UN admits: Worst climate impacts now unavoidable

The United Nations has conceded that the worst effects of global warming can no longer be prevented. In a major shift, officials now say the world has missed its chance to stop some of the most severe damage from climate change. Instead of focusing only on prevention, the UN says countries must now work out how to bring temperatures down from dangerous levels and return to a safer range. The admission marks a strategic retreat in the fight against climate change. The warning comes as smoke from forest fires in Northwestern Ontario recently blanketed Toronto, with people on the CN Tower’s observation deck looking out over hazy skies. Such events are expected to become more common as the planet continues to warm. The UN’s message is clear: the window to avoid the worst is closed. The new challenge is learning to live with the damage already set in motion, while still trying to pull the world back from the edge.