AccuWeather Vice President of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin and AccuWeather Climate Expert Brett Anderson discuss the top headlines related to climate change in the September 27 edition of Climate In The News.

A recent study, highlighted by AccuWeather, examines Earth's climate history over the last 500 million years, a period known as the Animal Age. The research, based on hundreds of thousands of data points, reveals that Earth's average temperature has fluctuated dramatically, with periods much warmer and colder than today. These temperature changes have closely tracked shifts in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, which are identified as the primary driver of long-term climate trends.

The study finds that the current rate of CO2 increase is about ten times faster than any previously recorded in Earth's history. The last time CO2 levels were this high was around three million years ago, when global temperatures were significantly warmer. Scientists express concern that the rapid pace of change is unprecedented, leaving no historical analog for comparison and raising questions about the ability of humans and other species to adapt.

Climate extremes are a hallmark of the Animal Age

Today we're looking back in time on climate in the news. We typically look many years in the future. Today we'll focus on a study that looks at the last half a billion years, Brett, from Quantum Magazine. They looked at a study recently done that pieced together hundreds of thousands of data points about what the temperature has been on Earth over the last half a billion years, which is when animals have lived. Seems like a long time, and it is in human time scale, but it's actually quite a short time period in geological time scale. What else did they find when they looked at this huge temperature record? Well, the Earth has been 36 degrees Fahrenheit, on average, warmer than it is today. Way back in the past, it got that hot, but it's also gotten pretty chilly, 11 degrees colder than what it is today. So a big swing in temperature there, but again, over millions and millions of years. And so these are very large time scales we typically talk about on this show, more of like next hundred years, next thousand years. In this case, we're talking about the previous hundreds of millions of years, so significantly longer time scales. What causes these temperature swings over this time period? Well, CO2 is basically the main driver here. It's always, global temperatures always moved in lockstep with the changes in atmospheric CO2, so that's the big driver there. Also changes in the sun, but that's predictable. The CO2 changes, not as predictable, especially what's going on today. And today, the rate at which the CO2 carbon dioxide is increasing is really the concern. In fact, the rate at which CO2 is increasing is 10 times faster than anything that we've seen in history. So that is a serious concern. Yeah, absolutely. Three million years ago, that's about the last time we had atmospheric CO2 levels this high, and temperatures were about three to six degrees Fahrenheit higher than they are today. And again, we've thrown in all the CO2 in such a short period of time compared to what it was way back in the past. Yeah, in fact, the last time that we saw, or even was close to seeing CO2 levels increase to the rate they are, and it was still less than today, it was back 250 million years ago, right before a mass extinction event known as the Permian mass extinction that preceded the dinosaur age, right after that. So this study also really looked at the vulnerability as well of how humans are to climate change. And in fact, we are living in a relatively cool part of the entire last half a billion years. Yeah, we are, no doubt about that. But it tells you how hot this planet can get. And with the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere already higher than they have been 800,000 years, you have to worry about that. Again, we don't have any analog to look back and see what happened, because the rate of change, as you mentioned, is unprecedented. So we're really sort of performing an experiment here in real time that we don't have any proxy to look back to. I guess, as we look forward to the future, the Earth system does tend to balance itself out though, right? Yeah, the Earth is a very good thermostat. So yes, we could throw all the CO2 into the atmosphere and we're gonna warm a lot, no doubt about that. But eventually, perhaps tens of thousands of years from now, things may start to balance out and we cool down again. But that doesn't mean though that we as humans or other animals would be adapted to living on such a warm planet. So that is the serious concern. For other information about climate, other stories, you can find that at accuweather.com slash climate.

UN sanctions are set to be reimposed on Iran on Saturday - after a failed bid by Russia and China to delay them. Only four countries voted in favour of the draft resolution.

New York

Middle East Conflict

UN set to reimpose sanctions on Iran on Saturday

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released more files turned over by the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Washington County

House Democrats release more Epstein files

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wore a QR code at the U.N. General Assembly linking to images of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack as Western nations move to recognize Palestine. Dozens of delegates walked out in protest.

Dozens of delegates walk out as Netanyahu speaks at U.N.

A court on Thursday (September 25) sentenced former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison over a scheme for late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to fund his 2007 presidential run.

Paris

Former French president Sarkozy sentenced to five years in prison

The U.S. Justice Department filed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday (September 25), in a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump's retribution campaign against his political enemies.

Washington

Former FBI chief James Comey charged

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday new tariffs set to take effect next Wednesday, including a 100% tariff on pharmaceutical drugs. There will also be tariffs on a broad range of imported goods, such as kitchen cabinets, some furniture and trucks.

Global Tariffs

U.S. to impose new tariffs on pharmaceuticals, some furniture, trucks

US President Donald Trump has hosted his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House. The two leaders discussed Türkiye's long-disputed F-35 fighter jets, trade and energy ties as well as regional matters.

