‘Godzilla-level’ El Niño could cause hottest year on record - The Latest
Summary
Guardian environment correspondent Damien Gale discusses the UN's warning of a "Godzilla" El Nino, a weather event unseen in a millennium that will disrupt global climate patterns. The episode covers the resulting risks, including droughts in the Amazon and East Africa, monsoon failures in Asia, and a potential global hunger crisis. Gale also addresses the geopolitical impacts on trade routes like the Panama Canal and critiques the media narratives of wealthy nations downplaying the severity of the climate emergency.
Topics discussed
Introduction and UN warning on Super El Niño
WMO report: 'Godzilla' El Niño scale and severity
Explaining El Niño mechanics and trade winds
Global weather impacts: droughts, rain, and monsoons
Agriculture, food crisis, and Panama Canal restrictions
Geopolitical impacts on global trade routes
Heat waves, excess deaths, and global inequality
Purpose of early warnings and historical precedents
Knock-on effects on global supply chains and prices
Political resistance to climate action and media bias
Closing remarks and thanks to Damien Gale
Promotion of Black Box podcast series
Credits and sign-off
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