Photographing trash, oil spills, or other unsightly scenes is not typically my goal, but often hard to avoid, much less ignore. In my travels, people often talk to me about climate change, volunteering their own experiences and opinions. Below is a log of significant climate and environmental events that I have collected. Sources of information include NOAA, Smithsonian, National Geographic, World Meteorological Organization, Nature, the journal of Science, and others.

March - A study from the National Academy of Sciences shows that microplastics inhibit photosynthesis in plants and algae worldwide, likely affecting crop production.

March - Good news: the eastern monarch butterfly population has increased in the forests in Mexico occupying over 4 acres, up from 2 acres last year. Forest conservation efforts in Central Mexico contributed to this winter's improvement. However, the long-term trend has been a decline in the population.

February - France bans forever chemicals known as PFAS or per-and polyfluoroalkyl. These chemicals do not break down in nature. Ill effects include higher risk of cancers, low birth weights, high cholesterol, and other negative effects on the human body. PFAS are not illegal in the United States, but in 2024 the EPA set guidelines for acceptable levels of PFAS in drinking water.

February - Heavy rains cause flooding in eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, and southwest Virginia. 14 confirmed deaths and widespread damage to bridges, roads, and structures. The same area in Kentucky was hit with a so-called 1000 year flood in July 2022.

February - Sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic is at record low levels this year, using data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Sea ice reflects sunlight back into the atmosphere rather than absorbing the energy.

February - Scientists say cities throughout the world have an increasing rat population because of climate change. In reviewing 200 global cities, the vast majority have an increasing rat population. Warmer weather extends the breeding season and allows more time for foraging. Rats carry pathogens that can infect humans, including leptospirosis.

February - Record-breaking rainfall in northern Queensland Australia is causing flooding. Meteorologists attribute the rains to higher water temperatures in the Coral Sea. The same area was affected by "100 year" floods in 2019.

January 2025 was the hottest globally on record, .09 Celsius (0.16 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than January 2024, which held the previous record.

January - The largest Tuberculosis outbreak in US history is underway in Kansas.

January - Scientists document the largest annual coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef, both from coral bleaching and a flesh-eating disease called black band. It is the largest annual die off since the 1980s. Coral reefs are home to diverse species and protect coasts from storms.

January - Bloomberg Philanthropies announces that it will meet the US financial obligations for the UNFCCC.

January - President Trump withdraws the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, joining Iran, Libya, and Yemen. This eliminates US funding for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

January - Los Angeles had the second driest summer (May-December) in history, setting conditions for the Palisades and other fires. The January fires were exacerbated by the unseasonal hot and dry conditions combined with unusually high winds.

2024 - China now has the ten largest solar generating stations in the world as they strive to be the technological leader in clean energy. The world's first solar power station was built in California in 1982.

2024 - The EU generated more energy from solar than coal for the first time. The EU also relies on nuclear, natural gas, wind, and hydro.

2024 was the warmest recorded year as measured globally, eclipsing 2023 which had been the warmest on record.

December 2024 - Phoenix had 113 consecutive days at or above 100 F in 2024, setting a new heat record.

September 2024 - 50,000 forest fires burn in Brazil this year as the Amazon experiences a severe drought.

September 2024 - California sues ExxonMobil claiming that many plastics marked for recycling cannot be recycled. Only 5% of plastics produced are currently recycled.

August 2024 - Dengue Fever locally-acquired cases reported in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. This and other tropical diseases are spreading to warming climates outside the equatorial habitat.

July 2024 - Hurricane Beryl becomes the earliest ever in the season to reach Category 5.

June 2024 - Pesticides and microplastics found in women's breastmilk.

May 2024 - Venezuela’s last glacier has melted away, and is now an ice field. A glacier moves; an ice field does not.

April 2024 - The Yup'ik village in Alaska was relocated because the permafrost it sits on has melted. The village has existed on the Ninglick River for centuries.

2023 was the hottest year on record, eclipsing 2021.

December 2023 - Iceland, Uruguay, and Costa Rica now generate at least 98% of their electricity through renewables like wind, hydro, geothermal, and solar. These countries were previously dependent on foreign supplies of coal and oil.

October 2023 - Hurricane Otis in the Pacific sets a record for the most rapid intensification from Tropical Storm to Category 5, attributed to warmer ocean temperatures.

September 2023 - Wildfires in Greece are the largest in the history of the European Union.

August 2023 - Canada had record-setting high temperatures in May and June 2023, which contributed to a record wildfire season over the summer.

August 2023 - Phoenix set new record for 26 consistent days over 110 F in July 2023

July 2023 - Water temperature hits 101 F in the Florida Keys, a record.

July 2023 - Deep winter in Antartica, but there is a lot less sea ice than usual. 1,000,000 square miles of water that would normally be ice is unfrozen. In winter, we expect Antarctica to basically double in size as the sea ice freezes around. This comes in a year of record air temperatures and record ocean temperatures.
Ice reflects light from the sun whereas ocean absorbs it. That makes the water even warmer and inhibits refreezing.

July 2023 - Water temperature hits 101 F in the Florida Keys, a record.

July 2023 - The Earth’s hottest single day on record occurs July 4th, according to European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

December 2022 - Cost of solar power has dropped 85% since 2010 while battery technology has improved 80% in just ten years.

December 2022 - The Keystone pipleline leaked this time in northern Kansas spilling an estimated 14,000 barrels of oil.