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  • Trump Administration Removes Climate Change Data, Sparking Outcry from Scientific Community

    Trump Administration Removes Climate Change Data, Sparking Outcry from Scientific Community
    2025/07/05
    This week, climate change has continued to be a central topic in both U.S. policy debates and global conversations. In the United States, the Trump administration made headlines by shutting down the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s federal website, which had long provided congressionally mandated reports and research on climate change. The decision removed public access to all five versions of the National Climate Assessment report and a range of critical information, sparking strong reactions from the scientific community. Peter Gleick, a prominent California water and climate scientist, called it an act of scientific censorship and compared it to book burning, warning that access to vital climate data will be more difficult for Americans. The White House has not commented on the removal of the site, but the closure underscores ongoing tensions about the role of science and transparency in national climate policy. This move comes just months after President Trump signed an executive order aiming to restore what he described as a gold standard for science in federal research, but critics argue that these steps have made crucial climate information less accessible to the public, potentially affecting preparedness for worsening droughts, floods, and heat waves, which have become more frequent across the country according to climate scientists, including those involved in the National Climate Assessment.

    On the legislative front, the Environmental Protection Agency, under current leadership, submitted a draft proposal to the White House to roll back the 2009 Endangerment Finding, a key rule that recognizes greenhouse gas emissions as a threat to public health. The League of Conservation Voters has criticized this proposed rollback, arguing it would weaken protections against climate pollution, increase risks for vulnerable communities, and further benefit polluters. These regulatory developments are unfolding as Americans experience more costly and damaging impacts from extreme weather, particularly heatwaves and wildfires that have scorched the West and South in recent years.

    In contrast to federal rollbacks, some states are moving forward with ambitious clean energy policies. For example, Oregon passed a law ensuring major industrial polluters bear a fair share of rising energy costs, aiming to protect consumers from dramatic rate increases during peak demand periods driven by both heat and data center activity. New Jersey’s governor also announced a substantial relief package to help residents manage high power bills as summer temperatures drive up energy use.

    Globally, climate change remains a major focus with the Asia Climate Summit scheduled for next week in Bangkok and major events like Climate Week in New York this September, as well as the upcoming COP30 summit in Brazil. These gatherings will bring together policymakers, scientists, and business leaders to advance international cooperation and climate finance, especially as extreme weather events and rising temperatures challenge communities worldwide. As the United States grapples with policy swings and the impacts of a warming climate, the global community continues to underscore the urgency of coordinated and science-based climate action.
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    4 分
  • "Navigating the Climate Crisis: States and Global Leaders Forge Ahead Amid Federal Disruptions"

    "Navigating the Climate Crisis: States and Global Leaders Forge Ahead Amid Federal Disruptions"
    2025/07/02
    This past week in the United States, climate change has remained a central issue as states and federal authorities continue to grapple with its impacts and the political controversy surrounding climate science. According to ABC News, a significant federal climate website managed by the U.S. Global Change Research Program was taken offline by the Trump administration. This website previously offered expansive resources and included the National Climate Assessments, which are congressionally mandated reports detailing the science and effects of climate change across the country. In June, the administration had also canceled funding for the next assessment and dismissed all contributing scientists. NASA is set to host the previous reports in an attempt to maintain federal compliance, but the shuttering of this site raises concerns among experts about public access to critical climate data at a time when accurate information is increasingly necessary.

    On the state level, however, momentum continues despite federal disruptions. The League of Conservation Voters reports that June saw significant progress in several states advancing clean energy initiatives, investment in renewable resources, and policies to reduce emissions. For example, the Oregon legislature passed a new bill that ensures large energy users such as data centers and cryptocurrency operations are classified separately, forcing major polluters to shoulder a fair share of the energy burden and aiming to control costs for ordinary consumers. In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy announced a four hundred thirty million dollar package designed to reduce summer power bills, a response to the spike in demand and rising costs during extreme heat waves, which are becoming more common with shifting climate patterns.

    Across the country, the last decade has brought more billion-dollar inland flooding disasters than the previous three decades combined, and the frequency of severe storms, droughts, and wildfires continues to rise. According to testimony before Congress, climate change is driving this increase, and such events are expected to intensify further as the planet warms. Research discussed in congressional hearings warns that by the year twenty one hundred, extreme rainstorms that were once rare could occur every two years, and coastal communities may contend with significantly more frequent flooding even on sunny days.

    Looking ahead, New York City is preparing for Climate Week in September, an annual event that draws global leaders to discuss solutions, report progress, and galvanize public action. Internationally, leaders in Asia and the Pacific are preparing for the Asia Climate Summit in Bangkok in July, where the focus will be on scaling up market-based solutions and leveraging new technology.

