{"id":422975,"date":"2026-01-24T19:23:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T18:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=422975"},"modified":"2026-01-24T19:33:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T18:33:13","slug":"wrong-mainstream-media-a-brief-1-4c-global-temperature-spike-isnt-evidence-of-climate-doom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=422975","title":{"rendered":"Wrong, Mainstream Media, A Brief 1.4\u00b0C Global Temperature Spike Isn\u2019t Evidence of \u2018Climate Doom\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"398\" data-attachment-id=\"422987\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=422987\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?fit=1436%2C791&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1436,791\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?fit=723%2C398&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?resize=723%2C398&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A stylized depiction of a fiery Earth emerging from water with dramatic orange and yellow hues, symbolizing urgency and climate change.\" class=\"wp-image-422987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?resize=1024%2C564&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?resize=300%2C165&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?resize=768%2C423&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?resize=640%2C353&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?resize=1200%2C661&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?w=1436&amp;ssl=1 1436w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">From The <a href=\"https:\/\/climaterealism.com\/2026\/01\/no-politico-a-brief-1-4c-global-temperature-spike-isnt-climate-doom\/\">Climate Realism<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/climaterealism.com\/author\/awatts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Anthony Watts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"292\" data-attachment-id=\"422977\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=422977\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?fit=1508%2C608&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1508,608\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?fit=723%2C292&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?resize=723%2C292&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screenshot of two news articles on climate change, one from NPR discussing a warm year and the other from Politico reporting on global warming hitting 1.4C, with the overlay text 'FALSE CONCLUSIONS'.\" class=\"wp-image-422977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?resize=1024%2C413&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?resize=300%2C121&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?resize=768%2C310&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?resize=640%2C258&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?resize=1200%2C484&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?w=1508&amp;ssl=1 1508w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-439.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Several media outlets including National Public Radio (NPR) and Politico recently\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?5&amp;q=climate+change+2025+copernicus+news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">published stories lamenting \u201cwarnings\u201d from climate scientists about the current state of global temperature.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Politico published \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/global-warming-1-4-celsius-climate-change-copernicus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Global warming reaches 1.4C after third-hottest year on record<\/a>,\u201d by Zia Weise, while NPR posted\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/01\/14\/g-s1-105993\/global-warming-speeding-up-2025-heat-record-climate-change\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cScientists call another near-record hot year a \u2018warning shot\u2019 from a shifting climate.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Both of these articles claim that the planet has effectively reached 1.4\u00b0C of warming above pre-industrial levels, with temperatures on the Earth accelerating along an unavoidable path toward breaching the Paris Agreement\u2019s 1.5\u00b0C target, which will result in escalating risks and looming \u201ctipping points.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">While the data does demonstrate this spike in temperature, the framing of both articles is highly misleading, leading to a false conclusion not supported by other temperature datasets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The Politico article states that \u201caverage global temperatures are now around 1.4C higher than during the pre-industrial era,\u201d and warns that \u201cpassing 1.5C risks triggering so-called tipping points,\u201d citing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/climate.copernicus.eu\/global-climate-highlights-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Copernicus Climate Change Service data<\/a>&nbsp;and some comments from scientists suggesting that overshoot is now inevitable. It treats the 1.4\u00b0C figure as both climatically decisive and globally unprecedented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The NPR article goes even further saying,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Rising global temperatures intensify heat waves and other extreme weather, endangering people and causing billions of dollars in damage. The weather monitoring teams warn that the 2025 temperature increase is a dangerous sign of worsening storms, heat, floods and fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead of the Copernicus service, said the overwhelming culprit is clear: the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cClimate change is happening. It\u2019s here. It\u2019s impacting everyone all around the world and it\u2019s our fault,\u201d Burgess told The Associated Press.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">What these outlets fail to tell readers is that Europe, with the longest and densest instrumental temperature records in the world, has already significantly exceeded 1.4\u00b0C of warming without experiencing the cascade of irreversible impacts long predicted at or near that threshold. See Figure 1 below.