Global solar installations up 64% so far this year
Despite waning U.S. support for renewable energy, solar power is booming worldwide, with new capacity hitting 380 gigawatts in the first six months of 2025—driven largely by China’s massive expansion and exports.
Hayden, Colorado, a small former coal town, is building a geothermal heating and cooling network for its new business park, aiming to attract companies while cutting energy costs.
Phil McKenna and Jake Bolster report for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The town is drilling 1,000-foot-deep boreholes to tap steady underground temperatures, reducing reliance on fossil fuels for heating and cooling.
- State grants and tax incentives are making the project financially feasible, with plans to expand the system as the business district grows.
- Officials see geothermal as a way to relieve stress on the electricity grid and support broader energy efficiency goals in Colorado and nationwide.
Key quote:
“We’re creating the infrastructure to attract employers, support local jobs, and give our community reliable, cost-effective heating and cooling for decades to come.”
— Mathew Mendisco, Hayden town manager
Why this matters:
By replacing fossil fuels with geothermal, Hayden could lower local energy costs, reduce emissions, and strengthen community resilience against extreme weather. As the geothermal network expands alongside the business district, officials are looking at a double payoff: easing pressure on the local grid and nudging Colorado closer to broader energy efficiency goals. For residents, it’s a reminder that energy transitions can be tangible, local, and, maybe most importantly, good for both wallets and the planet.
Read more: Labor and environmental groups can both win in the clean energy transition. Here’s how.
A group of Columbus residents is lowering the cost and hassle of going solar by banding together to buy panels in bulk through a cooperative.
In short:
- The cooperative model helps homeowners vet installers, understand contracts, and negotiate better pricing, reducing confusion and financial risk.
- Members of the Columbus co-op are expected to save more than $1.1 million in lifetime electricity costs collectively, with individual households seeing meaningful monthly bill reductions.
- The program is run by Solar United Neighbors, a nonprofit that facilitates group purchasing nationwide, giving homeowners access to expertise and competitive bids without pressure to commit.
Key quote:
“People want stuff like this, and they feel like there’s just roadblocks right and left, so when you have an organization come along to remove some of those barriers, people really appreciate it.”
— Andy Leber, psychology and neuroscience professor, Ohio State University
Why this matters:
With federal tax credits set to phase out, co-ops could play a key role in making solar accessible for more Americans while supporting the transition to a greener grid. For the Columbus community, the payoff is real, with each household seeing tangible relief on their monthly bills. Beyond the dollars, there’s a quiet health and environmental story: Less reliance on fossil fuels means cleaner air, fewer emissions, and a smaller carbon footprint creeping over the city one roof at a time.
Read more:
When a Chinese-owned copper mine in Zambia spilled toxic waste into rivers and farms, veteran lawyer Jingjing Zhang stepped in to help communities fight back, part of her global campaign to hold Chinese companies accountable.
In short:
- For half a day, 50 million liters of mine waste surged into Zambia’s Kafue River system, poisoning drinking water and wiping out crops and fish stocks for thousands.
- Zhang, dubbed the “Chinese Erin Brockovich,” has spent decades pioneering legal tactics to challenge polluters, now training lawyers across the Global South on how to confront Chinese state-owned firms.
- Despite official claims that the situation was “under control,” independent tests later found high levels of heavy metals, while affected villagers received only small, uneven compensation payments.
Key quote:
“Even if we lose, we show people that the law can be a tool for them — that they have rights.”
— Jingjing Zhang, lawyer and founder of the Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability
Why this matters:
Jingjing Zhang's latest environmental justice battle is part of a bigger story: the expanding global footprint of Chinese companies and the environmental wreckage that sometimes follows. While Beijing talks about green development, its firms abroad have been linked to toxic spills, deforestation, and contaminated air and water. Who pays the price when rivers turn toxic and farmland dies? In this case, the villagers in Zambia got a pittance, even as their health and livelihoods are left in question.
Read more:
- In push to mine for minerals, clean energy advocates ask what going green really means
- Mokshda Kaul on making the clean energy transition work for all
- ‘Living under this constant threat’: Environmental defenders face a mounting mental health crisis
A French startup is breeding billions of black soldier fly larvae to turn food waste into protein for fish and livestock feed, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on soy and forage fish.
In short:
- Innovafeed operates the world’s largest insect farm in Nesle, France, using black soldier fly larvae to convert food waste into protein powder, oil, and fertilizer.
- The company uses waste heat and by-products from nearby factories to lower energy use and emissions, but has not yet reached profitability amid industry bankruptcies and slow regulatory approval.
