Climate

The Justice Department and F.B.I. are investigating $20 billion in climate funds, despite a top prosecutor’s decision that there was not sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.

Cutting down emissions of planet-warming methane from oil and gas production was supposed to be relatively simple. It hasn’t worked that way.

A massive superberg, four times as big as New York City, has halted east of the southern tip of South America.

Powerful thunderstorms likely to sweep through Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama

Severe thunderstorms are forecast to batter the southern and central United States on Tuesday, with a threat of tornadoes, damaging winds, blizzards, flash flooding and dust storms possible from the southern Plains into the lower Mississippi Valley and south-east.

Meteorologists warn that a line of powerful thunderstorms will probably sweep through Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and could include destructive tornadoes. The main threats are strong destructive gales, tornadoes and at least some areas of large hail.

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How do you stop people worrying about the climate emergency? By sacking anyone whose job it is to keep an eye on it. Chalk up another win for Project 2025

Some politicians go whichever way the wind blows. Not, however, the US’s esteemed leader, Donald Trump. He is such a force of nature that he can dictate the direction of the wind. During his first term, he suggested “nuking hurricanes” to stop them from hitting the country. A few weeks after that, Trump seemed to think he could alter the course of Hurricane Dorian with a black marker, scribbling over an official map to change its anticipated trajectory in an incident now known as Sharpiegate. Weirdly, Dorian did not end up following Trump’s orders. Hurricanes can be uncooperative like that.

Six weeks into Trump’s second term, the president hasn’t bombed any hurricanes, but he has nuked the US’s weather-forecasting capabilities. Last week, hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the US’s pre-eminent climate research agency, were abruptly fired.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

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Many people may be taken aback by reading the news headlines about hundreds of wildfires breaking out in the Carolinas and Georgia this week. The latest wildland fire outlook also shows extreme wildfire risks for the Southern plains, including parts of Texas and New Mexico. Unfortunately, hotter, drier conditions, coupled with gusty winds, are contributing to an early wildfire season, which already got off to a catastrophic start with the deadly, costly LA wildfires in January. The Trump-Musk regime’s cuts to crucial agency budgets and staffing will undoubtedly add to risks this year.  

Mapping wildfire risk

While wildfire risks in California have lessened for now, wildfire risk predictions in early February were already signaling the risks to the Carolinas. Here’s what the latest map of above-normal fire risk looks like for March. (And, yes, in case you were wondering, these outlooks depend in part on data from NOAA’s National Weather Service. Another reason why the Trump administration’s attacks on NOAA make no sense).

The latest wildland fire outlook report highlights especially high wildfire risks in the Southeast:

Most of the rest of the Southeast will start March off with unusually dry fuels for this time of year. The highest significant fire potential is expected to occur from the Florida Big Bend into western North Carolina due to impacts from Helene or other recent hurricanes, in addition to the longer-term dryness that has been the rule since hurricane season.

It also calls attention to high risks in the southern Great Plains:

Confidence is increasing in a high impact spring fire season across the southern Great Plains. The expected weather pattern and its impacts to the fire environment are of major concern, and at least weekly high-end wind events are plausible through March and April. Areas with normal and especially above normal grass loading will be most susceptible to unusually large fires

What’s behind the high wildfire risks?

The immediate spark for wildfires can come from fires carelessly or purposely set by people, malfunctioning power infrastructure, lightning or other proximate causes. But, once sparked, the background weather, climate and ecological conditions can greatly increase the risks of large fires taking hold and spreading rapidly.

Emerging dry and drought conditions are one of the classic precursors to an increase in wildfire risk, as we are seeing in parts of the southeast and southern plains now.

Another set of more complex factors is also highlighted in the latest wildfire prediction report: the multi-season, long-term effects of previous storms, droughts and bark beetle infestations.

For example, Hurricane Helene’s devastating impacts across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee damaged and killed trees that are now more prone to serve as fuel for wildfires and burn under dry conditions. The record-breaking rainfall that accompanied that storm also contributed to the growth of new vegetation that is now drying out, again adding to the load of flammable material. A historic drought in 2023 and subsequent pine beetle infestation are also now contributing to higher fire risks in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

All of these underlaying factors are affected by climate change, and they show how some of the markers for wildfire seasons are set well before summer, which is considered to be the time of peak fire risk.