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"468\" height=\"357\" data-attachment-id=\"422980\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=422980\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-441.png?fit=468%2C357&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"468,357\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-441.png?fit=468%2C357&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-441.png?resize=468%2C357&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Graph showing mean surface temperature in Europe from 1750 to 2000, including 10-year moving average (red line) and 12-month moving average, with a highlighted mean temperature of 9\u00b0C and a 2.0\u00b0C increase.\" class=\"wp-image-422980\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-441.png?w=468&amp;ssl=1 468w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-441.png?resize=300%2C229&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 1. Berkeley Earth average European temperature showing a 2.0\u00b0C rise since about 1820. Source: <a href=\"http:\/\/berkeleyearth.lbl.gov\/regions\/europe\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/berkeleyearth.lbl.gov\/regions\/europe<\/a> Annotated by Anthony Watts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Long before recent headlines, European temperature series showed regional warming above global averages, yet society, infrastructure, agriculture, and public health have all continued to improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The notion that 1.4\u00b0C or even brief excursions above 1.5\u00b0C represent a physical cliff is not supported by observational evidence. As\u00a0<em>Climate at a Glance<\/em>\u00a0explains in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/climateataglance.com\/climate-at-a-glance-tipping-point-1-5-degrees-celsius-warming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cTipping Point: 1.5 Degrees Celsius Warming,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0the 1.5\u00b0C number was a politically selected policy target, not a scientifically established threshold beyond which the climate system abruptly destabilizes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, there is no evidence or data indicating any dangerous impacts from exceeding 1.5\u2103 or even 2.0\u2103 of warming above pre-industrial levels. Global average temperatures have been higher in the past during periods when human civilization flourished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The article also glosses over a major short-term driver of the recent temperature spike: the January 2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esa.int\/Applications\/Observing_the_Earth\/FutureEO\/Aeolus\/Looking_back_at_the_eruption_that_shook_the_world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hunga Tonga\u2013Hunga Ha\u02bbapai volcanic eruption<\/a>, which\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/research.noaa.gov\/hunga-tonga-2022-eruption\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">injected an unprecedented amount of water vapor directly into the stratosphere<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Water vapor is the most potent greenhouse gas, and multiple studies have noted that this injection temporarily increased Earth\u2019s radiative forcing, contributing to unusually warm global temperatures in 2023\u20132025.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Climate Realism<\/em>\u00a0has documented this effect and the media\u2019s failure to account for it in coverage collected under\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/climaterealism.com\/?s=Hunga+Tonga\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">its reporting on the Hunga Tonga eruption<\/a>. As the excess stratospheric water vapor gradually dissipates, its warming influence is expected to decline, undermining claims that recent warming represents a new, permanent baseline driven solely by CO\u2082.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">This is highly evident in Figure 2 below, with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.drroyspencer.com\/2026\/01\/uah-v6-1-global-temperature-update-for-december-2025-0-30-deg-c\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accurate UAH satellite record<\/a>&nbsp;showing the plunge clearly falling from a peak in early 2024, to end the year 2025 at just 0.3\u00b0C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"325\" data-attachment-id=\"422982\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=422982\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?fit=2560%2C1152&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1152\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?fit=723%2C325&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?resize=723%2C325&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A line graph depicting the UAH satellite-based temperature departures of the global lower atmosphere from the 1991-2020 average in degrees Celsius, spanning from 1979 to 2026. The graph features blue data points representing monthly temperature deviations and a red line indicating the running centered 13-month average. An annotation highlights the temperature departure for December 2025 as +0.30 deg. C.\" class=\"wp-image-422982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?resize=1024%2C461&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?resize=300%2C135&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?resize=768%2C346&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?resize=1536%2C691&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?resize=2048%2C922&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?resize=640%2C288&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?resize=1200%2C540&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-442.png?w=2169&amp;ssl=1 2169w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Figure 2. The Version 6.1 global area-averaged linear temperature trend (January 1979 through December 2025) remains at +0.16 deg\/ C\/decade (+0.22 C\/decade over land, +0.13 C\/decade over oceans). Source: Dr. Roy Spencer, University of Alabama, Huntsville.