Climate and environment updates: Wind and solar generated record amount of US electricity in 2025

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels surged by a record amount last year, reaching new highs and locking in further long-term warming for the planet, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

From 2023 to 2024, the global average concentration of CO2 rose by 3.5 parts per million (ppm), the most significant annual increase since modern measurements began in 1957.

The WMO said ongoing human emissions, heightened wildfire activity and weakened absorption by land and ocean carbon sinks drove the increase. The WMO warned that the factors that could trigger a vicious cycle in which rising temperatures further impair the planet’s ability to absorb excess CO2, accelerating climate change.

Carbon sinks absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit, removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and providing a net reduction in the heat-trapping greenhouse gas.

Since the 1960s, the growth rate of atmospheric CO2 has tripled, accelerating from an annual average increase of 0.8 parts per million to 2.4 parts per million per year between 2011 and 2020, according to the analysis. Concentrations of two other long-lived greenhouse gases linked to human activities, methane and nitrous oxide, also reached new record highs last year. Last year was the warmest on record for the planet, driven by a strong El Niño event.

CO2 levels tend to rise during El Niño years as the climate pattern promotes persistently warmer, drier conditions in regions such as Canada, the Amazon and southern Africa, often fueling devastating wildfires. These wildfires, along with drier vegetation, reduce the efficiency of land-based carbon sinks, allowing more CO2 to remain in the atmosphere.

“There is concern that terrestrial and ocean CO2 sinks are becoming less effective, which will increase the amount of CO2 that stays in the atmosphere, thereby accelerating global warming,” said Oksana Tarasova, a WMO senior scientific officer. “Sustained and strengthened greenhouse gas monitoring is critical to understanding these loops.”

The Arctic tundra, once a long-standing carbon sink, has already experienced significant shifts. After serving as a vital carbon sink for thousands of years, the vast region has become a source of carbon dioxide emissions due to rapidly rising temperatures and increased wildfire activity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Arctic region is warming significantly faster than the global average.

While global air and sea surface temperatures are currently falling short of new record highs, climate scientists warn this pause is unlikely to persist as human-caused greenhouse gas emissions continue to drive the long-term warming trend.

A short-term decline in global temperatures was expected due to the La Niña event in the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean, which ended in April. This climate pattern typically causes a temporary dip in average global temperatures. According to NOAA, La Niña conditions are now reemerging and are expected to persist into early 2026.

Because of its long lifetime in the atmosphere, present-day CO2 emissions not only impact global climate today but will continue to do so for hundreds of years, locking in intensifying effects for future generations.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck

Fifty years ago, when a major hurricane threatened land, meteorologists had limited forecasting tools available. The satellite data technology was basic, consisting of low-resolution, black-and-white images that were infrequently updated. This made it far more difficult to pinpoint a storm’s strength and potential impacts.

Then came the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) program. GOES, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this month, revolutionized weather forecasting by using state-of-the-art satellites that provide high-quality, real-time data that meteorologists use daily to monitor extreme weather. These satellites even serve as a backup to ground-based radar during outages, keeping forecasters informed when it matters most.

That redundancy proved critical in 2017 when Hurricane Maria knocked out radar in Puerto Rico just before making landfall. With this key data source offline, forecasters turned to newly available 30-second imagery from the GOES satellite to track the storm in real time, providing vital information during a life-threatening event.

"The greatest single advancement in observing tools for tropical meteorology was unquestionably the advent of the geosynchronous meteorological satellite," said Robert Sheets, the former director of NOAA's National Hurricane Center.

Geostationary satellites provide continuous, real-time observation of the same region on Earth. Because they orbit at the same rotational speed as the planet, they remain fixed over a single region, allowing meteorologists to monitor storm development, movement, and intensity with far greater precision.

Launched in 2016, the latest generation of GOES satellites, known as the GOES-R series, produces high-resolution rapid imaging and has the first lightning mapper flown in geostationary orbit. These satellites can monitor the entire Western Hemisphere, the U.S., and localized weather events simultaneously, with image updates ranging from every few minutes to as frequently as every 30 seconds, depending on the area and scope of observation.

That level of weather and climate insight wasn’t always possible. When NOAA launched its first geostationary satellite, GOES-1, on Oct. 16, 1975, it was a significant step forward, enabling day-and-night observations of cloud cover, surface temperatures, cloud heights, and wind patterns. However, it lacked the high-resolution, continuous data that today’s satellites provide, which are required for delivering the more accurate and detailed forecasts the public depends upon.