- Insect protein remains costly compared to soy and fishmeal, but offers potential environmental and health advantages if scaled up effectively.
Key quote:
“Being able to incorporate insect farming into waste management and use the by-products as safe and nutritious ingredients would be great, rather than hauling so many trucks of trash out to the landfill.”
— Christine Picard, biologist studying insects at Indiana University at Indianapolis
Why this matters:
Nearly one-third of all food produced globally is lost or discarded. This waste releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, when it rots in landfills. At the same time, the demand for protein to feed farmed animals continues to rise, driving deforestation for soy and depleting oceans of small forage fish. Insects like black soldier flies offer a closed-loop alternative: they thrive on waste, grow quickly, and can be processed into high-protein feed and fertilizer. While insect farming remains a niche industry, it could help reduce pressure on land and marine ecosystems and cut emissions — if logistical, regulatory, and economic hurdles can be overcome.
Related: Food waste management practices in hospital: potential for increased environmental sustainability
After a 2020 oil spill devastated marine life and livelihoods in southeast Mauritius, a group of women turned to farming and built a thriving agricultural collective from ruined coastal land.
In short:
- When the MV Wakashio spilled 1,000 tons of fuel oil into protected coastal waters in 2020, it destroyed marine ecosystems and the local fishing economy in Pointe d’Esny.
- In the wake of the disaster, Sandy Monrose and other women formed the South-East Ladies Agro collective, receiving land from a private landowner and training in sustainable farming practices.
- Today, the women grow organic produce on restored farmland, generating food and income for their families while building a support system rooted in community and female solidarity.
Key quote:
“I’ve found something that keeps me going, and every day we’re getting food to take home. Here we come back to the source as women.”
— Marie Claire Robinson, trainee farmer
Why this matters:
When marine disasters hit small island nations, the fallout is often deeper than lost revenue or polluted coastlines — it disrupts entire ways of life. The 2020 oil spill in Mauritius, caused by a grounded cargo ship, blackened fragile coral reefs and mangroves, killed marine life, and abruptly ended generations of fishing traditions. Women, already marginalized in the local economy, were pushed further to the edge. But in adapting to the crisis, they also revealed a powerful shift: women turning to the land, organizing collectively, and practicing agroecology not only fed families but fostered resilience and healing.
Related: Tobago's oil spill crisis: a threat to marine life and local economy
When a Chinese-owned copper mine in Zambia spilled toxic waste into rivers and farms, veteran lawyer Jingjing Zhang stepped in to help communities fight back, part of her global campaign to hold Chinese companies accountable.
In short:
- For half a day, 50 million liters of mine waste surged into Zambia’s Kafue River system, poisoning drinking water and wiping out crops and fish stocks for thousands.
- Zhang, dubbed the “Chinese Erin Brockovich,” has spent decades pioneering legal tactics to challenge polluters, now training lawyers across the Global South on how to confront Chinese state-owned firms.
- Despite official claims that the situation was “under control,” independent tests later found high levels of heavy metals, while affected villagers received only small, uneven compensation payments.
Key quote:
“Even if we lose, we show people that the law can be a tool for them — that they have rights.”
— Jingjing Zhang, lawyer and founder of the Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability
Why this matters:
Jingjing Zhang's latest environmental justice battle is part of a bigger story: the expanding global footprint of Chinese companies and the environmental wreckage that sometimes follows. While Beijing talks about green development, its firms abroad have been linked to toxic spills, deforestation, and contaminated air and water. Who pays the price when rivers turn toxic and farmland dies? In this case, the villagers in Zambia got a pittance, even as their health and livelihoods are left in question.
Read more:
- In push to mine for minerals, clean energy advocates ask what going green really means
- Mokshda Kaul on making the clean energy transition work for all
- ‘Living under this constant threat’: Environmental defenders face a mounting mental health crisis
As Spain swelters under record-breaking temperatures, centuries-old coping methods — from siestas to thick-walled homes — offer practical lessons for a warming Europe.
Jason Horowitz and Ilvy Njiokiktjien report for The New York Times.
In short:
- Seville uses traditional shading, thick walls, and controlled airflow techniques dating back to ancient Persia to keep indoor spaces dozens of degrees cooler than outside.
- Hospitals and workplaces are updating these ancient cooling principles, combining water-cooled systems with modern technology to protect patients, equipment, and workers.
- Public health measures now include home visits to vulnerable older adults, labor regulations for outdoor work, and lifestyle adjustments like shifting children’s play to nighttime.