    The current pattern reveals a United States deeply divided on climate policy at the federal level, but with individual states and global partners pressing forward through regional action, new legislation, and collaborative international summits. The urgency is underscored by increasingly severe weather, mounting costs, and a growing need for both resilience and coordinated response.
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    3 分
  • Extreme Heat Wave Grips Nearly Half of US, Highlighting Climate Crisis and Policy Challenges

    Extreme Heat Wave Grips Nearly Half of US, Highlighting Climate Crisis and Policy Challenges
    2025/06/28
    Almost half of the United States is currently experiencing a dangerous and early-season heat wave, with communities across the central and eastern regions facing temperatures well above average for this time of year. According to Climate Central, the heat wave, unfolding from late June and forecast to persist into early July, is affecting approximately 174 million people, making it one of the most widespread extreme heat events in recent memory. Analysis shows that human-caused climate change has made this extreme heat at least three times more likely compared to previous decades. Cities including New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Washington DC, Louisville, Detroit, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Richmond, and Waterloo are all under advisories for multiple days of major to extreme heat risk. In some areas, particularly Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota, daytime highs have soared 20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit above the 30-year average. The Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and much of the East Coast are recording daytime highs exceeding 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity making heat index values surpass 105 degrees. Overnight temperatures are also unusually high, remaining 15 to 20 degrees above normal, which increases the danger because people cannot cool down, and this is setting records for warmest overnight lows in several regions. The National Weather Service attributes the intense heat to a massive high-pressure system that has shifted from the Southwest to dominate the eastern half of the country, creating a large heat dome.

    Meanwhile, there are significant policy developments affecting the US climate response. According to Politico, the recent absence of US officials at midyear international climate talks has been met with regret and concern by many countries, as global leaders grapple with the vacuum left by Washington’s subdued participation. This lack of engagement comes amid moves by the current administration to roll back key environmental protections. ABC News reports that environmental advocates are alarmed at the administration’s plan to repeal protections for 58 million acres of national forests, warning that opening these lands to development could have major ecological repercussions. At the same time, public support for renewable energy appears to be waning according to a new poll, with interest in solar, wind, and green energy tax credits declining, especially among Democrats and independents.

    On the broader global front, new scientific research highlighted by ScienceDaily warns that the world may be less than four years away from exceeding the remaining carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, underscoring the urgency for dramatic emissions reductions worldwide. Researchers are also sounding the alarm about ocean color changes linked to warming, which could signal more profound and far-reaching shifts in Earth’s climate systems. These developments highlight the interconnectedness of climate events, policy choices, and scientific findings in the rapidly evolving landscape of climate change.
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    3 分
  • Scorching Heat Wave Grips Nearly Half of the US as Climate Change Fuels Extremes

    Scorching Heat Wave Grips Nearly Half of the US as Climate Change Fuels Extremes
    2025/06/25
    Nearly half the population of the United States is currently experiencing a significant early season heat wave, according to Climate Central. Between June twentieth and the twenty-fourth, unusually high temperatures have blanketed the central and eastern United States, marking the hottest stretch so far this year. Human-caused climate change has made this extreme heat at least three times more likely for nearly one hundred seventy four million people, illustrating how global warming is directly affecting daily life across vast regions of the country. States like Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota are seeing temperatures running as much as twenty to twenty five degrees Fahrenheit above the average recorded from nineteen ninety one to twenty twenty. As the heat wave expands, cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. are facing multiple days of major to extreme heat risks. Daytime highs across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, and along much of the East Coast have exceeded ninety five to one hundred degrees, with heat index values topping one hundred five degrees in some regions. This combination of extreme heat and high humidity has sharply increased the threat of heat-related illness, especially since overnight low temperatures—often a time when people and infrastructure cool down—have remained fifteen to twenty degrees above normal, sometimes staying between seventy five and eighty five degrees in places accustomed to much cooler nights. The National Weather Service has issued warnings for a prolonged period of hazardous temperatures, and records for both daytime highs and warmest minimum temperatures are likely to fall across several states.

    The underlying cause has been a persistent high-pressure system, which has already delivered excessive heat to the Southwest and is now forming a heat dome over the eastern half of the country. According to meteorologists, these patterns are becoming more common as greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in the atmosphere, accelerating climate change and boosting the odds of severe weather extremes. Meanwhile, globally, June twenty twenty five is seen as a milestone month for climate ambition, with momentum building toward COP thirty and new research initiatives aiming to bolster climate action, energy transition, and corporate accountability, reports the NewClimate Institute. While the Pacific Ocean has settled into neutral conditions, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the pattern of extreme temperatures, particularly in the United States, continues to underscore the urgent need for adaptation and mitigation efforts as scientific consensus shows that climate impacts are intensifying both nationally and around the world.
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    3 分
  • Sweltering Heat Wave Grips Nearly Half of the US, Fueling Climate Change Concerns