April’s outlook shows that risks will remain high in the southeast and southwest. It also expands the above-normal fire risk to parts of Alaska, where abnormally dry conditions around Bristol Bay and Kodiak Island create high fire risk. As the report notes: If this trend continues into spring, there is the potential for a busy start to the fire season across much of southern Alaska.

It’s never too early to prepare for fire season

Hopefully, the fires burning right now will soon be brought under control and people will remain safe. If there’s one thing this potentially high impact spring wildfire season shows, it’s that it’s never too early to prepare. States and communities in these high-risk zones need to take stock now to make sure they have taken all the advance precautions they can to limit the risk of fires starting. And, should fires break out, there must be plans in place for how best to protect people from the dangers including safe evacuation routes if needed.

Policymakers at the state and federal levels must make sure adequate funding and resources are available to deal with wildfires, and to help fire-damaged communities get back on their feet.

Worsening wildfire seasons will also contribute to the ongoing challenges in the property insurance market, another hardship for homeowners and everyone struggling with the lack of affordable housing. And wildfire smoke is a health hazard that can affect people hundreds of miles away from the original fire site.

Trump administration budget cuts and layoffs will worsen risks to people

The Trump administration’s mass layoffs of thousands of forest service employees, combined with federal funding freezes that affect wildfire mitigation and prevention projects, are their own red flag warnings going into this year’s fire season. Across the board, indiscriminately cutting staff and budgets at agencies such as NOAA, USDA and FEMA that contribute to predictive data and wildfire risk mapping, firefighting, and disaster response and recovery will only make things more unsafe for everyone.

Instead, the nation must scale up investments in solutions that will help people this fire season, and in the future, as our climate continues to heat up.

While millions live with regular blackouts and limited energy, plants are being built to satisfy the global demand for digital storage and processing – piling pressure on an already fragile system

Thirty-six hours by boat from Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, Deodato Alves da Silva longs for enough electricity to keep his tucumã and cupuaçu fruits fresh. These highly nutritious Amazonian superfoods are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, and serve as a main source of income for farmers in Silva’s area. However, the lack of electricity to refrigerate the fruit makes it hard to sell their produce.

Silva’s fruit-growing operation is located in the village of Boa Frente, in Novo Aripuanã municipality, one of Brazil’s most energy-poor regions, where there is only one diesel-powered electricity generator working for a few hours a day.

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A backlash against climate initiatives appears to have resonated in conservative strongholds – and could influence future policy

• A country divided: five key takeaways from the German election

The empty factories in Plattling and Straßkirchen sit just 6 miles (10km) apart but they tell two very different tales about the state of Germany’s economy.

In Plattling, an ailing paper factory closed two years ago and put 500 people out of work – a casualty of high gas prices and a symbol of the nationwide “deindustrialisation” that conservatives have blamed squarely on the Greens.

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The Biden administration had sued to force the Denka Performance Elastomer plant in Louisiana to reduce emissions of chloroprene, a likely carcinogen.

The backlash against the electric vehicle company has intensified as the billionaire ally of President Trump exerts his power over the federal government.

Uncertainty over climate and economy means ‘investment portfolio’ approach needed, researchers say

An “investment portfolio approach” needs to be applied to large-scale tree planting across the world to reduce the risks of the wrong species being planted in the wrong place, economists have said.

Countries have made ambitious pledges to plant billions of trees to remove greenhouse gases and tackle global heating. The UK has committed to plant 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of trees each year by 2025 and maintain the rate until 2050, the European Commission has pledged to plant 3bn trees across member states by 2030, and the US under the previous administration committed to planting 1bn trees by the same date.

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Companies will never solve the climate emergency alone. The impetus for change needs to come from government

It would be very easy to be sharply critical of BP, given its sudden volte-face on its environmental commitments. Under pressure from a shareholder, Elliott Management, it has abandoned the green ambitions it announced in 2020 and pivoted squarely back to an overwhelming focus on oil and gas.

While easy, it would arguably be unhelpful, and perhaps even misguided. Because viewed in the round, this isn’t really about BP: it’s about capitalism at large, and its inability to respond to the climate crisis in the manner we need.

