The world is now hotter than ever before in recorded history. Heatwaves are sweeping across Europe and fires are raging across Canada, leaving parts of the world choking in smoke. In response, James Hansen, the US scientist who first alerted the world to the greenhouse effect, said ‘we’re all damned fools’ for not acting on his warnings sooner. But such warnings continue to fall on deaf ears. Gabrielle Jackson speaks to editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and live news editor Patrick Keneally about the reality gap between the promises and actions on global heating