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Burning fossil fuels linked to 1,500 deaths in Europe’s latest heat wave
A new analysis directly attributes about 1,500 deaths in 12 European cities last week to the intensifying effects of climate change caused by fossil fuel emissions.
In short:
- Scientists from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine used rapid attribution methods to link 65% of the 2,300 estimated heat-related deaths to human-driven climate change.
- The study found climate change added 2 to 4°C to temperatures in most cities, increasing risk especially for older populations—over 1,100 of the deaths were people aged 75 or older.
- Milan, Barcelona, and Paris saw the most deaths, while cities like Lisbon and Frankfurt were less affected, partly due to oceanic or geographic factors.
Key quote:
“Those 1,500 people ‘have only died because of climate change, so they would not have died if it would not have been for our burning of oil, coal and gas in the last century.’”
— Friederike Otto, climate scientist at Imperial College
Why this matters:
Heat waves now kill thousands across Europe each summer, but new science is making the human cost of fossil fuel use starkly visible. This research goes beyond modeling weather shifts, directly tying lives lost to excess heat driven by coal, oil, and gas. Older adults, especially those with heart or lung conditions, are most at risk. In cities that already trap heat and lack green space or cooling infrastructure, even a few extra degrees can overwhelm bodies and health systems. As the planet continues warming, the toll from extreme heat is expected to rise.
Read more: Extreme heat and wildfires surge across southern Europe as temperatures break records
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New hires in Department of Energy challenge climate science consensus
The Trump administration has quietly brought on three scientists who have long dismissed mainstream climate science, raising fears that federal climate policy may take a dangerous detour.
In short:
- Three well-known climate skeptics — Steven Koonin, John Christy, and Roy Spencer — have been hired at the U.S. Department of Energy after the Trump administration removed hundreds of government scientists.
- These hires could play a role in dismantling the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2009 endangerment finding, which underpins federal authority to regulate greenhouse gases.
- Critics warn the move could sideline proven science in favor of fringe views, even as climate disasters — from heat domes to deadly floods — intensify.
Key quote:
“What this says is that the administration has no respect for the actual science, which overwhelmingly points in the direction of a growing crisis as we continue to warm the planet through fossil-fuel burning, the consequences of which we’ve seen play out in recent weeks in the form of deadly heat domes and floods here in the U.S.,”
— Michael Mann, climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania
Why this matters:
The Energy Department's enlistment of scientists who downplay human-driven climate change threatens to stall or reverse public health protections tied to emissions and air quality. As the U.S. contends with extreme heat, floods, and climate-linked illness, decisions rooted in denial could carry deadly consequences.
Read more:
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A customizable survival kit for climate-fueled disasters
Grist has launched a free, customizable guide to help communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather events, hoping to close a vital information gap during disasters.
In short:
- The “Disaster 101” toolkit from Grist includes downloadable, plain-text guides that remain accessible during power or internet outages.
- It offers tailored advice for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and more, including specific sections for undocumented immigrants and people seeking mental health support.
- The resources are designed to be localized, allowing newsrooms, governments, and organizations to add region-specific instructions and contacts.
Why this matters:
When a hurricane barrels toward town or wildfires creep too close for comfort, the first thing to go is often the internet — and with it, access to crucial, potentially life-saving information. That’s the void Grist’s new “Disaster 101” toolkit is trying to fill. It’s a nimble response to a glaring flaw in the way we prepare for and survive climate-fueled disasters: The information we need most in a crisis is often stuck behind a dead Wi-Fi signal or buried in bureaucratic jargon. As climate-driven disasters grow more frequent and severe, access to clear, local, and actionable information can save lives.
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New poll shows Americans bracing for more dangerous weather events
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:
- A USA TODAY/Ipsos poll found 58% of Americans think extreme weather is worsening, with 30% reporting recent personal experience of events like floods or severe storms.
- While most Americans believe climate change is reversible, 56% think people aren’t willing to make the necessary changes; only 18% believe progress is being made.