Brett Christophers is a professor in the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Sweden’s Uppsala University and author of The Price is Wrong: Why Capitalism Won’t Save the Planet

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

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Last week, I was invited to testify at a Congressional hearing entitled Leading the Charge: Opportunities to Strengthen America’s Energy Reliability. It was held by the House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs.

Ahead of the hearing, I submitted written testimony to the subcommittee. You can also watch the full hearing, including all the witness statements and the questions and answers afterwards. Here’s one exchange between Ranking Member Maxwell Frost (D, FL-10) and me.

RM @RepMaxwellFrost: "As the only economist among our witnesses today, how confident are you in Trump's promise to cut energy costs in half in the next 500 days?"@UCSUSA's Rachel Cleetus: "If that promise is predicated on what we've seen in the last month, I fear not at all." pic.twitter.com/9HOh7JYXmw

— Oversight Committee Democrats (@OversightDems) February 26, 2025

Speaking at this hearing gave me the opportunity to share the facts on the economic, health and climate benefits of accelerating our nation’s transition to clean, reliable, affordable energy, drawing on insights from research done by UCS and others.

Unfortunately, other panelists used their time to boost fossil fuels, bash pollution standards for the power sector, and give full-throated endorsement to the Trump administration’s destructive actions to roll back climate and clean energy policies. One panelist even engaged in pointed anti-science rhetoric, questioning the reality and harmful impacts of human-caused climate change.

Here are my oral comments, as prepared in advance.

Good morning. Thank you, Chairman Burlison, Ranking Member Frost and members of the subcommittee for holding this hearing. My name is Rachel Cleetus. I am the policy director for the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-partisan science advocacy organization.

I want to highlight three things today:

• Accelerating the transition of our electric system to one that’s modernized, more flexible, with more renewables and storage, is the best way to protect consumer’s pocketbooks as well as safeguard health, make sure that we’re competitive on the global stage and that we’re innovating as we go along. There are tremendous economic and health benefits from this transition.
• Doubling down on fossil fuels is harmful and it’s taking us in exactly the wrong direction.  And there is ample evidence that natural gas price volatility is one of the factors driving increased electricity prices, as well that gas-fired power plants raise reliability concerns for the power grid.  
• Today, in 2025, we should not ask any American to choose between their health and prosperity. We can have both and we should have both.

The solutions to many of the challenges we see today are clear: ramping up renewable, energy efficiency and storage, and investing in a modernized, more resilient electric grid will help cut power bills, boost business opportunities, and improve public health. Doubling down on fossils fuels will instead take us in exactly the wrong direction and only serves to promote the profits of fossil fuel companies at the expense of the American public.  

Renewable energy sources are now the dominant source of new power generation capacity because, frankly, in many parts of the country they are the lowest-cost source of new electricity generation. They are also faster to build. Last year, renewables and battery storage accounted for 94% of all new large-scale capacity, with solar and battery storage leading the charge. In 2025, renewables are on track to supply 25% of electricity generation. Solar generating capacity is projected to increase 45% between 2024 and 2026.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provide critical funding for clean energy investments that are benefiting communities across the nation by expanding access to clean, affordable energy, building domestic manufacturing and supply chains, creating good paying jobs, and helping to limit pollution from fossil fuels. In the past year, U.S. investments in clean technologies reached $272 billion, crucial to keeping US businesses competitive in a world where greener products are increasingly in demand.

The current administration’s actions to claw back or freeze this funding are frankly unfathomable. It is creating disruptions and market uncertainty for businesses that are trying to lean into opportunities right now. It’s going to result in ceding U.S. leadership on technological advancement. It’s going to cut good paying jobs and, ultimately, it’s going to harm electric reliability and increase energy costs.

Trying to turn back the clock and boost fossil fuels makes no sense. Market factors continue to drive ongoing coal plant retirements. Meanwhile, an overreliance on natural gas and volatility in natural gas prices increase the risk of higher prices for industry and for consumers. A rush to further expand LNG exports is only going to exacerbate those risks. And in a carbon-constrained world, these kinds of projects are likely to become stranded assets.

Recent extreme weather events underscore that gas power plants face significant reliability concerns, with the most catastrophic failures occurring in winter. Worsening heat waves and drought are also putting pressure on the electric grid, especially during summer months. Hybrid systems that couple renewable energy with storage provide significant grid reliability services, often more effectively than gas generators. During the heat domes that we saw last year and the year before, it was solar plus storage that helped save the day.