Operated by NOAA in partnership with NASA, the GOES program has evolved dramatically over the past five decades, reshaping how we observe Earth from space. Prior to NOAA’s formation in 1970, NASA led the development and launch of weather satellites, including the world’s first, TIROS-1, in 1960. On May 17, 1974, NASA launched SMS-1, the first operational satellite designed to observe meteorological conditions from geostationary orbit. Serving as a prototype for the GOES series, SMS-1 marked a turning point in satellite-based weather observation.

Over the last 50 years, the GOES program has tracked everything from major storms and destructive wildfires to volcanic ash clouds and solar activity. And it's become a critical tool for meteorologists, researchers and emergency managers as its high-quality, real-time data helps them make accurate weather observations and often life-saving decisions.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck

Last month was the third-warmest September on record globally, behind 2024 and 2023, according to new data analyzed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The planet’s average surface air temperature was around 61 degrees Fahrenheit.

While global air and sea surface temperatures are currently falling short of new record highs, climate scientists warn the pause in record-breaking warmth is unlikely to persist as human-caused greenhouse gas emissions continue to drive the long-term warming trend.

Scientists anticipated a short-term drop in global temperatures because of the La Niña event in the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean, which ended in April. This climate pattern typically causes a temporary dip in average global temperatures. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), La Niña conditions are likely to reemerge by the end of the year.

Global daily sea surface temperatures remained above average across much of the world’s oceans last month. Between the latitudes of 60 degrees south and 60 degrees north, the average global sea surface temperature was 69.29 degrees Fahrenheit, the third-highest value on record for September, according to Copernicus.

This includes much of the Atlantic Basin, where tropical activity increased during the second half of the month following a quiet start, as atmospheric conditions became more favorable for storm development. According to NOAA, these unusually warm sea surface temperatures are expected to continue playing a key role in tropical cyclone development for the remainder of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30.

Sea surface temperatures are also frequently above average in the polar regions, negatively impacting sea ice. Antarctic sea ice coverage was about 5% below average in September, ranking as the fourth-lowest value on record for the month. In the Arctic, it registered 12% below average, Copernicus said.

-ABC News meteorologist Dan Peck

Scientists from around the world are warning that more than 75% of the planet's health and life support systems, known as Planetary Boundaries, are in danger.

The 2025 Planetary Health Check report from the Planetary Boundaries Science Lab found that seven of the nine critical Earth system boundaries have been breached due to human activities.

These Planetary Boundaries were established by the lab as a way of measuring the planet's current health.

According to the report, ocean acidification – where the water's pH, a measure of its acidity or alkalinity, is lowered due to excess carbon dioxide - is the newest boundary broken and for the first time has reached dangerous levels.

"The ocean is becoming more acidic, oxygen levels are dropping and marine heatwaves are increasing," said Levke Caesar, co-lead of Planetary Boundaries Science Lab and one of the authors of the report.

The report found evidence of recent shell damage to marine life, attributed to increased ocean acidity, particularly in polar and coastal waters. The authors warn that this is due to increased levels of human-introduced carbon dioxide, which raises the risks for other marine life.

Caesar also stated that the ocean's acidification, combined with warming and loss of oxygen, will have "rippling" consequences that negatively impact food insecurity, global climate stability and human well-being.

"The Ocean is our planet's life-support system," commented Dr. Sylvia Earle, an oceanographer and member of the Planetary Guardians.

The report also warns that increasing ocean acidification can disrupt ocean currents that are important for regulating marine climate and global weather patterns, leading to more intense climate extremes and undermining agricultural stability.

"Today, acidification is a flashing red warning light on the dashboard of Earth's stability. Ignore it, and we risk collapsing the very foundation of our living world," added Dr. Earle.

The other six planetary health boundaries that have been crossed are climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater use, biogeochemical flows, land system change and novel entities, which is the safe limit for the production and release of chemicals, plastics and other synthetic substances.

The authors found that these six metrics of the planet's health are facing increasing pressures, suggesting that further deterioration and destabilization of the Earth's health could come soon.

"We are witnessing widespread decline in the health of our planet," said Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. "But this is not an inevitable outcome… Even if the diagnosis is dire, the window of cure is still open. Failure is not inevitable; failure is a choice. A choice that must and can be avoided," Rockström added.

Only Ozone Depletion and Aerosol Loading, which measure the global air quality and the planet's ability to protect from harmful sunlight, remain within safe limits and show some signs of improvement.

-ABC News meteorologist Kyle David Reiman