climate emergency

an image of a doctor holding a stethoscope up to globe

Ahead of climate conference, U.S. House panel tussles over curbs on emissions

BY: - November 30, 2023

Republicans on a U.S. House panel argued Wednesday against aggressive moves to meet carbon reduction goals, saying U.S. fossil fuel companies are working to make their products cleaner. Democrats on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Minerals countered that to achieve further reductions, federal policies should be continued […]

a large Citgo refinery

Reliability v. sustainability: Inside the debate over the EPA’s proposed carbon rules

BY: - November 21, 2023

Electric reliability has been a hot topic lately — from congressional hearings to regulatory agencies and at the regional transmission organizations that run the electric grid in much of the country. The American electric grid is undergoing a major change, prodded by state and federal decarbonization policies, market forces pushing cheaper and cleaner forms of […]

COMMENTARY
aerial view of Maui, Hawaii wildfire damage

In an era chockful of crises, this one dwarfs all others

BY: - August 15, 2023

The world of policy and politics is one that lends itself to urgent, even alarmist, appeals and calls to action. If you’ve ever supported a cause or contributed to a politician’s campaign in the recent past, you’re probably inundated each day with pressing pleas for money and assistance. On a typical day last week – […]

COMMENTARY
people at a water park

Weekend humor from Celia Rivenbark: The crazy summer heat

BY: - August 5, 2023

I thought I was looking at an enticing picture of gobs of strawberry jam ladled over a tiny sliver of pound cake. But something was off. The “jam” seemed almost violent, and the proportions were odd. Besides, who puts jam on a cake instead of frosting? None of this made sense. I scrolled up a […]

Gov. John Bel Edwards

Democrats push more resilient, lower-carbon infrastructure at U.S. Senate climate hearing

BY: - July 26, 2023

The changing climate is hurting infrastructure and the national economy, members of a U.S. Senate panel and experts said Wednesday. Members of both parties on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee agreed at a Wednesday hearing on the need for more resilient infrastructure that could withstand the pressures of a changing climate. They also agreed speeding […]

COMMENTARY

Trees and casinos: imaginary solutions to real and serious problems

BY: - July 25, 2023

Plant a trillion trees. U.S. House Republicans offered that idea last week as their plan for addressing the global climate emergency. And it’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry in response. Yes, planting more trees is always a fine idea, as deforestation is a big and deeply worrisome contributing factor to the world’s […]

farm machinery in a field

Effects of climate change on farming, federal spending explored by U.S. Senate panel

BY: - June 7, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. senators on the Budget Committee dug into the impacts of climate change on farming during a Wednesday hearing, raising concerns about what the next few decades hold for food production and the way of life. But Republicans and representatives of farm groups pushed back against increased government regulation. Brent Johnson, president of […]

a coal-fired power plant sends emissions into the sky

EPA again proposes power plant carbon rules

BY: - May 15, 2023

The Obama administration’s 2015 Clean Power Plan — intended to cut carbon emissions from power plants — was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.  The Trump administration’s much-criticized replacement, the Affordable Clean Energy rule, derided as a “tortured series of misreadings” of the U.S. Clean Air Act, was also tossed by a federal court. […]

the magnificent ramshorn snail

Some states hope to move climate-threatened species, but others say no way

BY: - May 11, 2023

This story is Part Two of a two-part series about a federal proposal to relocate endangered species outside their historic ranges. See Part One: Federal wildlife managers and ecologists weigh the risks of action — and inaction — to rescue species from climate change. North Carolina might need to move a snail. A tiny mollusk […]

Climate change is destroying habitats. But relocating species could be tricky.

BY: - May 10, 2023

[This story is Part One of a two-part series first published by Stateline about a federal proposal to relocate endangered species outside their historic ranges. Look for Part Two, which examines how state wildlife officials have widely diverging reactions to the proposal (with special focus on North Carolina) tomorrow.] Nine years ago, a team of […]

an Ohio windfarm

Special report: Despite urgency of climate crisis, several states see a backlash to renewable energy

BY: - February 18, 2023

BUCYRUS, Ohio — In four terms as a county elected official in northern Ohio, it was the most contentious issue Doug Weisenauer had ever seen. The state legislature had newly empowered county governments to drastically restrict wind and solar power development, a process formerly overseen by the Ohio Power Siting Board, and the meetings of […]