&nbsp;UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slammed world leaders on Thursday (Nov 06) for failing to limit rising global temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius, calling it a "moral failure and negligence". He warned that a temporary breach of the limit would have "dramatic consequences" and could push ecosystems past catastrophic tipping points by pushing billions to unlivable conditions and amplify threats to peace and security.&nbsp;Addressing the opening session of the COP30 summit in the Brazilian city of Belem, Guterres said, “Too many corporations are making record profits from climate devastation, with billions spent on lobbying, deceiving the public, and obstructing progress,” he said. “Too many leaders remain captive to these entrenched interests.” Directly speaking to heads of state from more than 30 countries present at the summit, Guterres warned, "We can choose to lead or be led to ruin."“Every fraction of a degree means more hunger, displacement, and loss – especially for those least responsible. This is moral failure and deadly negligence,” he added.&nbsp;Also read I<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/musk-could-become-world-s-first-trillionaire-after-this-move-by-tesla-shareholders-1762486209099"> </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-warns-global-climate-efforts-falling-short-calls-for-stronger-climate-action-1762330090064">UN Warns Global Climate Efforts Falling Short; Calls for Stronger Climate Action</a> The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in its report on Thursday upheld the UN chief's claims. It confirmed that greenhouse gases, primarily responsible for warming the planet, had risen to a record high. As per the report, 2025 is on track to be the second or third warmest year ever recorded. All of the 10 warmest years in measured history have been in the last decade.&nbsp;Around 150 heads of state, leaders from across the world, and international organisations are expected to speak at the two-day leaders' summit. However, the absence of key emitters, including the United States, China, India and Russia, has raised doubts on the event's success.&nbsp;The United States administration chose not to send any representatives.&nbsp;President Donald Trump, in his first term, withdrew from the Paris Agreement. Later, Washington, under Joe Biden, joined the climate accords. However, in 2025 Trump administration started the process of a second withdrawal after coming to power.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taliban-restricts-women-workers-un-suspends-work-at-afghanistan-iran-border-in-protest-1762266785565">Taliban restricts women workers, UN suspends work at Afghanistan-Iran border in protest</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Directly speaking to heads of state from more than 30 countries present at the summit, Guterres warned, "We can choose to lead or be led to ruin." “Every fraction of a degree means more hunger, displacement, and loss – especially for those least responsible.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slammed world leaders on Thursday (Nov 06) for failing to limit rising global temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius, calling it a "moral failure and negligence". He warned that a temporary breach of the limit would have "dramatic consequences" and could push ecosystems past catastrophic tipping points by pushing billions to unlivable conditions and amplify threats to peace and security. Addressing the opening session of the COP30 summit in the Brazilian city of Belem, Guterres said, “Too many corporations are making record profits from climate devastation, with billions spent on lobbying, deceiving the public, and obstructing progress,” he said. “Too many leaders remain captive to these entrenched interests.” Directly speaking to heads of state from more than 30 countries present at the summit, Guterres warned, "We can choose to lead or be led to ruin." “Every fraction of a degree means more hunger, displacement, and loss – especially for those least responsible. This is moral failure and deadly negligence,” he added. Also read I UN Warns Global Climate Efforts Falling Short; Calls for Stronger Climate Action The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in its report on Thursday upheld the UN chief's claims. It confirmed that greenhouse gases, primarily responsible for warming the planet, had risen to a record high. As per the report, 2025 is on track to be the second or third warmest year ever recorded. All of the 10 warmest years in measured history have been in the last decade. Around 150 heads of state, leaders from across the world, and international organisations are expected to speak at the two-day leaders' summit. However, the absence of key emitters, including the United States, China, India and Russia, has raised doubts on the event's success. The United States administration chose not to send any representatives. President Donald Trump, in his first term, withdrew from the Paris Agreement. Later, Washington, under Joe Biden, joined the climate accords. However, in 2025 Trump administration started the process of a second withdrawal after coming to power. Also read | Taliban restricts women workers, UN suspends work at Afghanistan-Iran border in protest

Directly speaking to heads of state from more than 30 countries present at the summit, Guterres warned, “We can choose to lead or be led to ruin.” “Every fraction of a degree means more hunger, displacement, and loss – especially for those least responsible.

