In recent days, the Northern Hemisphere has faced devastating snowstorms, record-breaking temperatures, and even deaths linked to extreme cold. In a previous column, I wrote that this type of event is a consequence of global warming. Since then, I have received criticism from readers who consider this statement incoherent. After all, how can the planet be warming while experiencing historic freezes?

Brazil’s energy transition has been marked by a complex landscape in which economic, social, and environmental interests intertwine amid climate urgency and political challenges. Recently, the Climate Observatory (Observatório do Clima – OC), which brings together 161 civil society organizations, presented a structured proposal for the country’s energy transition plan.

The ozone layer is one of the most precious structures in Earth’s atmosphere. Invisible to the eye yet essential to life, it acts as a shield that absorbs much of the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the Sun. Without this protection, the risks to human health would be devastating: increased cases of skin cancer, cataracts, genetic mutations, and ecological imbalances affecting everything from the oceans to agriculture. It is hard to imagine life on Earth without this natural barrier, which is wh