- Political divides persist, with 84% of Democrats and 38% of Republicans expecting more frequent extreme weather, though concern is rising among all groups.
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.
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Trump faces youth climate lawsuit over rollback of environmental protections
A new lawsuit filed by young Americans challenges the legality of President Trump’s climate-related executive actions, aiming to push the case into open court in ways earlier youth climate suits have not.
In short:
- The plaintiffs in Lighthiser v. Trump argue that recent executive actions and environmental rollbacks violate their constitutional rights to life and liberty, and that Trump is acting beyond his legal authority.
- Unlike the earlier Juliana v. United States case, this lawsuit strategically targets specific agency actions and includes a request for a preliminary injunction to stop them during litigation.
- Legal experts believe the case could proceed further than previous youth-led suits, thanks to a strong factual record and a favorable judge known for environmental rulings.
Key quote:
"The danger is incredibly severe, existential even. But the idea that what the government is doing is it knowingly, deliberately putting these young people's lives in danger, that's really powerful."
— Pat Parenteau, emeritus professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School and former EPA Regional Counsel
Why this matters:
Climate litigation is rapidly emerging as a front-line tactic in the fight against environmental degradation, especially as traditional policy avenues stall. Youth-led cases like Lighthiser v. Trump aim to hold governments accountable not just for inaction, but for actively worsening climate threats. These lawsuits rely on scientific evidence showing how rising temperatures, wildfires, and extreme weather are harming young people’s mental and physical health. If courts begin to accept arguments that constitutional rights include access to a livable environment, the legal landscape could shift dramatically.
Related: Youth climate lawsuit challenges Trump orders boosting fossil fuel production
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Floods in Texas and around the world are getting worse as the planet heats up
Severe deluges like the one that killed dozens in Texas over the holiday weekend are hitting harder and more frequently, fueled by climate change and made deadlier by outdated infrastructure and shrinking climate research budgets.
In short:
- Warming air can hold more moisture, which means storms — especially in flood-prone areas like Central Texas — are dumping far more rain in shorter periods.
- The Guadalupe River recently rose from three to 34 feet in 90 minutes, in a storm so rare it had a 0.1% chance of occurring in any given year.
- While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to update its rainfall predictions to reflect climate change, the Trump administration has cut key climate science positions, proposed gutting the research budget, and dismissed the hundreds of experts working on the 2028 edition of the National Climate Assessment, which helps local communities prepare for weather extremes.
Why this matters:
Warmer air holds more water, which means when it rains, it pours — especially in places like Central Texas, where dramatic terrain funnels water into towns, roads, and homes with terrifying speed. Rainfall prediction models are based on the past, not the present climate, and climate science funding keeps getting slashed. So as storms get stronger, our ability to prepare for them is weakening.
Read more: Severe flooding increasingly cutting people off from health care
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Senate passes GOP budget bill, hampering US shift to clean energy
A Senate-approved Republican budget bill would gut core parts of the 2022 climate law, stalling clean energy growth and likely raising Americans’ utility bills. The bill now goes to the House for final approval.
In short:
- The Senate’s Republican budget bill removes a proposed tax on solar and wind but accelerates the expiration of tax credits for renewable energy, threatening hundreds of clean energy projects.
- While some renewable incentives for technologies like hydropower and nuclear remain, clean energy advocates warn the bill favors fossil fuels and eliminates EV tax credits and the methane fee.
- Industry groups like the American Petroleum Institute celebrated the bill as a boost to oil and gas, while Democrats say it will drive up costs and damage U.S. energy independence.
Key quote:
“If the bill becomes law, families will face higher electric bills, factories will shut down, Americans will lose their jobs, and our electric grid will grow weaker.”
— Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association
Why this matters:
The Republican-led budget bill, by fast-tracking the expiration of tax credits that have been driving wind and solar projects from coast to coast and slashing incentives for electric vehicles, effectively steps on the brakes just as the U.S. clean energy economy was beginning to hit its stride.
Read more: The real scam — rail against renewables, run away with factories
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