'You’re failing the planet’: UN chief blasts nations at COP30 in Brazil

Nepal is set to launch a five-year Everest clean-up plan in line with a Supreme Court directive, as the world’s highest peak—often dubbed the Earth’s tallest garbage dump—grapples with decades of accumulated waste. Experts warn that the growing piles of trash collected each season highlight the urgent need for sustainable mountaineering practices.&nbsp;Melting ice is exposing long-buried waste and even human remains, further exacerbating the problem of climate change. It also contaminates watersheds and poses a risk to downstream communities, according to a report in the Kathmandu Post.&nbsp;Meanwhile, a draft of the Clean Mountain Strategy (2025–2029), reviewed by the post, allocates Rs 308 million for Everest clean-up efforts, though insiders estimate that the real cost will exceed Rs 1 billion. The plan proposes creating a specialised team of “Mountain Rangers,” composed of climbers, to monitor and manage waste at Everest Base Camp and higher camps. It also suggests exploring the use of drone technology to collect waste above the base camp.<h3>What polluted the Everest region over a decade?</h3>The burden of litter has scarred the Everest region for decades. Several climbers, Sherpas, guides, and porters left tonnes of waste materials that include oxygen canisters, ropes, plastic bottles, kitchen scraps, and human waste, polluting both the slopes and settlements downstream.&nbsp;Plastic poses one of the gravest threats to Everest, as a single plastic bag can take up to 500 years to decompose. If burned, it releases toxins into the air; if buried, it contaminates the soil. With climbing traffic on the rise, plastic waste has steadily climbed to higher altitudes, making Everest a stark emblem of environmental neglect.&nbsp;According to the Nepal Mountain Academy, rope-fixing teams leave behind nearly 400 kg of ladders and nylon ropes each year above the base camp. Buried under snow, these ropes can also remain on the mountain for decades.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee collected 85 tonnes of garbage in the 2024 spring season, including almost 28 tonnes of human waste, and the Nepali Army removed another 11 tonnes.&nbsp;In order to reduce mounting pressure, Nepal has exponentially increased climbing fees. The royalty fee per foreign climber via the south route in spring has increased from $11,000 to $15,000 under revised regulations. In addition, climbers will also be required to pay a refundable garbage deposit as well as a non-refundable environmental fee.&nbsp;Part of the climbing revenue will be set aside for clean-up drives, with local communities engaged in the process. The strategy also proposes charging expedition operators a waste management fee, following the “polluter pays” principle. A dedicated Mountain Clean-up Fund will be established, and climbers will be mandated to carry bottles for human waste. Industry experts, however, warn that Nepal is already behind schedule in implementing such measures.&nbsp;“We proposed a $100 non-refundable per climber fee in 2010,” said Dambar Parajuli, president of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal. “Had it been implemented, the fund would have exceeded Rs1 billion by now,” he also said. Similarly, China also introduced this measure in 2014.&nbsp;Parajuli, Everest’s Camp IV, is the most polluted location, which requires enormous resources. “We estimate a minimum of Rs1 billion for five years. But frequent policy changes due to unstable governments have prevented consistent action," he said.&nbsp;The draft strategy proposes stringent measures on equipment and materials, while also pushing to integrate environmental awareness into local curricula and expand such materials nationwide. However, some initiatives are already underway.&nbsp;Climbers above base camp have been required to use poop bags since 2024 under the initiative of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality. Officials say the new plan aims to safeguard Everest’s global standing by aligning mountaineering goals with environmental responsibility. Experts, however, warn that without adequate funding, the mountain may continue to carry the stigma of being the world’s most visible garbage dump.