The power sector does need to plan and prepare for increased demand both in the near-term from data centers and manufacturing and in the long term from increased electrification of energy uses. Managing and planning for this demand growth to align with the expansion of clean energy will be crucial to avoid electricity price increases, reliability concerns, and increases in pollution.

We already are at record fossil fuel highs, whether it comes to oil or LNG. There is no problem in terms of expansion of fossil fuels unfortunately, even as the climate crisis worsens. What we need to do instead is unleash clean renewable power, the transmission to go with it, and energy efficiency.

The grid is desperately in need of upgrades and expansion. It got a C minus grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers. During extreme weather and climate events we’ve seen  power outages that affect millions of people and cause billions of dollars of damages every year. We do need to quickly expand investments in a resilient transmission system built for the future climate conditions that scientists are telling us are going to worsen. By significantly expanding these grid investments, we can integrate higher levels of renewable energy, provide reliability benefits, and help reduce electricity bills.

Modernizing the power sector also provides opportunities to clean up air, water and soil pollution from fossil fuel use. Targeted investments and programs for low-income communities and communities overburdened by pollution will help ensure that all communities can reap the benefits of a cleaner, more affordable, more modern energy system.

Burning fossil fuels is also the primary driver of human-caused climate change which is already exerting a deadly and costly toll on communities and businesses across the nation. UCS research shows that we can cut sharply heat-trapping emissions while delivering billions of dollars in consumer energy cost savings and public health benefits.

In sum, modernizing and cleaning up the power sector is vital for the U.S. economy and for its ability to compete globally. It’s also the best way to protect consumers’ pocketbooks and enhance the reliability of the power system.

(There are some differences between this version and the actual remarks I delivered, as I didn’t read my comments verbatim. You can read my full written testimony here and watch my testimony below.)

Project 2025, the far-right’s playbook for systemically reshaping the federal government, specifically calls out the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be “dismantled,” “downsized,” and “eliminated.” Calling the agency “the source of… climate alarmism,” it recommends the privatization of many of NOAA’s essential functions, some of which are congressionally mandated.

Although denying any knowledge of this plan throughout the campaign, the new administration appears ready to follow through. Roughly 10% of NOAA staff have been fired, with more layoffs expected. Confidential and proprietary data have been compromised, budgets are threatened, and scientists censored and ignored. And this is just the beginning.

So, what’s the big deal? How will this affect people in the United States, including those who support efforts to cut government spending? Through their mission of science, service and stewardship, the work of NOAA helps everyone in the U.S. every day. You may be most familiar with their weather forecasts, which are available to all free of charge (under Project 2025, you may need a paid subscription to get weather alerts). But NOAA provides so much more to every American every day.

Sure, NOAA lets you know if it will rain or whether you will need a light jacket or heavy coat. But the agency is responsible for so much more than that.

Your community’s safety and prosperity rely on NOAA

Your community uses NOAA products and tools to plan events and development. It relies on forecasts of hazardous weather events and blue sky flooding to protect property and save lives. Working with NOAA, towns and cities as well as rural communities and counties take science-informed actions to prepare for a changing environment and enhance their resilience to climate change and sea level rise. For every dollar invested in disaster resilience, informed in a large part by NOAA climate information, companies and communities avoid $13 in economic losses from extreme weather.

NOAA amergency alerts of severe weather events, like wildfires, tornadoes, and flash floods give people and communities more time to prepare, and protect lives and neighborhoods. NOAA scientists fly on the iconic “Kermit” and “Miss Piggy” hurricane hunters to collect data for more accurate, longer-term storm forecasts. Their seasonal outlooks and drought monitoring are essential for farmers to plan what and when to plant and harvest. Are you taking a commercial flight today? NOAA serves up aviation weather forecasts to guide your airplane safely and smoothly to its destination.

NOAA watches the oceans and coasts for you

Do you like seafood? NOAA inspects domestic and imported fish and shellfish products to insure they are safe and properly labeled. They also manage commercial and—with the states—recreational fisheries to ensure they are sustainable and productive for future generations. NOAA monitors and certifies seafood trade. Their research protects endangered species and helps vulnerable marine populations recover to healthy levels. NOAA also works to prevent and eradicate aquatic invasive plants and animals from our coastal and Great Lakes waters.

