Climate in Crisis: Mother Nature’s Urgent Warnings and Escalating Disasters, Part 11 of a Multi-part Series

In our previous episodes, we learned that 2024 was the hottest year on record. It was also a year of unprecedented amounts of heavy rainfall and flooding. In July, a deadly landslide in Wayanad, Kerala, India, claimed 392 lives, forced thousands from their homes, and destroyed critical infrastructure. In November, in the Bulambuli District of eastern Uganda, at least 15 people died, and more than 100 others went missing after landslides buried homes in six villages.

In addition to weather disasters, global warming has other far-reaching consequences, such as the disruption of ocean currents. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a critical ocean current that regulates the climate for a significant part of the world. A recent study shows that because of rising temperatures, the AMOC could be on the verge of collapse. “And also, when the AMOC tips, it raises the sea level around large parts of the North Atlantic. And then what’s happening is it’s leaving heat behind in the Southern Ocean, so it’s risking bringing forward the tipping points for the Antarctic ice sheets.”

Other consequences of rising temperatures are extreme drought and wildfires. In January 2025, several wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area. At least 29 people were killed, while hundreds of thousands were forced to evacuate their homes. The devastation from the fires was almost unfathomable.

“Our planet is a house that is burning. If we don’t work together with a united spirit to put out the fire, we will not have a home anymore. One hundred percent of the world’s people must be vegan, soon, to save the planet.［…］”