    Sweltering Heat Wave Grips Nearly Half of the US, Fueling Climate Change Concerns
    2025/06/21
    Nearly half the United States is currently gripped by a dangerous, climate change-driven heat wave, with experts attributing the intensity and frequency of these extreme events to human activity. According to Climate Central, an early-season heat wave beginning June twentieth is bringing the hottest temperatures of the year so far to the central and eastern regions of the country. The heat started intensifying across the Plains before spreading to the Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and much of the East Coast. This event is expected to continue beyond June twenty-fourth, impacting an estimated one hundred seventy-four million people, nearly half the nation’s population. Meteorologists note that the temperatures in parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota are running twenty to twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit above the average recorded between nineteen ninety-one and twenty twenty. As the high-pressure system, which has lingered over the Southwest for weeks, shifts to form a heat dome over the eastern half of the country, cities including New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Washington DC, Louisville, Detroit, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Richmond are forecast to experience multiple days of major to extreme heat risk. Daytime highs are expected to exceed ninety-five to one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, and high humidity will drive the heat index above one hundred five, significantly raising the risk of heat-related illness. Overnight lows, projected to remain fifteen to twenty degrees above normal, may break record high minimum temperatures from the Plains to the Great Lakes.

    This intense and prolonged heat arrives on the heels of a spring that, despite a cool May in some regions, still ended up warmer than average across the country. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center had forecasted well above average June temperatures for most of the United States, except parts of the southern and central Great Plains. While the South and East have seen plenty of rainfall and some improvement in drought conditions, the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains are facing below average precipitation, raising concerns about drought expansion as the summer progresses.

    Globally, June twenty twenty-five has marked a milestone month for climate ambition, with international events like the Global NDC Conference in Berlin and a global summit on climate change and human rights hosted by the University of Oxford. These gatherings are focused on accelerating climate commitments ahead of COP30 later this year. As authorities and experts warn, recurring patterns of extreme heat, shifting precipitation, and regionally variable drought are clear signals of a rapidly changing climate, fueling urgent calls for innovation, adaptation, and robust policymaking in the United States and around the world.
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    3 分
  • "Navigating the Climate Crossroads: US Faces Soaring Temps, Shifting Drought Patterns, and Evolving Energy Landscape"

    "Navigating the Climate Crossroads: US Faces Soaring Temps, Shifting Drought Patterns, and Evolving Energy Landscape"
    2025/06/18
    The United States is entering the summer of 2025 facing a number of significant shifts and challenges related to climate change. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, June is forecast to bring well above average temperatures across much of the country, with the exception of some areas in the southern and central Great Plains where temperature outcomes are more uncertain. The precipitation outlook is split, with much of the southern United States expected to see above average rainfall, while the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Northern Plains are most likely to experience drier than normal conditions. Drought improvement is projected in the East and parts of the Central Plains, thanks to recent abundant rainfall, but drought is likely to persist or even expand in the Pacific Northwest, Northern Plains, and California, where June is typically dry and above normal temperatures are expected. Arizona is also likely to see ongoing drought conditions, as the anticipated rainfall may not be sufficient for significant improvement, reflecting an emerging pattern of divergent climate impacts across regions.

    Meanwhile, the political and economic landscape for climate action in the U S remains complex. A surge in data center construction, rising natural gas exports, and proposals to cut clean energy tax breaks are raising concerns that American energy bills could rise significantly in the near future. The New York Times highlights that analysts view these trends as potential drivers of higher costs for consumers, while clean energy advocates warn that rolling back incentives could undermine progress on emissions reduction. Nonetheless, bipartisan support for community solar is emerging in states like Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio, where Republican lawmakers are sponsoring initiatives to expand access to affordable, clean power. Thirteen House Republicans have also urged the Senate to preserve some of the green tax credits established under the 2022 climate law, reflecting a nuanced and evolving political stance.

    Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels in the United States have reached new seasonal highs according to reporting by The Hill, signaling persistent challenges in curbing greenhouse gas emissions. In a related study reported by The Guardian, if emissions from the US power sector were treated as a country, it would rank as the sixth largest emitter globally, raising questions about the adequacy of current regulatory responses.

