
17 October 2023
Climate change and an aging population
New book explores how climate change impacts the elderly in unique ways — and how we can preserve their well-being and include them in solutions.
New book explores how climate change impacts the elderly in unique ways — and how we can preserve their well-being and include them in solutions.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is firing hundreds of staffers who worked to protect overpolluted, underserved neighborhoods, effectively gutting its environmental justice efforts.
In short:
Key quote:
“EPA is taking the next step to terminate the Biden-Harris Administration’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Environmental Justice arms of the agency.”
— EPA spokesperson
Why this matters:
Cutting environmental justice programs means fewer protections for people already hit hardest by pollution, from asthma to cancer risk, and continues a national shift away from addressing health disparities caused by toxic exposures, while leaving vulnerable communities even more at risk. It's part of a broader plan by the Trump administration to drastically reduce the EPA's budget by 65%, with significant hits likely for both environmental justice and scientific research.
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A former oil executive with ties to Elon Musk now holds expansive authority to reshape operations at the Interior Department, raising alarms among conservationists and longtime federal employees.
Dino Grandoni and Maxine Joselow report for The Washington Post.
In short:
Key quote:
“If Doug Burgum doesn’t want this job, he should quit now.— Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western PrioritiesWhy this matters:
The Interior Department oversees some of the nation’s most treasured natural resources, including national parks, endangered species habitats, and vast public lands. Its mission is inherently conservation-focused, but giving unchecked power to political appointees — especially those with ties to the fossil fuel industry — risks shifting that mission toward deregulation and privatization. The Department of Government Efficiency, though not a cabinet-level agency, is now deeply embedded in major environmental and public land agencies, prompting worries of political loyalty outweighing science or legal process.
Read more: Trump’s workforce cuts threaten climate protection in national parks
A warming Arctic is complicating Canada’s military operations, with unpredictable weather destroying equipment, thwarting training, and eroding the region’s role as a natural line of defense.
In short:
Key quote:
“Our first level of defense is leaving us.”
— Lt Col Darren Turner, commander of Operation Nanook’s land forces
Why this matters:
Scientists have long warned that the Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the rest of the planet, and the result is an erratic climate that swings from dangerous cold to dangerous warmth. This shift threatens not just military strategy, but also the Indigenous communities who live there, relying on ice roads and steady seasonal rhythms for food, travel, and survival. Melting permafrost is collapsing coastlines, flooding homes, and releasing long-trapped greenhouse gases. And as polar thaw opens sea routes to cargo and military ships, the Arctic’s strategic importance increases — while its livability and habitability decrease. What was once one of Earth’s most formidable natural fortresses is becoming a front line of climate disruption.
Read more: Polar bears are increasingly exposed to diseases due to warming Arctic
The World Bank has scaled back public climate advocacy as it navigates the political risks posed by President Trump’s administration and its review of U.S. involvement in global institutions.
In short:
Key quote:
“Now, do you want to scream this all loudly? Probably not in this environment. You don’t get much from doing that.”
— Samir Suleymanov, former World Bank official
Why this matters:
The World Bank’s subtle shift in tone reflects how environmental priorities are increasingly shaped by political pressure, especially from the U.S., its largest shareholder. With climate change continuing to drive extreme weather, food insecurity, and displacement, development banks play a critical role in funding clean energy and adaptation projects across low-income nations. Yet the Bank’s pivot away from vocal climate advocacy raises questions about whether financial institutions can maintain credibility with developing countries while appeasing donor governments that are retreating from global climate leadership.
Related: Banks revise climate goals as shift toward net-zero stalls globally
A growing number of evangelical churches and universities in Indiana are embracing renewable energy and environmental stewardship as a religious duty, reframing climate action through a spiritual lens.
In short:
Key quote:
“It’s a quiet movement.”
— Rev. Jeremy Summers, director of church and community engagement for the Evangelical Environmental Network
Why this matters:
The intersection of faith and environmental action challenges longstanding cultural divides in the climate conversation. Evangelical communities — historically less engaged on climate issues — hold substantial political and social influence, particularly across the Midwest and South. Framing sustainability as a religious obligation sidesteps partisan divides and invites wider participation. These faith-led movements can help shift attitudes in rural and suburban America, where skepticism of climate science and federal intervention runs high. And as the environmental impacts of fossil fuel dependence grow — heatwaves, water scarcity, air pollution— the health and well-being of families in these communities are increasingly at stake.
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Two lawsuits allege that major insurance companies coordinated to drop coverage in wildfire-prone California areas, pushing homeowners onto a costly, state-backed insurance plan.
In short:
Key quote:
“By colluding to push plaintiffs and so many like them to the FAIR Plan, the defendants have reaped the benefits of high premiums while depriving homeowners of coverage that they were ready, willing, and able to purchase to ensure that they could recover after a disaster like January’s wildfires.”
— Michael J. Bidart, attorney for homeowners
Why this matters:
California’s wildfire insurance crisis is a growing threat to financial stability and community resilience. As wildfires intensify due to climate change, insurers are increasingly pulling out of high-risk areas, leaving homeowners to rely on the FAIR Plan, a state-mandated program with higher premiums and weaker protection. This shift disproportionately impacts working- and middle-class families who can't absorb rebuilding costs or risk losing their homes entirely. With over half a million homes now on emergency coverage, the state faces mounting pressure to protect its residents from both the flames and financial fallout.
Related: Trump tariffs and extreme weather could send home insurance costs soaring
A tweak in tax law that made clean energy credits transferable has helped small developers build solar and wind projects in low-income areas, but congressional Republicans may roll back the benefit as part of federal budget talks.
In short:
Key quote:
“Transferability was a godsend in many ways, because it simplified the process.”
— Derek Silverman, co-founder of Basis Climate
Why this matters:
Renewable energy development has long skewed toward wealthier regions and large corporate players. Making federal tax credits transferable leveled the playing field, especially for community-based solar cooperatives and projects serving tribal communities and low-income neighborhoods. These credits have helped displace fossil fuel dependence, reduce energy costs, and stimulate local jobs without forcing developers to take on risky debt. But their future is precarious. Efforts to cut federal spending or reshape tax policy — often framed as budget tightening — could gut the very incentives that made these projects viable. Communities already bearing the brunt of pollution and energy insecurity may lose out if the policy is reversed. The next few months of congressional debate will determine whether this critical funding stream remains intact or fades just as it's starting to show results.
Learn more: Opinion: Trump allies aim to take U.S. energy policy back in time
"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”
A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations
“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”
“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.
We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.
Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.