A draft of the Clean Mountain Strategy (2025–2029), reviewed by the post, allocates Rs 308 million for Everest clean-up efforts, though insiders estimate that the real cost will exceed Rs 1 billion.

Nepal is set to launch a five-year Everest clean-up plan in line with a Supreme Court directive, as the world’s highest peak—often dubbed the Earth’s tallest garbage dump—grapples with decades of accumulated waste. Experts warn that the growing piles of trash collected each season highlight the urgent need for sustainable mountaineering practices. Melting ice is exposing long-buried waste and even human remains, further exacerbating the problem of climate change. It also contaminates watersheds and poses a risk to downstream communities, according to a report in the Kathmandu Post. Meanwhile, a draft of the Clean Mountain Strategy (2025–2029), reviewed by the post, allocates Rs 308 million for Everest clean-up efforts, though insiders estimate that the real cost will exceed Rs 1 billion. The plan proposes creating a specialised team of “Mountain Rangers,” composed of climbers, to monitor and manage waste at Everest Base Camp and higher camps. It also suggests exploring the use of drone technology to collect waste above the base camp. What polluted the Everest region over a decade? The burden of litter has scarred the Everest region for decades. Several climbers, Sherpas, guides, and porters left tonnes of waste materials that include oxygen canisters, ropes, plastic bottles, kitchen scraps, and human waste, polluting both the slopes and settlements downstream. Plastic poses one of the gravest threats to Everest, as a single plastic bag can take up to 500 years to decompose. If burned, it releases toxins into the air; if buried, it contaminates the soil. With climbing traffic on the rise, plastic waste has steadily climbed to higher altitudes, making Everest a stark emblem of environmental neglect. According to the Nepal Mountain Academy, rope-fixing teams leave behind nearly 400 kg of ladders and nylon ropes each year above the base camp. Buried under snow, these ropes can also remain on the mountain for decades. Meanwhile, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee collected 85 tonnes of garbage in the 2024 spring season, including almost 28 tonnes of human waste, and the Nepali Army removed another 11 tonnes. In order to reduce mounting pressure, Nepal has exponentially increased climbing fees. The royalty fee per foreign climber via the south route in spring has increased from $11,000 to $15,000 under revised regulations. In addition, climbers will also be required to pay a refundable garbage deposit as well as a non-refundable environmental fee. Part of the climbing revenue will be set aside for clean-up drives, with local communities engaged in the process. The strategy also proposes charging expedition operators a waste management fee, following the “polluter pays” principle. A dedicated Mountain Clean-up Fund will be established, and climbers will be mandated to carry bottles for human waste. Industry experts, however, warn that Nepal is already behind schedule in implementing such measures. “We proposed a $100 non-refundable per climber fee in 2010,” said Dambar Parajuli, president of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal. “Had it been implemented, the fund would have exceeded Rs1 billion by now,” he also said. Similarly, China also introduced this measure in 2014. Parajuli, Everest’s Camp IV, is the most polluted location, which requires enormous resources. “We estimate a minimum of Rs1 billion for five years. But frequent policy changes due to unstable governments have prevented consistent action," he said. The draft strategy proposes stringent measures on equipment and materials, while also pushing to integrate environmental awareness into local curricula and expand such materials nationwide. However, some initiatives are already underway. Climbers above base camp have been required to use poop bags since 2024 under the initiative of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality. Officials say the new plan aims to safeguard Everest’s global standing by aligning mountaineering goals with environmental responsibility. Experts, however, warn that without adequate funding, the mountain may continue to carry the stigma of being the world’s most visible garbage dump.

A draft of the Clean Mountain Strategy (2025–2029), reviewed by the post, allocates Rs 308 million for Everest clean-up efforts, though insiders estimate that the real cost will exceed Rs 1 billion.