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Politico\/NPR\u2019s heavy reliance on Copernicus data also deserves scrutiny. Copernicus\u2019 flagship ERA5 temperature product is not a simple thermometer-based record. It is a reanalysis, combining sparse and uneven observations with climate models to infill vast regions of the globe, especially oceans and polar areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Climate Realism<\/em>\u00a0has repeatedly pointed out that reanalysis datasets are model-heavy reconstructions, not direct measurements, and can amplify warming signals depending on model assumptions, a problem discussed across articles indexed at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/climaterealism.com\/?s=Copernicus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Climate Realism<\/em>\u2019s coverage of Copernicus and reanalysis datasets<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Treating such outputs as precise, definitive indicators of long-term climate thresholds gives readers a false impression of precision and certainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The article further implies that each additional tenth of a degree inevitably brings more danger, yet it offers little observational evidence to support that claim. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change\u2019s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), while often invoked rhetorically, is far more cautious in its actual findings, assigning low confidence to many asserted global trends in extremes and emphasizing regional variability and uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"> Long-term outcomes that matter most to people tell a different story.\u00a0<em>Climate at a Glance<\/em>\u00a0shows in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/climateataglance.com\/climate-at-a-glance-deaths-from-extreme-weather\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cDeaths from Extreme Weather\u201d<\/a>\u00a0that climate-related mortality has declined dramatically over the past century, even as temperatures have risen. That reality is difficult to reconcile with claims that the world is now entering an unprecedented danger zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">What Politico\/NPR ultimately present is a narrative built on short-term averages, model-influenced datasets, and policy-driven thresholds, while ignoring historical context, natural variability, and known transient factors such as volcanic water vapor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Briefly touching or approaching 1.4\u00b0C or even 1.5\u00b0C does not validate years of dire predictions, especially when those predictions have repeatedly failed to materialize in regions that have already experienced comparable warming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">By portraying a model-reconstructed temperature figure as proof that the world is on the brink of irreversible climate danger, both Politico and NPR are grossly misleading their readers by flatly misrepresenting the evidence about the true state of the climate based upon real-world data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Europe has already passed the threshold portrayed by NPR and Politico as tipping points for disaster and yet no catastrophic consequences have resulted. The recent spike in warming has identifiable short-term contributors and is now fading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The Copernicus temperature reanalysis are fictions of computer models, not direct measurements of temperature. With regards to the recent spike in temperature and \u201ctipping points,\u201d the mainstream media\u2019s climate doom narrative is long on rhetoric, and short on proof \u2013 unsurprisingly, since hard data and historical evidence refutes claims of disaster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several media outlets including National Public Radio (NPR) and Politico recently published stories lamenting \u201cwarnings\u201d from climate scientists about the current state of global temperature. Politico published \u201cGlobal warming reaches 1.4C after third-hottest year on record,\u201d by Zia Weise, while NPR posted \u201cScientists call another near-record hot year a \u2018warning shot\u2019 from a shifting climate.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":422987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"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.VnIxiL06yXsCpTjH_TXuTPNQnWm97AQ9pgUw-snFlUAMQ"},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691829997,691818056,691819743,691819102,691818514,691818087,691840917,691823164,691824770,691820424,691820106],"class_list":["post-422975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-carbon-dioxide-co","tag-climate-change","tag-climate-propaganda","tag-computer-models","tag-extreme-weather","tag-global-warming","tag-model-influenced-datasets","tag-national-public-radio-npr","tag-politico","tag-temperatures","tag-tipping-points","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AQPxogAc74LLoka44Y6LJz3BPU2ouMFh-dH4ydcFErjU4kQ2chiV3AO0nXqbm3NF_67-nalaa22WnmC8U0GcM8sldmhQHJX-BxSmKaMk9Rrtypp2UIx2lZAQcvhes72V.jpeg?fit=1436%2C791&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1M2b","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":418336,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=418336","url_meta":{"origin":422975,"position":0},"title":"No, NPR, CBS, and NBC, Climate Change Isn\u2019t a Proven Cause of Arctic Warming","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/23\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"National Public Radio (NPR) recently published an article titled \u201cOrange rivers and melting glaciers: federal report shows rapid change in the Arctic.\u201d Simultaneously, CBS News published \u201cArctic temperatures increasing at over double the global rate since 2006, NOAA report says,\u201d while NBC News published \u201cArctic is again the hottest it\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Arctic sea ice trends\"","block_context":{"text":"Arctic sea ice trends","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arctic-sea-ice-trends"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OIGP.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OIGP.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OIGP.