Global Stewardship

H5N1 avian flu reached Australia in mid-June, likely carried by migratory seabirds from the Antarctic, and has since been involved in about 690 "events" as of October 6, Mongabay reports, including spillover into endangered Australian sea lions. New South Wales began a vaccination trial for vulnerable captive birds in August and started vaccinating wild little penguins on September 18. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the virus has infected about 613 bird and 112 mammal species worldwide.

The World Meteorological Organization says El Niño is "firmly established and strengthening rapidly," with a near-100% likelihood it will last through February 2027, based on a consensus of 13 forecasting centers. Pacific sea-surface temperatures in the key Niño 3.4 region are forecast to average about 3.7°C above normal for October–December, peaking around December; that would beat the previous record of 2.6°C in late 2015. WMO expects above-average temperatures across much of the globe and shifted rainfall, raising drought and flood risks in different regions. Effects vary by region and are probabilities, not certainties.

During the 2023–24 El Niño, three-quarters of the world's tropical forests faced extreme heat and drought at the same time for an average of six months, according to a study led by Ghent University ecologist Johanna Van Passel that analyzed 12 datasets covering nearly 16 million square kilometers. Using 24 Earth system models, the team found that under a less optimistic emissions scenario, the record temperatures of 2023 and 2024 become the annual norm in most tropical regions by 2043. Drought projections vary more by region.

Google contracted for 3,590 megawatts of power from Constellation Energy in PJM, the largest U.S. grid, Reuters reports. That includes a 20-year agreement for 890 megawatts from upgrades at 11 existing nuclear units in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with the first power expected in 2028, and a 15-year supply deal for another 2,700 megawatts not tied to a specific source. Constellation will invest more than $4.3 billion. The companies present it as a response to PJM's proposal that data centers bring their own power.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2026 Peace Prize to South African jurist Navi Pillay, 85, for her work promoting peace and international law, saying she was instrumental in ensuring war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted. The committee highlighted her role on the Rwanda tribunal in establishing that rape and sexual violence can constitute crimes against humanity and genocide. She was later UN human rights chief and chaired the UN commission of inquiry that concluded last year Israel was responsible for genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel rejects. She dedicated the award to survivors of international crimes.

A new AP-NORC poll finds 64% of U.S. adults think AI is developing "too fast," 27% "about right" and 8% "too slow." About 8 in 10 say it is extremely or very important for the government to keep AI under human control, and about as many want it to prioritize protecting workers. Concern crosses party lines, few think either party has an advantage on AI, and 67% disapprove of President Trump's handling of the issue.

The Outlaw Ocean Project, excerpted by Mongabay, reports that Senegal's growing fishmeal industry is diverting fish from local markets into factories that make feed for farmed seafood and livestock, much of it exported. At least eight plants were linked to environmental violations, unsustainable fishing or civil unrest between 2018 and 2024. Senegal's fisheries ministry says using whole fish for fishmeal is legal. Reporters visited three factories and interviewed residents, workers and managers.