How about a day at the beach? NOAA’s monitoring and forecasts protect you from oil and chemical spills and red tides, from high surf and tsunamis, and from plastics and marine debris. They even provide a UV index so you know how much sunblock to apply. Going sailing? You’ll probably rely on a NOAA navigation chart to avoid shoals and hazards, and marine weather and tidal predictions to time your voyage.

NOAA helps the ‘blue economy‘

The nation’s thriving maritime industries and businesses contribute over 2 million jobs and $500 billion annually to the US economy. NOAA’s restoration and conservation projects protect coastal, wetland, and streamside habitats and green infrastructure, while boosting coastal resiliency and recreational opportunities, decreasing safety hazards, and creating jobs.

NOAA services and products improve the precision of marine navigation and the efficiency and safety of our ports and harbors. Ocean energy exploration and production—conventional and renewable—depend on information from NOAA to carry out siting and operations in areas and in a manner that optimizes their investment and minimizes negative interactions with marine animals and other economically important activities. Beyond traditional commerce sectors, NOAA’s New Blue Economy initiative harnesses the power of technology and big data to apply ocean and coastal data and information to our nation’s economic vitality, growth, and sustainability, and to address our societal challenges.

Marine sanctuaries and estuarine reserves protect resources and fuel local economies. NOAA scientists also study and forecast natural ecological events such as coral bleaching, marine heatwaves, and shifts in fish stocks that impact economically and culturally important marine resources and the people, businesses, and coastal communities that depend on them.

NOAA and national security

NOAA’s impact extends beyond our shores. It works closely with the Department of Defense (DOD) to protect our military assets and plan operations. Global weather forecasts are coordinated between DOD and NOAA entities, and NOAA informs resource management through dual use of DOD data and products. It coordinates with the US Coast Guard to combat illegal, unauthorized, and unregulated fishing and human trafficking. NOAA even goes extraterrestrial, monitoring solar activity and space weather that can disrupt electric power transmission, radio and satellite communications, and global navigation, as well as advising us when to expect awesome Northern Lights displays.

In short, NOAA is a critical source of factual, evidence-based, and unbiased information about our environment, communities, and economies. It helps individuals, leaders, and businesses make decisions based on science, not politics, alternative facts, or speculation. Because of NOAA, lives have been saved, property is protected, businesses are vibrant, communities are safer, and ecosystems are healthier.

What can you do to protect NOAA?

The threat to NOAA’s science, services, and stewardship is dire. The agency cannot carry out its critical functions on limited staff, shrinking budgets, and aging ships and satellites.

Call or message your elected representatives and remind them about the vital role of NOAA to you and your community. Contact your local news media; ask them to report on what is happening to NOAA and other federal science agencies and how it will impact your community and neighbors. Share your story about what NOAA means to you and how you are protecting it. And show your solidarity with federal scientists by sharing critical resources from UCS and other organizations.

NOAA has offices, labs, facilities, and staff in every state and territory, and overseas. If you want to learn more about NOAA in your state and community, you can download fact sheets about their facilities, programs, and activities.

NOAA remains a target to those taking a chainsaw to its critical government services. Take action to save NOAA in your state and your hometown.

Scientist sounds alarm over ‘canary in the coalmine’ species including beetles and spiders

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Donald Trump’s blitz on federal science agencies has increased the risk of endangered species going extinct, fired government experts have warned.

The new administration, and its so-called “department of government efficiency”, led by the billionaire Elon Musk, has fired thousands of employees at science agencies, with funding halted at the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

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Chaos and disorientation are the goals here. But we know what’s going on behind the curtain.

In the city of Del Mar, near San Diego, most agree the train tracks must move off eroding bluffs. But debate over its new route has stalled the project while climate change raises the risks.

Scientists are gaining new insights into how plankton supports life on Earth — just as climate change is changing everything.

The president wants to circumvent environmental regulations to expand timber production, something sought by homebuilders and the construction industry.

The environmental group, battling a multimillion-dollar lawsuit over protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, told the court it can’t get a fair trial.