Nepal plans 5-year clean-up drive to tackle decades of accumulated waste from Mount Everest

Rats are becoming a universal problem, with people from London to Washington, and Toronto to Amsterdam reporting a rise in their numbers. Experts believe the reason for this rat explosion comes down to the rising temperatures. A study to find out the real reason carried out by Bobby Corrigan, an urban rodentologist, tested 16 cities, mostly in North America. It showed that 11 of these cities saw a significant jump in rat activity over a period of between seven and 17 years. The results were published in the journal Science Advances earlier this year, and throw light on the link between the high temperatures and the increase in the number of rats. During this period, the rat population increased by almost 400% in Washington, DC, by 300% in San Francisco, by 180% in Toronto and by 160% in New York. Tokyo, New Orleans and one more city saw a decline in their numbers. "Cities experiencing greater temperature increases over time saw larger increases in rats," the study noted. The temperature rise reached 2 degrees Celsius in some of these places, the BBC reported.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/move-over-rapture-another-prophecy-claims-comet-will-end-the-world-in-2026-1758790270916">Rapture did not happen, but another world-ending event has been prophesied for 2026</a>&nbsp;<h2>Climate change and rat population</h2>Dr Corrigan says that if the temperatures continue to rise, with winters also becoming warmer, then the rat numbers are also likely to continue to rise. Notably, according to Climate Action Tracker, global temperatures are set to rise between at least 1.9 degrees C and 2.7 degrees C above the pre-industrial average by 2100. This will have a direct impact on the rat population. Meanwhile, the growing trash in the cities is also attracting rats, who are actively coming out of sewers to grab food. Niall Gallagher, technical manager at the BPCA, told the BBC that there are several factors that are leading to the rise in rat population. He says fast food, collection of rubbish less frequently, and road and building works disturbing the sewer network are some reasons for rats swarming the cities.&nbsp;Keeping a count of rats is nearly impossible since they live in drains, sewers and burrows, and come out mostly at night. In the UK, rats could be anywhere between 10 million to 120 million. It is important to control the rat population as they can spread several diseases. They scavenge in sewers and bins, and are carriers of Leptospirosis (transmitted through their urine) and hantavirus (spread by breathing in infected droppings).

Rats are increasing in numbers across the world. Be it Toronto, London, Washington, Amsterdam or any other place. Scientists have been scratching their heads to explain this phenomenon. The answer, it turns out, is pretty straightforward.

Rats are becoming a universal problem, with people from London to Washington, and Toronto to Amsterdam reporting a rise in their numbers. Experts believe the reason for this rat explosion comes down to the rising temperatures. A study to find out the real reason carried out by Bobby Corrigan, an urban rodentologist, tested 16 cities, mostly in North America. It showed that 11 of these cities saw a significant jump in rat activity over a period of between seven and 17 years. The results were published in the journal Science Advances earlier this year, and throw light on the link between the high temperatures and the increase in the number of rats. During this period, the rat population increased by almost 400% in Washington, DC, by 300% in San Francisco, by 180% in Toronto and by 160% in New York. Tokyo, New Orleans and one more city saw a decline in their numbers. "Cities experiencing greater temperature increases over time saw larger increases in rats," the study noted. The temperature rise reached 2 degrees Celsius in some of these places, the BBC reported. Also Read: Rapture did not happen, but another world-ending event has been prophesied for 2026 Climate change and rat population Dr Corrigan says that if the temperatures continue to rise, with winters also becoming warmer, then the rat numbers are also likely to continue to rise. Notably, according to Climate Action Tracker, global temperatures are set to rise between at least 1.9 degrees C and 2.7 degrees C above the pre-industrial average by 2100. This will have a direct impact on the rat population. Meanwhile, the growing trash in the cities is also attracting rats, who are actively coming out of sewers to grab food. Niall Gallagher, technical manager at the BPCA, told the BBC that there are several factors that are leading to the rise in rat population. He says fast food, collection of rubbish less frequently, and road and building works disturbing the sewer network are some reasons for rats swarming the cities. Keeping a count of rats is nearly impossible since they live in drains, sewers and burrows, and come out mostly at night. In the UK, rats could be anywhere between 10 million to 120 million. It is important to control the rat population as they can spread several diseases. They scavenge in sewers and bins, and are carriers of Leptospirosis (transmitted through their urine) and hantavirus (spread by breathing in infected droppings).