    Internationally, climate change remains at the forefront of diplomatic and scientific agendas. The United Nations recently hosted major meetings in Bonn to promote renewable energy adoption, while the University of Oxford’s Global Climate Summit earlier this month convened global leaders to address the intersection of climate change and human rights. Growing recognition of the need for coordinated action is emerging worldwide even as skepticism and misinformation pose ongoing obstacles. Together, these developments reflect both the complexity and urgency of the climate crisis as the US and the world navigate an era of increasingly visible and interlinked environmental, economic, and social challenges.
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    4 分
  • Extreme Weather Challenges and Climate Action Across the U.S. as Drought, Wildfires, and Heatwaves Persist

    Extreme Weather Challenges and Climate Action Across the U.S. as Drought, Wildfires, and Heatwaves Persist
    2025/06/14
    In the United States, the past week has brought a wave of significant developments related to climate change as communities grapple with the ongoing impacts of extreme weather and shifting environmental patterns. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, nearly 30 percent of the contiguous U.S. remains in drought, though this represents an improvement from the previous month. Notably, drought conditions have lessened in some southern and eastern regions following abundant spring precipitation, but substantial areas in the West, including California and the Pacific Northwest, are bracing for the persistence or even worsening of dry conditions as summer begins. The Climate Prediction Center reports that above-average temperatures are expected to dominate most of the Lower 48 states in June, especially in the Northwest and Northeast, while the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies face the threat of lower-than-average rainfall. Drought is likely to persist in Arizona and develop further in parts of California due to the climatologically dry nature of early summer in the region.

    Wildfire risk remains elevated, with significant wildland fire potential forecast for June across the Pacific Coast, Northwest, Southwest, and into the southern Plains and Southeast. These fire concerns are tied closely to the pattern of hot, dry weather and carry implications for local air quality and public safety. Meanwhile, states are beginning to respond proactively to climate risks. California has launched a first-of-its-kind solar project by installing panels over more than a thousand feet of canals, aiming to generate substantial clean electricity, conserve scarce land and water, and improve water quality, according to reporting from the League of Conservation Voters. In Nevada, lawmakers have enacted a new requirement for its two largest counties, Clark and Washoe, to address extreme heat in their long-term development strategies, a move designed to protect residents from intensifying heatwaves.

    Across the nation, calls for continued federal support for clean energy initiatives are growing. More than 170 local officials from 45 states recently signed a letter urging Congress to safeguard clean energy tax credits that support job creation and green infrastructure. Globally, June has also been marked by significant climate action, with the University of Oxford hosting a summit on the intersection of climate change and human rights, timed around World Environment Day. Scientists continue to warn of global consequences: atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have reached new highs, while a warming planet intensifies hurricanes and drought-fueled wildfires, highlighting the urgent need for adaptation and mitigation on both national and international fronts, as reported by ABC News.

    Across the United States, emerging patterns point to hotter temperatures, localized drought relief, persistent Western dryness, and a rising urgency among local leaders and legislators to take bold steps for climate resilience and energy transition. As 2025’s summer unfolds, the country faces a critical juncture balancing immediate weather challenges and the need for long-term strategies to address climate change.
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    4 分
  • "Pivotal Moment for US Climate Policy: Rollbacks, Drought, and Global Dialogue"

    "Pivotal Moment for US Climate Policy: Rollbacks, Drought, and Global Dialogue"
    2025/06/11
    Recent climate change news in the United States has highlighted ongoing policy shifts, extreme weather patterns, and global events that frame the conversation on climate action. In early June, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced the rollback of critical power plant carbon regulations and reopened loopholes concerning mercury pollution. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, these changes could weaken the limits on climate and air toxins from power plant smokestacks, potentially increasing greenhouse gas emissions and endangering the health of millions. The Environmental Defense Fund further reports that these proposals would allow more mercury, arsenic, and climate pollution, putting more communities at risk.

    Simultaneously, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate information portal, Climate dot gov, may soon go offline as staff resources decline, potentially reducing public access to vital climate data in the near future. This development comes at a time when up-to-date climate information is more critical than ever.

    The latest climate outlooks from NOAA and the Climate Prediction Center show that above average temperatures are expected across nearly all of the contiguous United States during June. The Northwest and Northeast are likely to see particularly high temperatures, continuing a spring season that was already warmer than normal in most areas despite some cooler weather in the central part of the country in May. At the same time, drought is expected to persist or worsen in the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, and northern Rockies, with new drought areas developing in parts of California and the Northern Plains. In contrast, the East and some central regions are likely to see drought improvement thanks to above-average rainfall.

    Wildfire risk remains elevated for June across the Pacific Coast, Northwest, Southwest, southern Plains, upper Mississippi Valley, and Southeast. These fire concerns are compounded by ongoing drought, warmer weather, and dry conditions especially in the West, highlighting the interconnected challenges driven by climate change.

    On the international stage, the University of Oxford hosted a global summit on climate change and human rights in partnership with the United Nations during the first week of June, bringing together global voices to address the intersection of climate justice and policy. Later this month, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will hold its 62nd session in Bonn, Germany, continuing the momentum of global climate negotiations.

    Altogether, recent developments point to a critical juncture for climate policy and its impacts in the United States. The combination of shifting regulations, persistent drought, increased wildfire risk, and ongoing global discussions underscores the need for informed action and robust public engagement as the effects of climate change become ever more apparent across the country and around the world.
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    3 分