• Europe’s offshore wind sector faces dilemma over China’s grip on sector – Reuters – October 23
• Chinese Firm Plans World’s Largest Wind Turbine as Rivals Flop – Bloomberg – October 21
• China’s Wind Industry Seeks Push to Double Capacity by 2030 – Bloomberg – October 20
• Batteries and solar help Central Europe shed fossil fuel reliance – Reuters – October 23

Carbon Capture

Critics highlighted the weak turnout and lack of progress at a major Canadian carbon capture conference — a sign of waning industry confidence. Meanwhile, enhanced rock weathering, a natural CO₂ removal method that can also boost crop yields, is gaining momentum.

• No Federal Ministers or Major Announcements at Leading Canadian Carbon Capture Expo – DeSmog – October 21
• What’s next for carbon removal? – MIT Technology Review – October 24
• The special sand farmers are using to fight climate change – National Observer – October 23

Carbon Pricing

The EU is moving to ease the consumer impact of its carbon pricing scheme amid concerns about unrest over rising costs.

• EU plans price controls for new carbon market – Reuters – October 22

Economic Impact

The first half of 2025 was the costliest on record for U.S. disasters, driven by massive wildfires in Los Angeles and severe storms nationwide. Meanwhile, the UK’s energy transition is creating so many jobs that employers are struggling to fill them.

• Climate disasters in first half of 2025 costliest ever on record, research shows – The Guardian – October 22
• UK launches drive to meet growing demand for clean energy workers – Reuters – October 18

Finance

Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund is maintaining pressure on the 8,500 companies it invests in to cut emissions to net zero by 2050.

• Norway’s wealth fund intensifies net zero emission pressure amid US climate rollback – Reuters – October 22

Business Emissions

A new report warns that while climate transition plans are vital to Canadian business success, 95% of companies are falling dangerously behind. Tech firms remain leaders in cutting emissions. Meanwhile, New Zealand is rolling back some corporate climate reporting rules, and IKEA was recognized for its world-leading climate commitments.

• Climate transition plans still critical despite other pressing risks: report – BNN Bloomberg – October 21
• Microsoft Signs New Deal to Capture Carbon in Rocks and Soil – ESG Today – October 21
• Meta Signs Purchase Deal with Green Steel Startup Electra to Address Carbon Footprint of Data Centers – ESG Today – October 22
• Google Adds Gas + Carbon Capture to Data Center Clean Energy Portfolio – ESG Today – October 24
• ‘‘Do the things that really matter’: Jesper Brodin honoured for leading IKEA’s green revolution – Reuters – October 22
• New Zealand eases climate-reporting rules to boost capital markets– Reuters – October 21

Legal Challenges

In a global first, 66 typhoon survivors are suing Shell in UK courts for damages from Typhoon Odette — the first civil case to directly link a fossil fuel company to deaths and injuries already suffered in the global south. In the U.S., states are increasingly suing oil companies for misleading the public about climate risks to protect profits, while in Canada, two B.C. First Nations are taking the federal government to court over its approval of a major LNG project on their traditional lands.

• Is Shell to blame for a ‘super typhoon’? Philippines survivors to sue oil giant in legal first – The Guardian – October 23
• Lawyer Behind Colorado Climate Suit Says the Quiet Part Out Loud: Litigation Is a Tax on Oil Companies and Consumers – National Review – October 20
• B.C. First Nations make legal challenges to huge Ksi Lisims LNG project – The Canadian Press – October 23

Greenwashing

A Paris court has ruled that TotalEnergies misled consumers with claims of being carbon neutral by 2050 and a leader in the energy transition — the first time a court has found an oil and gas company’s net-zero and transition narrative to be misleading and unlawful.

• French Court Rules TotalEnergies Misled Consumers with Climate Claims – ESG Today – October 23

Nuclear

Plans to build new small modular reactors at Ontario’s Darlington plant received a major boost this week, with federal and provincial governments pledging $3 billion — nearly half the project’s budget. Critics note the project depends heavily on U.S. suppliers, undermining Canada’s goal of reducing U.S. reliance. New Brunswick fears it’s falling behind in its own nuclear plans, while China continues to dominate global nuclear development.

• Feds, province to commit funding to Darlington nuclear project: sources – iPolitics.ca – October 22
• What are small modular reactors? Why Carney and Ford just pledged $3B for a mini nuclear plant – National Post – October 23
• Canada’s first ‘nation-building’ nuclear project relies on US suppliers – National Observer – October 23
• Carney’s Nuclear Detour: Darlington’s SMRs Will Raise Prices, Emissions, & Political Risks – CleanTechnica – October 25
• ‘Window closing on N.B.’: Ontario SMR project gets $3 billion – Telegraph Journal – October 23
• How China Raced Ahead of the U.S. on Nuclear Power – New York Times – October 23

Coal

Coal — the world’s most carbon-intensive energy source — remains stubbornly difficult to phase out despite widespread pledges to do so.

• Searching for income and despite environmental fears, Venezuela boosts coal output – Reuters – October 20
• Global use of coal hit record high in 2024 – The Guardian – October 22 

Electric Vehicles

Reports this week suggest Ford may soon launch a new line of more affordable EVs — a move that could accelerate EV adoption and energize the North American auto industry.

• Ford’s new ‘Model T’ moment is all about EVs – Corporate Knights – October 21

Air Travel

Sustainable aviation fuel — which could significantly cut air travel emissions but remains in short supply — got a boost this week as two major airlines announced plans to accelerate production facility development.

• Airbus, Cathay Invest $70 Million to Accelerate Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production – ESG Today – October 22

Climate Disasters

A new report shows humanity has crossed a seventh of nine planetary boundaries essential for life on Earth. In Canada, experts warn the country needs a plan to keep pharmacies operating amid escalating climate crises.

• Ocean Acidification: 7th Planetary Boundary Now Breached, Scientists Warn – Earth.org – October 13
• A great unravelling: carbon soars, nature falters – National Observer – October 17
• Climate disasters are shutting down pharmacies — are we ready for what comes next? – National Observer – October 22

Deforestation

Ahead of COP30, investors managing over $3 trillion are urging governments to halt and reverse deforestation and ecosystem loss by 2030.

• Investors managing $3 trillion in assets urge countries to stop deforestation – Reuters – October 20

Extreme Heat

A group of scientists warns that next year’s World Cup could be the most climate-damaging ever, with forecasts showing 14 of 16 host cities facing dangerous heat for players and fans — making midday conditions at many venues “virtually unplayable.”

• World Cup sends ‘dangerous message’ on climate – BBC.com – October 22

Climate Activism

In a powerful op-ed, a climate activist deported from Canada for peaceful protest argues that governments are negligent in failing to protect citizens from climate change — and urges the movement to stay focused on action over ideology.

• Climate change doesn’t care about our ideologies — they have no place in the fight against it – National Observer – October 19

Wildfires

Following record wildfires worldwide, experts are calling on governments to boost disaster budgets and firefighting capacity. In Canada, groups are urging $4.1 billion over five years for improved surveillance, equipment, and training.

• Massive wildfires are forcing governments worldwide to budget more for disaster – Corporate Knights – October 24
• Canadian groups call for dramatic increase to wildfire defence funding – Corporate Knights – October 22

Drought

An association of well-drilling companies in New Brunswick is sounding the alarm as prolonged droughts leave more wells running dry and urging residents to conserve water.

• Drought has dried many wells all over New Brunswick, groundwater association says – CBC – October 23