Temperatures Hotting Up, but Do We Care?
Climate forecast: the next five years
There’s an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will surpass 2024 as the warmest on record.
An 86% chance that at least one of the next five years will be more than 1.5°C above the 1850–1900 average.
A 70% chance that the five-year average (2025–2029) will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
“These are more than just statistics,” says the World Meteorological Organization.
Worried? Perhaps not.
Two important psychological trends are at play:
“Record-breaking temperatures”: Media outlets often lack the language or imagination to evolve their messaging. So even though weather events are now more extreme, the headlines can feel like old news.
“Finite pool of worry”: Psychologists at Duke University describe how our capacity to worry is limited and rationed. With modern media generating a constant stream of emotionally charged content, it can feel like we don’t have the bandwidth to care.
Let’s not forget: 1.5°C matters. It’s the threshold that world-leading scientists consider “catastrophic” for human life on Earth.
In my book Climate Calm: Seven Steps from Chaos to Inspired Solutions, I argue that urging people to worry more often leads to resistance and overwhelm.
The key is to process the information calmly and clearly, to understand what it means to you personally. Empowerment doesn’t come from denial, but from the deep acceptance of difficult truths.
Enabling meaningful, aligned action so that you can be proud of the footsteps you leave behind.