Rats are increasing in numbers across the world. Be it Toronto, London, Washington, Amsterdam or any other place. Scientists have been scratching their heads to explain this phenomenon. The answer, it turns out, is pretty straightforward.

Explosion in rat numbers across the world confused experts. Turns out, the culprit is...

NASA has revealed that a new island has popped up in Alaska, and it took only about four decades to form. A typical island is created by vast tectonic plate movement over centuries, sometimes even thousands of years. It is only about a five square km piece of land and is known as Prow Knob, which was once surrounded by the deep ice of the Alsek Glacier. The space agency has released satellite images that show the new island, which experts say is a result of climate change. NASA says the small mountain is completely cut off from the mainland and has lost all contact with the Alsek Glacier. It says human action that affected the climate has led to the emergence of this new island. The images were taken by the Landsat 8 satellite in August. NASA's Earth Observatory said that this landmass turned into an island sometime between July 13 and August 6. Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/scientists-surprised-to-see-organism-alive-and-moving-inside-arctic-ocean-that-they-thought-was-dead-1757656476816">Scientists surprised to see organism 'alive and moving' inside Arctic Ocean that they thought was dead</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Lindsey Doermann with the NASA Earth Observatory, said in a statement, "Along the coastal plain of southeastern Alaska, water is rapidly replacing ice." Earliest records of the Alsek glacier that date back to 1894 show that the Alsek Glacier once entirely covered what is today Alsek Lake. Reports from 1907 describe the glacier as being "anchored to a nunatak", a rocky region surrounded by flowing glacial ice on all sides. This nunatak was named Prow Knob since it resembled a ship's prow and was surrounded by an ice face that was about 164 feet high. This ice was visible even in the photos taken in the 1960s.However, the warming climate has changed the conditions and caused the glacier to weaken.&nbsp;<h2>Climate change triggered glacial retreat</h2>Doermann says, "Glaciers in this area are thinning and retreating, with meltwater proglacial lakes forming off their fronts." The changes in the glacier were first noticed in 1984 when an aerial photo taken by NASA's &nbsp;Landsat 5 satellite revealed that the glacier's westernmost edge had turned into a &nbsp;lake shore. As the glacier continued to retreat, more portions of the mountain started becoming visible. The process accelerated in the 1990s, and the glacier's northerly arm cut off from a small island. This made it vulnerable to glacial calving, after which two glacial tributaries to the north and the south retreated.&nbsp;The glacier was no longer getting any new ice. From 2018 to now, the glacial retreat sped up even more, and Prow Knob was soon left with water on all sides. The Alsek Lake, the Harlequin and Grand Plateau lakes have more than doubled in size in the last 40 years.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A new island has emerged in Alaska as a once-stable glacier melted because of climate change. NASA has released photos of the island that was covered by ice on all sides until 1984, which slowly started breaking off as photos showed a lake shore.

