Currently in Philadelphia — September 19, 2023: Sunny with a solid breeze

The weather, currently.

Thanks to yesterday’s threat of rain, I had a slow, quiet day exploring the great indoors. But the clouds are on their way out, and the forecast is looking sunny and cool for the next few days. Today will reach a high of 74˚F, with humidity at a comfortable level, around 48% in the afternoon. It’ll be a little breezier than before — winds are set to pick up to about 10 or 11mph, with possible gusts up to 20mph — so if you’re a hat guy, consider choosing a hat with less surface area.

— Abe Musselman

What you need to know, currently.

Antarctic sea ice continues to grow at a pace far below any previous year on record. As we approach springtime in the Southern Hemisphere and with a Pacific El Niño strengthening, there are worries that melt season may have already begun weeks early.

The BBC interviewed Antarctic research scientists, and their words are worth reflecting on.

"It's so far outside anything we've seen, it's almost mind-blowing," Walter Meier, who monitors sea-ice with the National Snow and Ice Data Center, told the BBC.

Since it is already floating, melting sea ice does not on its own raise sea levels. But sea ice forms a buffer encircling Antarctica from warming waters, and the loss of that sea ice would accelerate the loss of land ice in the Antarctic ice sheets, which would raise sea levels — perhaps dangerously so.

This is one further sign that we are in the emergency phase of the climate crisis, and that world leaders need to do uncomfortable things to restore a climate balance and pave the way for a just future for everyone.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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One of my favorite organizations, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, serves as a hub of mutual aid efforts focused on climate action in emergencies — like hurricane season. Find mutual aid network near you and join, or donate to support existing networks: