Emissions continue to rise: Human-caused warming of the planet continues: both carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the global temperature average are continuing to climb. So far, 2026 is experiencing a super El Niño and record-breaking heat waves. Atmospheric carbon dioxide. World Meteorological Organization, State of the Global Climate 2025, p.6. Increase in global temperature […]
A tale in five graphs Read More »
Creating solar microgrids Electricity microgrids operate independently from the traditional utility grid and are especially useful in rural areas and aging urban centers. Microgrids have economic and resilience benefits and can be powered by a low-carbon combination of solar and batteries. The 2026 update to this Toolbox item reports on the completion of microgrids for
Toolbox updates on solar grids and methane bans Read More »
by Neil Auwarter Since returning to power in 2025, the Trump administration has dismantled clean energy incentives, lavished tens of billions in new subsidies on oil, gas and coal, and used coercive tariffs to pressure allies into long-term commitments to buy American gas. In March the Administration cut a deal to pay French energy giant
Trump’s efforts to slow global green energy revolution not working Read More »
Local Climate Actions Data centers, warehouses that contain ranks of computer servers and internet connection junctions, are the backbone of the internet and an essential part of modern infrastructure. The rush by big tech firms to develop and monetize artificial intelligence (AI) is leading to an outsized demand for new data centers. AI tools like
The data center boom Read More »
Climate action is thriving at state and local levels, despite federal roadblocks. We’ve added three new local initiatives to our Toolbox – explore the full articles and information sources by clicking on the summary titles below. Congestion pricing reduces city traffic, emissions and pollution Traffic jams aren’t just annoying — they cost the U.S. economy
New Toolbox actions Read More »
Local Climate Action The renewable energy transition needs a number of raw materials for batteries, electric motors and general electrification, which are mined from the earth as minerals and then processed into a purer form for manufacturing. Mines and processing plants can take years to develop, and many of the current supply chains are controlled
Expanding renewable energy means new mining of critical materials–but not at any cost Read More »
Local Climate Action A transition to a world based on renewable electricity has a potential bottleneck — the need for inexpensive and readily available rare earths. The rare earths (actually metals) are a family of 17 elements, most of them in a row called the lanthanides in the lower part of the periodic table. According
Rare earths are critical minerals for green energy transition Read More »
From the Climate Activist newsletter The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, one of the Biden administration’s signature climate achievements, includes a wonky but exciting opportunity for tax-exempt organizations to get tax credits for investing in climate-friendly infrastructure. Businesses and homeowners that install solar panels, heat pumps, or other energy efficiency upgrades are eligible for
IRA includes groundbreaking ‘direct pay’ incentives for climate-friendly projects Read More »
From the Climate Activist newsletter Acting on our urgent need to stop burning fossil fuels will require major changes. The natural gas (methane) industry and utilities that deliver gas to customers must be restricted, and in the end replaced, by systems that produce and deliver renewable electricity. The natural gas industry is not going without
Demise of the Berkeley residential gas ban isn’t the end of the story Read More »
by Finley Harckham It wasn’t long after my daughter was born that I became hyper aware of just how prevalent gas powered leaf blowers (GPLB) are: first in my neighborhood in Los Angeles, and then even more so, in the New England suburb we moved to. Before becoming a parent, I’ll admit I didn’t give
A nightmare on our streets – fighting the insidious gas-powered leaf blower Read More »