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OIGP.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":425886,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=425886","url_meta":{"origin":422975,"position":1},"title":"Climate Fact-Check January 2026","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/12\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"This compilation serves as a fact check on the top false claims made\u00a0about climate change by the media in January 2026.\u00a0 Global warming did NOT \u2018supercharge\u2019 winter storm \u2013 Pacific islands are NOT disappearing \u2013 Climate Change is NOT fueling both hot & cold extremes \u2013 Cherry Crops are just\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Cherry Crops\"","block_context":{"text":"Cherry Crops","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=cherry-crops"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0fact-check-2026-jan.png?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0fact-check-2026-jan.png?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0fact-check-2026-jan.png?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0fact-check-2026-jan.png?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, 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The need for reliable, accurate reporting that goes beyond simplistic narratives to encompass the complex reality of our climate, and scientific issues in general, has never been more important.","rel":"","context":"In \"brainwashing\"","block_context":{"text":"brainwashing","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=brainwashing"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0Steele-twitter-screenshot-2023-06-05-120506.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0Steele-twitter-screenshot-2023-06-05-120506.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0Steele-twitter-screenshot-2023-06-05-120506.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":436025,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=436025","url_meta":{"origin":422975,"position":3},"title":"No, NPR, Climate Change Didn\u2019t Cause the Recent Heatwave","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/31\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"National Public Radio (NPR) recently posted an interview, titled \u201cHow climate change has powered the heat wave blanketing much of the U.S.\u201d claiming the recent March heat dome is something that \u201chas not happened to this level before\u201d and that climate change is the reason record highs are outpacing record\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"1930s Dust Bowl\"","block_context":{"text":"1930s Dust Bowl","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=1930s-dust-bowl"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/OIG-55.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/OIG-55.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/OIG-55.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/OIG-55.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":411226,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=411226","url_meta":{"origin":422975,"position":4},"title":"Hiding the Endangerment Finding\u2019s Systemic Biases \u2013 Politico\u2019s Failed Attack on DOE\u2019s Climate Science Report-Part 2","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/01\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The\u00a0Politico\u00a0reporters claim the DOE report \u201ccherry-picks mainstream research and omits context,\u201d \u201crelies on outdated studies,\u201d \u201ccites analyses that were not peer reviewed,\u201d and \u201crevives debunked arguments.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"1930s Dust Bowl\"","block_context":{"text":"1930s Dust Bowl","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=1930s-dust-bowl"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AQMEJ8xQofCYRvfhGcC6Mcv2PtJISsQ6u-X1L3PyzD5dge-wHNEdkKhnVpmlhU0Vg1YLGf4fEbIfYbJUqED32sswO4vXHrSOoJWYaZX0wXmXSx70epLQsHB61TJSa5qb.jpeg?fit=1000%2C608&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AQMEJ8xQofCYRvfhGcC6Mcv2PtJISsQ6u-X1L3PyzD5dge-wHNEdkKhnVpmlhU0Vg1YLGf4fEbIfYbJUqED32sswO4vXHrSOoJWYaZX0wXmXSx70epLQsHB61TJSa5qb.jpeg?fit=1000%2C608&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AQMEJ8xQofCYRvfhGcC6Mcv2PtJISsQ6u-X1L3PyzD5dge-wHNEdkKhnVpmlhU0Vg1YLGf4fEbIfYbJUqED32sswO4vXHrSOoJWYaZX0wXmXSx70epLQsHB61TJSa5qb.jpeg?fit=1000%2C608&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AQMEJ8xQofCYRvfhGcC6Mcv2PtJISsQ6u-X1L3PyzD5dge-wHNEdkKhnVpmlhU0Vg1YLGf4fEbIfYbJUqED32sswO4vXHrSOoJWYaZX0wXmXSx70epLQsHB61TJSa5qb.jpeg?fit=1000%2C608&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":259739,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=259739","url_meta":{"origin":422975,"position":5},"title":"Jim Steele Corrects NPR: Setting the Record Straight on Climate Narratives","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/30\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Jim Steele does not disappoint on correcting the constant dissemination of climate misinformation. Today, his ire has been directed towards NPR\u2019s report attributing the destructive fire in Denton, Montana in December 2021 to climate change. Professor Jim Steele, an acclaimed geologist and ecologist, perfectly dissected the issue in a tweet,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0FxT3t2eaYAIwfl6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0FxT3t2eaYAIwfl6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0FxT3t2eaYAIwfl6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C360&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0FxT3t2eaYAIwfl6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C360&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0FxT3t2eaYAIwfl6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C360&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=422975"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":422989,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422975\/revisions\/422989"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/422987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=422975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=422975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=422975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}