Abraham Jacob/Flickr
25 August 2018
India's devastating rains match climate change forecasts
Once-a-century rains that have pounded the Indian state of Kerala and displaced 1.3 million people are in line with the predictions of climate change.
Once-a-century rains that have pounded the Indian state of Kerala and displaced 1.3 million people are in line with the predictions of climate change.
The Trump administration is rapidly transforming the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from a public health watchdog into an industry-first agency, leaving longtime staffers fearful and programs gutted.
In short:
Key quote:
“As administrator Zeldin has repeatedly stressed, ‘environmental justice’ has been used primarily as an excuse to fund left-wing activist groups instead of actually spending those dollars on directly remediating the specific environmental issues that need to be addressed.”
— EPA press office
Why this matters:
With thousands of experts in environmental justice and health research pushed out the door, and budget cuts gutting the agency's science, the message is loud and clear: Regulation is out, deregulation is the new order. As the EPA’s scientific backbone and justice programs are gutted, communities already burdened by pollution are left more vulnerable, and the country is losing the very people trained to protect public health in the face of environmental harm.
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Geothermal systems are heating and cooling K–12 schools across the U.S., saving cash-strapped districts money — just as the tax credits making it possible could be repealed.
In short:
Key quote:
“Whatever your politics are doesn’t really matter, this is a great way to lower your expenses and keep teachers employed.”
— Sage Acorn, account executive at Veregy, an energy efficiency consultancy
Why this matters:
Across the U.S., public schools are tapping into geothermal energy, harnessing the Earth’s steady underground temperature to heat and cool classrooms. Affordable geothermal tech helps schools cut greenhouse gas emissions while improving classroom comfort and freeing up money for teacher salaries and building upgrades. If Congress rolls back clean energy tax credits, schools may be forced to stick with outdated, more polluting systems — hurting both student health and the climate. Nonetheless, these projects will continue to serve as models for other districts looking to cut costs and achieve a more modern, sustainable way of heating and cooling schools.
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As climate extremes dry out the West and global tensions mount, the Great Lakes region is betting big on its most abundant resource: fresh water. The first in a series investigating the blue economy in the Great Lakes region.
Brett Walton reports for the Great Lakes News Collaborative: Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now, Michigan Public, and The Narwhal.
In short:
Key quote:
“The supply of fresh water is essential to our quality of life and creates a competitive advantage for our region. Midwesterners understand the importance of the Great Lakes.”
— Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center
Why this matters:
The way we manage and invest in water today could shape our health, economy, and climate resilience for decades to come. In a country where drought is draining the West and climate chaos is becoming the new normal, the Great Lakes are starting to look like a liquid goldmine. The series poses an important question: How can the states, provinces, and tribal nations manage their water to foster a thriving economy while avoiding the ecological damage done during an earlier industrial era?
Read more: Microplastics and algae tangle in the Great Lakes
As climate anxiety shapes how young people imagine their future, experts say the antidote isn’t solo heroism — it’s collective care and connection.
In short:
Key quote:
"How can we expect these young people to do all the work we want them to do, to fix all the problems that are out there, if they don’t even want to exist in that future?"
— Sarah Ray, chair of environmental studies at Cal Poly Humboldt
Why this matters:
Mental health is health. Today’s younger generations are growing up in a world already grappling with the effects of global warming, inheriting a climate crisis that often feels too vast, too urgent, and too late to fix. But what’s crushing them isn’t just the heatwaves or the rising seas — it’s the mental toll of trying to care deeply in a culture that tells them it’s all on them. Understanding how collective action can reduce anxiety could help avoid a mental health crisis.
Read more:
Indigenous communities in Colombia’s Amazon have gained official self-government powers in a landmark move aimed at protecting forests and upholding Indigenous rights.
In short:
Key quote:
“This progress is a milestone in the consolidation of the rights of Indigenous Peoples as autonomous governments.”
— Patricia Suárez, Indigenous leader and adviser to the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon
Why this matters:
Colombia’s new framework sets a powerful precedent that could ripple across Latin America, strengthening both environmental protection and public health outcomes linked to forest conservation. At a time when the Amazon is approaching dangerous tipping points, and political winds shift fast, rooting governance in the hands of those who call the forest home may be the most grounded climate policy the world has got.
Read more: ‘Living under this constant threat’: Environmental defenders face a mounting mental health crisis
President Trump’s plan to revoke a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule on power plant emissions could extend the life of coal, encourage new gas development, and undercut renewable energy expansion amid rising electricity demand.
In short:
Key quote:
“Rescinding the greenhouse gas rule is likely to significantly increase CO2 emissions by shifting generation away from gas and renewables, while increasing generation from existing coal units.”
— Martin Ross, director of electricity modeling at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability
Why this matters:
Trump’s effort to roll back the EPA's power plant rule arrives just as electricity demand is surging, driven in part by data centers needed for AI. Without regulatory guardrails, aging coal plants could remain online for decades, and new gas plants could proliferate without emissions limits. Meanwhile, the move threatens the momentum of renewable energy, which had been gaining ground due to falling costs and dwindling federal subsidies. Analysts say that without the rule, carbon emissions from the power sector could jump nearly 50% by 2040. The repeal may also weaken investor confidence in clean energy just as grid planners scramble to keep up with power-hungry industries.
Read more: Trump White House tells agencies to ignore climate costs when writing rules
The U.S. Department of Agriculture removed key online climate resources after President Donald Trump's inauguration, but a federal lawsuit has forced the agency to commit to restoring the information.
In short:
Key quote:
“I think that the funding freeze and the staff layoffs and the purging of information, they all intertwined as a dangerous triple whammy.”
— Jeffrey Stein, attorney at Earthjustice
Why this matters:
For farmers navigating unpredictable weather and seeking sustainable practices, losing access to federal resources can mean losing essential support. These USDA webpages outlined grants, conservation tools, and policy incentives. Their removal created information black holes just as many rural communities face climate-linked stressors like drought, floods, and energy instability. When governments delete or distort environmental data, it disrupts farming and frontline communities that rely on reliable data to make decisions about land, water, and health. The case also raises broader concerns about transparency and the public’s right to information, a foundation of environmental justice and democracy.
Read more: Climate data is vanishing from government websites, raising alarms
One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.
“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”
"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”
A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations
“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”
“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.