NASA has revealed that a new island has popped up in Alaska, and it took only about four decades to form. A typical island is created by vast tectonic plate movement over centuries, sometimes even thousands of years. It is only about a five square km piece of land and is known as Prow Knob, which was once surrounded by the deep ice of the Alsek Glacier. The space agency has released satellite images that show the new island, which experts say is a result of climate change. NASA says the small mountain is completely cut off from the mainland and has lost all contact with the Alsek Glacier. It says human action that affected the climate has led to the emergence of this new island. The images were taken by the Landsat 8 satellite in August. NASA's Earth Observatory said that this landmass turned into an island sometime between July 13 and August 6. Also Read: Scientists surprised to see organism 'alive and moving' inside Arctic Ocean that they thought was dead Lindsey Doermann with the NASA Earth Observatory, said in a statement, "Along the coastal plain of southeastern Alaska, water is rapidly replacing ice." Earliest records of the Alsek glacier that date back to 1894 show that the Alsek Glacier once entirely covered what is today Alsek Lake. Reports from 1907 describe the glacier as being "anchored to a nunatak", a rocky region surrounded by flowing glacial ice on all sides. This nunatak was named Prow Knob since it resembled a ship's prow and was surrounded by an ice face that was about 164 feet high. This ice was visible even in the photos taken in the 1960s. However, the warming climate has changed the conditions and caused the glacier to weaken. Climate change triggered glacial retreat Doermann says, "Glaciers in this area are thinning and retreating, with meltwater proglacial lakes forming off their fronts." The changes in the glacier were first noticed in 1984 when an aerial photo taken by NASA's Landsat 5 satellite revealed that the glacier's westernmost edge had turned into a lake shore. As the glacier continued to retreat, more portions of the mountain started becoming visible. The process accelerated in the 1990s, and the glacier's northerly arm cut off from a small island. This made it vulnerable to glacial calving, after which two glacial tributaries to the north and the south retreated. The glacier was no longer getting any new ice. From 2018 to now, the glacial retreat sped up even more, and Prow Knob was soon left with water on all sides. The Alsek Lake, the Harlequin and Grand Plateau lakes have more than doubled in size in the last 40 years.

A new island has emerged in Alaska as a once-stable glacier melted because of climate change. NASA has released photos of the island that was covered by ice on all sides until 1984, which slowly started breaking off as photos showed a lake shore.

NASA says a new island has emerged in Alaska in just 40 years

Iceberg A23a is finally meeting its end. The chunk of ice is now not even close to its former self and is decaying as it drifts in warmer waters. Experts say that it is only a matter of time before it is completely wiped off the face of Earth. 

'Doomed' megaberg A23a is decaying — Mega ice chunk on the verge of fading away forever

Millions of years ago, the solar system may have passed through a cold, dense region of space capable of reshaping Earth’s climate. A 2024 study published in Nature Astronomy proposes that the Sun and planets entered a compact interstellar gas cloud, part of the Local Ribbon of Cold Clouds, with particle densities more than 1,000 times higher than the solar system’s current environment. This encounter could have drastically compressed the heliosphere, the vast bubble of solar wind that normally shields the planets from interstellar radiation.&nbsp;Geological traces of the isotopes iron-60 and plutonium-244, found in Antarctic snow, deep-ocean sediments, Moon samples, and ice cores, suggest that matter from deep space reached Earth during this period. These isotopes are produced in supernova explosions and neutron star mergers, strengthening the case for a cosmic intrusion.<h2>The heliosphere’s role as Earth’s outermost shield</h2>&nbsp;The heliosphere is created by the constant outflow of charged particles from the Sun, stretching far beyond Pluto’s orbit and typically extending three times farther still. According to NASA, it acts as the solar system’s first line of defence against the interstellar medium (ISM), blocking a significant fraction of high-energy cosmic rays. Earth’s own magnetosphere then provides additional protection, preventing the erosion of the atmosphere and reducing the planet’s radiation exposure.&nbsp;Today, the solar system sits within the Local Bubble, a region about 1,000 light-years wide containing just 0.001 particles per cubic centimetre, far less than the galactic average of 0.1. The cold cloud encountered millions of years ago, however, may have contained more than 1,000 particles per cubic centimetre, overwhelming the heliosphere’s protective reach and allowing interstellar dust and energetic particles to enter the inner solar system largely unimpeded.&nbsp;<h2>Climate consequences and the long-term view</h2>&nbsp;If the heliosphere contracted within or even inside Earth’s orbit, our planet would have been directly exposed to denser interstellar material. Models suggest this could have altered atmospheric chemistry, depleted ozone in the mid-atmosphere, and triggered global cooling. Such conditions might have persisted for hundreds of years to over a million, influencing climate patterns and potentially shaping human evolution.&nbsp;As Boston University space physicist Merav Opher notes, this is the first quantitative evidence that the Sun’s interaction with an external object could have affected Earth’s climate. Once the solar system emerged from the cloud, the heliosphere would have expanded again, restoring its full protective range. Scientists estimate that another such encounter could occur within the next million years.

