
www.nytimes.com
31 August 2019
The peaches are sweet, but growing them isn’t
An annual picking trip to a California farm has become a window into our daunting climate and work challenges.
A group of global researchers has created a new guide to help scientists — and anyone who defends facts — push back against rising authoritarian threats in the U.S. and abroad.
In short:
Key quote:
“This isn’t a joke or a blip and this isn’t normal. This is a concerted, programmatic effort to abolish democracy in the United States.”
— Stephan Lewandowsky, cognitive psychologist, University of Bristol
Why this matters:
Without a functioning democracy, science can't do its job, whether it’s guiding public health or fighting the climate crisis. Stephan Lewandowsky and his co-authors are calling out this threat not just to science, but to the very systems that let science work. Their handbook, backed by an interactive Wiki, gives practical tools for protecting research, securing data, and staying organized when things go off the rails.
Read more:
Faced with political fallout from the 2024 election and rising affordability concerns, California Democrats are retreating from some of the state’s most ambitious climate policies.
In short:
Key quote:
“It’s one of the more disappointing turnabouts. We have backed down, and we may not be flying a white handkerchief, but it’s pretty close to white.”
— Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog
Why this matters:
California has long been a bellwether for climate policy, often leading the country with ambitious rules aimed at cutting emissions and curbing fossil fuel dependence. But as housing, fuel, and energy costs rise, even environmentally progressive states are facing resistance from voters and lawmakers. The state’s backpedaling signals a broader national trend where short-term economic pressures are outpacing long-term environmental planning. That has major implications for public health and environmental justice, particularly in communities already vulnerable to pollution and climate impacts.
Learn more: Advocating for structural change for environmental and climate health
A recent analysis warns that potential exemptions to air pollution rules under the Trump administration may protect chronic polluters and expose millions to higher cancer risks.
In short:
Key quote:
“Rolling back the HON Rule is only going to make people sicker.”
— Tracey Woodruff, former EPA scientist and professor at the University of California San Francisco
Why this matters:
Communities near petrochemical plants — especially along the Gulf Coast — face heightened health risks from air pollution, including cancer, respiratory disease, and reproductive issues. Many of these neighborhoods are predominantly Black or Latino, with higher poverty rates and less access to healthcare, making them more vulnerable to industrial toxins. Ethylene oxide, a chemical emitted by these plants, is particularly dangerous; it mutates DNA and is linked to breast and blood cancers. Despite decades of science confirming its risks, political and industry pressure continues to challenge enforcement.
Learn more: EPA seeks to slash chemical plants’ cancer-causing emissions
Seventeen states are scrambling to preserve their clean vehicle goals after the Trump administration rescinded California’s power to set stricter tailpipe emissions rules.
In short:
Key quote:
“The federal government isn’t going to come save us.”
— Alex Ambrose, analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective
Why this matters:
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and tailpipe pollution directly harms public health — especially in communities near highways, ports, and freight hubs. California’s emissions authority under the Clean Air Act had long been a keystone in U.S. climate and air quality policy, with nearly 20 states adopting its tougher rules. Without federal backing, these states now face steep costs and legal uncertainty as they try to maintain momentum toward cleaner vehicles. Meanwhile, the burden of diesel pollution continues to fall heavily on low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. If states cannot enforce aggressive vehicle standards or fund sufficient EV transitions, the U.S. risks backsliding on climate targets and increasing health disparities tied to air pollution.
Read more: Republicans push to eliminate fines for carmakers that violate fuel economy rules
Vermont’s updated Climate Action Plan outlines major steps to cut carbon emissions, but faces steep financial and political barriers as federal climate funding disappears under the Trump administration.
In short:
Key quote:
“Specifically, I’m concerned about what it will take to operationalize the plan’s vision. It’s sort of left up to interpretation.”
— Julie Moore, secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources
Why this matters:
Vermont is seeing the real-time effects of a warming world — record floods, higher heat days, and worsening air quality. But the tools it needs to respond are under threat. The Trump administration’s rollback of clean energy investments and suppression of climate data weakens the ability of states like Vermont to meet emission targets or even plan effectively. Climate funding cuts jeopardize projects that help low-income families heat their homes more efficiently, farmers reduce emissions, or towns prepare for floods. At the same time, without federal support for solar, wind, or electric vehicles, Americans may be pushed back toward fossil fuels. This could increase pollution, raise costs, and widen health disparities tied to air quality and heat exposure.
Related: Vermont defends landmark climate law as Trump administration and oil industry sue
More than half of Americans believe extreme weather is growing worse, and nearly a third fear they’ll be directly affected, according to a new national poll.
In short:
Key quote:
"Record-breaking heat waves on land and in the ocean, drenching rains, severe floods, years-long droughts, extreme wildfires, and widespread flooding during hurricanes are all becoming more frequent and more intense."
— NASA report
Why this matters:
As the planet warms, scientists warn that what once were rare weather events are becoming regular threats. Flash floods, prolonged droughts, and searing heat waves can devastate infrastructure, disrupt food and water systems, and endanger human health—especially for low-income communities and people with chronic illness. The public’s growing fear reflects not just news coverage but lived experience: heat domes in the Pacific Northwest, toxic smoke from Canadian wildfires, and historic flooding in places like Texas Hill Country. These events also strain emergency services, raise insurance costs, and threaten the habitability of some regions. Public concern may be growing, but without policy change and reduced fossil fuel use, the physical toll of climate disruption will keep rising.
The Trump administration’s decision to halt climate science funding and dismantle research infrastructure has already begun to upend major projects, forcing scientists to abandon long-term studies and scaling back the U.S. role in international climate assessments.
In short:
Key quote:
“We’re getting a message loud and clear from this administration: Climate and environmental research are not welcome in this country.”
— Jacquelyn Gill, professor of paleoecology and plant ecology, University of Maine
Why this matters:
Climate research depends on consistent funding and uninterrupted data collection, often over decades. Interruptions to programs like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's carbon monitoring or the Global Change Research Program mean critical gaps in understanding the pace and scope of climate change. The removal of public-facing resources like Climate.gov also restricts access to reliable information, affecting everyone from educators to emergency planners. At the same time, other countries are accelerating climate research and renewable investments, putting the U.S. at a global disadvantage. As the climate continues to warm — 2024 marked the hottest year on record — the decision to pull back from scientific inquiry and public transparency hampers the nation’s ability to prepare for rising seas, extreme weather, biodiversity collapse, and public health threats.
Read more: Major climate change reports vanish from US federal websites, raising transparency concerns
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.