Bill McKibben: Is it hot enough for political action?

Bill McKibben: Is it hot enough yet for politicians to take real action?

The latest record temperatures are driving, again precisely as scientists have predicted, a cascading series of disasters around the world. Bill McKibben's commentary in The New Yorker.


In a nutshell:

We're crushing it, Bill McKibben says. He's talking about temperature records and he wonders from where the political will to meet the moment will come. The political strength to get behind and incentivize meaningful action on climate and energy, McKibben says, must come from us.

Key quote:

"But this moment feels as if it calls for something larger—comparable to the Earth Day demonstrations of a half century ago, which brought ten per cent of the American population into the streets. It’s eruptions on that scale that change the political reality."

Big picture:

Political weakness may well be our undoing, McKibben says. Although the Biden administration's efforts to enact effective energy and climate reforms easily surpasses previous measures by prior administrations, we've been staring into the headlights of a slow-motion train wreck for far too long and time is not on our side. Without massive public action to counter the political and financial might of industry sectors bent on business as usual, we risk a bleak future for life on Earth.

Read Bill McKibben's analysis in The New Yorker.

A piece of paper being passed across the desk with the words I Quit on it

Trump move to dismantle FEMA prompts resignation of disaster response chief

A top federal emergency official has resigned after President Trump announced plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and shift disaster response responsibilities to states.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
Firefighters in a forest with billowing smoke from a fire.

Wildfire response overhaul sparks backlash as Trump centralizes firefighting authority

President Trump ordered a sweeping restructuring of the U.S. wildland firefighting system, transferring authority to a new centralized agency despite expert warnings about costs and heightened risks as fire season intensifies.

The Guardian staff and agencies report.

Keep reading...Show less
A row of wind turbines stretching into the distance.

Trump vows to block new wind energy projects

President Trump said his administration will stop approving wind energy projects, citing aesthetic concerns and a belief they harm the country.

Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.

Keep reading...Show less
A forest fire with smoke arising from flames.

New Mexico governor's drought order avoids naming climate or curbing fossil fuel production

A record-breaking drought grips New Mexico, yet the governor’s recent executive order sidesteps naming climate change or placing limits on the oil and gas industry, which fuels both the crisis and the state’s budget.

Jerry Redfern reports for Capital & Main.

Keep reading...Show less
A covered bridge over a river.

Flood-prone Vermont towns weigh economic survival against climate-driven buyouts

A year after catastrophic flooding in Vermont, small towns like Barre are grappling with the economic strain of federal home buyouts that aim to reduce future flood risk but threaten their financial future.

Anna Phillips reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
Two deer in a golden field in front of a snowy mountain range.

Trump eyes rescission of national monuments under new Justice Department opinion

The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has issued an opinion asserting that presidents may abolish or reduce national monuments under the 1906 Antiquities Act, potentially triggering U.S. Supreme Court review.

Jennifer Yachnin and Heather Richards report for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Bike lane logo on the pavement with the shadow of a bike on it.

D.C. removes protected bike lane after aesthetic complaints from residents

District officials quietly dismantled a protected bike lane in Northwest Washington, prompting backlash from cycling advocates and raising concerns that the city may be retreating from efforts to build safer infrastructure for cyclists.

Rachel Weiner reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.