A study published in Nature Astronomy proposes that the Sun and planets entered a compact interstellar gas cloud, part of the Local Ribbon of Cold Clouds, with particle densities more than 1,000 times higher than the solar system’s current environment. 

Millions of years ago, the solar system may have passed through a cold, dense region of space capable of reshaping Earth’s climate. A 2024 study published in Nature Astronomy proposes that the Sun and planets entered a compact interstellar gas cloud, part of the Local Ribbon of Cold Clouds, with particle densities more than 1,000 times higher than the solar system’s current environment. This encounter could have drastically compressed the heliosphere, the vast bubble of solar wind that normally shields the planets from interstellar radiation. Geological traces of the isotopes iron-60 and plutonium-244, found in Antarctic snow, deep-ocean sediments, Moon samples, and ice cores, suggest that matter from deep space reached Earth during this period. These isotopes are produced in supernova explosions and neutron star mergers, strengthening the case for a cosmic intrusion. The heliosphere’s role as Earth’s outermost shield The heliosphere is created by the constant outflow of charged particles from the Sun, stretching far beyond Pluto’s orbit and typically extending three times farther still. According to NASA, it acts as the solar system’s first line of defence against the interstellar medium (ISM), blocking a significant fraction of high-energy cosmic rays. Earth’s own magnetosphere then provides additional protection, preventing the erosion of the atmosphere and reducing the planet’s radiation exposure. Today, the solar system sits within the Local Bubble, a region about 1,000 light-years wide containing just 0.001 particles per cubic centimetre, far less than the galactic average of 0.1. The cold cloud encountered millions of years ago, however, may have contained more than 1,000 particles per cubic centimetre, overwhelming the heliosphere’s protective reach and allowing interstellar dust and energetic particles to enter the inner solar system largely unimpeded. Climate consequences and the long-term view If the heliosphere contracted within or even inside Earth’s orbit, our planet would have been directly exposed to denser interstellar material. Models suggest this could have altered atmospheric chemistry, depleted ozone in the mid-atmosphere, and triggered global cooling. Such conditions might have persisted for hundreds of years to over a million, influencing climate patterns and potentially shaping human evolution. As Boston University space physicist Merav Opher notes, this is the first quantitative evidence that the Sun’s interaction with an external object could have affected Earth’s climate. Once the solar system emerged from the cloud, the heliosphere would have expanded again, restoring its full protective range. Scientists estimate that another such encounter could occur within the next million years.

A study published in Nature Astronomy proposes that the Sun and planets entered a compact interstellar gas cloud, part of the Local Ribbon of Cold Clouds, with particle densities more than 1,000 times higher than the solar system’s current environment.&nbsp;

Earth’s climate was shaped for millions of years by an interstellar cloud? Here’s what scientists have to say

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'You’re failing the planet’: UN chief blasts nations at COP30 in Brazil

Nepal plans 5-year clean-up drive to tackle decades of waste from Mount Everest

Explosion in rat numbers confused experts. Turns out, the culprit is...

NASA says a new island has emerged in Alaska in just 40 years

'Doomed' megaberg A23a is decaying — Ice chunk on verge of fading away forever

Did a dense cosmic cloud once strip away Earth’s solar shield?