CBS News recently published a story “2025 was so hot it pushed Earth past critical climate change mark, scientists say,” from the Associated Press (CBS/AP), claiming that a recent temperature “blip” has pushed the planet past the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C threshold, implying that catastrophic consequences are now unfolding or inevitable. This is false. Earth has passed that politically chosen temperature hallmark with no disastrous effect and is now cooling. Also, no data support the claims of increased severe weather consequences matching the short-term temperature increase.
The article states that 2025 was among the hottest years on record and that a three-year average “broke through” the 1.5°C limit, warning that staying below this mark “could save lives and prevent catastrophic environmental destruction.” The story relies a great deal on rapid-attribution outputs from World Weather Attribution suggesting that specific extreme events in 2025 were far more likely because of climate change. Their implication is clear: crossing 1.5°C is a critical line, and dire outcomes should now be expected.