Istanbul

Trump hosts Erdogan as U.S. considers lifting ban on F-35 sales

Danish officials say a series of drone incursions they’re calling hybrid attacks at airports were carried out by ‘professional actors,’ and some analysts are pointing to Russia as a culprit. Russia has denied involvement.

Copenhagen

Russia denies involvement in drone flyovers at Danish airports

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has summoned hundreds of senior military officials to Virginia for an urgent gathering. The pentagon has provided very little details about the purpose of this meeting.

Quantico

Hegseth calls rare meeting of hundreds of senior military officers

Spain and Italy have sent naval vessels into the eastern Mediterranean to escort a flotilla of activists trying to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. It’s a move that could set up tensions at sea and comes after the convoy says it was attacked by drones.

Madrid

Spain, Italy send navies to escort Gaza aid flotilla

Federal agents in Washington state have seized more than 50,000 counterfeit pills laced with carfentanil, a drug said to be 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

Centralia

Feds seize 50,000 pills laced with drug 100 times stronger than fentanyl

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the United Nations General Assembly virtually after the U.S. revoked visas for him and members of his delegation. CBS News' Olivia Gazis reports.

Mahmoud Abbas promises no Hamas in post-war Gaza government

The widow of one of the 60 passengers aboard the American Airlines regional jet involved in the deadly midair collision near D.C. in January has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against American Airlines, the FAA and the U.S. Army.

D.C. midair collision victim's family sues airline, FAA and Army

China led several countries in announcing new climate plans on Wednesday and offered a veiled rebuke of the U.S. president's anti-climate rhetoric a day earlier at the U.N. General Assembly.

Beijing

China sets new emissions goals after Trump rejects climate change

World leaders have launched an initiative, “Democracy Now,” on the sidelines of the UNGA to counter far-right extremism and defend multilateralism. As the UN faces skepticism, a new initiative by Brazil, Spain, Chile, Uruguay, and Colombia is gaining support among member states.

Leaders at the U.N. push reforms to counter authoritarian rise

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. The meeting came a day after President Trump appeared to soften his language on the Ukraine war, raising questions about U.S. policy direction.

Manhattan

Ukraine Invasion

Rubio meets Russia's Lavrov after Trump shifts tone on Ukraine war

The family of one of the 67 people killed earlier this year when an American Airlines plane and a  U.S. Army helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit against the government and the airline.

Widow of D.C. plane crash victim sues American Airlines, federal gov.

The new Paramount+ documentary "Bodyguard of Lies" highlights the efforts across four presidential administrations to conceal the challenges the U.S. faced during the Afghanistan

New documentary uncovers gov. deception during Afghanistan War

In his address to the U.N. General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia wants to expand the war beyond Ukraine.

Putin wants to expand war beyond Ukraine, Zelenskyy warns U.N.

The Trump administration is rehiring hundreds of federal employees who were laid off during cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. CBS News' Olivia Rinaldi has more details.

Trump administration rehires hundreds laid off during DOGE cuts

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces up to 10 years in prison if a Paris court convicts him of secretly using funds from the Libyan government of late dictator Moammar Gadhafi to finance his presidential campaign in 2007.

Ex-French President Sarkozy awaits verdict in trial

An international aid flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza said on Wednesday (September 24) it was attacked overnight by drones in international waters off Greece, prompting Italy to send a navy ship to come to its assistance.

Italy sends navy ship to help Gaza aid flotilla after drone attack

At least three people were shot at a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Wednesday morning, officials said. One victim was killed, while two others are injured. The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Dallas

Three people shot at ICE facility in Dallas, officials say

The U.S. has long argued China should give up the developing-country status because it is the world’s second-largest economy.

China gives up WTO developing-country status as tariff tensions linger

U.S. President Donald Trump reversed his stance on the Ukraine war after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN General Assembly, now expressing confidence that Ukraine can reclaim all its territory.

Trump reverses stance on Ukraine after meeting with Zelenskyy

After a six-day suspension, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel broke down in tears during his return to TV with a monologue focused on the importance of the maintaining the right to free speech while still poking fun at the Trump administration.

Los Angeles

Jimmy Kimmel makes emotional return with monologue about free speech

Typhoon Ragasa, the world's most powerful tropical cyclone this year, struck the southern Chinese city of Yangjiang on Wednesday after lashing Taiwan and Hong Kong with ferocious winds and heavy rains.

Yangjiang

Typhoon Ragasa lashes Hong Kong, Taiwan, southern China

Mainland China is bracing for Super Typhoon Ragasa, after the powerful storm caused widespread destruction across the region. In Taiwan, at least 14 people have died in flooding triggered by the cyclone.

Kowloon

Typhoon Ragasa sweeping towards China, 14 killed in Taiwan

A jury has convicted Ryan Routh of attempting to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump on his Florida golf course last year. He was found guilty of all five charges, which included attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer.

West Palm Beach

Ryan Routh found guilty of trying to assassinate Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (September 23) spoke with reporters while meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

Breakdown