Key quote:
“The climate is changing, and it’s us who have to adapt to it — not the other way around.”
— Manuel Morales, wholesale market worker in Seville
Why this matters:
Spain’s blend of historical wisdom and modern solutions shows how communities can survive — and even thrive — while climate change turns up the heat. High temperatures can be deadly, especially for the elderly. In Seville and other Spanish cities, the sun can scorch, pushing temperatures into the triple digits and turning the city into a slow cooker. But Spaniards are responding by reviving centuries-old survival hacks, showing how historical ingenuity can meet modern crises. In an era of intensifying heat waves, Seville’s blend of tradition and science offers a lesson for a world running hotter and faster than ever.Read more:
Small plots in cities are being transformed into layered food forests, giving residents a chance to harvest fruits and nuts while supporting local ecosystems.
In short:
- Food forests combine edible trees, shrubs, and plants in multilayered arrangements that mimic natural ecosystems, supporting pollinators and improving soil health.
- Thoughtful design — including wide paths, sight lines, and seating — ensures these spaces are accessible, safe, and enjoyable for visitors of all ages.
- Beyond nutrition, these urban forests provide habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife, turning underused city lots into mini ecosystems.
Key quote:
“You’re targeting different crops and trying to balance ecosystem restoration and food production, which I think we can do in the same piece of ground.”
— Lincoln Smith, founder of Forested
Why this matters:
The benefits of urban food forests extend far beyond the human eye. These innovative green spaces can improve public health by providing free, fresh produce and encouraging outdoor activity, while also mitigating urban heat and supporting biodiversity. In cities that often feel disconnected from nature, urban food forests offer a taste of both nourishment and resilience, proving that even amid urban sprawl, heat, and noise, communities can cultivate both health and habitat.
Read more:
In Southern California, a decades-long grassroots effort may soon convert a Chevron-owned oil site into a protected nature preserve — if federal support doesn't fall through.
In short:
- West Coyote Hills in Fullerton, once slated for suburban housing, is now partially preserved open space supporting threatened wildlife like the California gnatcatcher.
- Local advocates have raised millions to secure land from Chevron, but the final 483 acres are in limbo due to stalled federal conservation funding and a pending development permit.
- State agencies and conservationists are racing to finalize the deal, arguing that preserving the land provides ecological, climate, and public safety benefits, including buffering wildfires.
Key quote:
“You can have housing, and you can conserve land. You might need to think creatively, but it can be done.”
— Melanie Schlotterbeck, a stewardship consultant with the nonprofit Coastal Corridor Alliance
Why this matters:
This hard-fought, fragile victory hangs in limbo. Nearly 500 acres still sit undeveloped, their fate tied up in a stalled federal funding process and a last-ditch development permit. If that funding falls through, bulldozers could win where birds have only just begun to reclaim space. Preserving West Coyote Hills could cool surrounding neighborhoods, offer wildfire buffers, and restore ecological balance in one of the country’s most paved-over regions. But in a state where real estate still shouts louder than nature, the outcome is anything but certain.
Read. more: Wetland protections remain bogged down in mystery
After a coke plant near Pittsburgh shut down, children’s asthma emergencies dropped dramatically, giving scientists rare proof of what happens when dirty air disappears.
In short:
- After the Shenango Coke Works closed in 2016, ER visits for pediatric asthma in nearby Avalon dropped 40%, and respiratory-related visits overall fell 20%. The trend held steady over the years that followed.
- The coke-making process had spewed a noxious mix of benzene, sulfur dioxide, and fine particles into surrounding neighborhoods. Once the pollution source disappeared, so did many of the health problems — especially in kids.
- Researchers call the closure a “natural experiment” that provides unusually strong evidence linking fossil fuel pollution to real-time health harms, including new asthma cases in children.
Key quote:
“They’ve shown that the population didn’t change that much. The makeup of the population didn’t change. The only thing that changed was the pollution exposure.”
— Dr. Deborah Gentile, pediatric physician who has studied pediatric asthma near the still-operating Clairton Coke Works, located 20 miles from Shenango
Why this matters:
When the smokestacks went quiet at Shenango Coke Works, it sparked a stunning health transformation and an opportunity that gave science the kind of before-and-after data usually impossible to get outside a lab. When the pollution stopped, so did the damage. Fossil fuel pollution is a health crisis, especially for kids with growing lungs and zero political power.
Read more:
A massive páramo restoration effort near Quito is reviving water supplies and wildlife after centuries of degradation from overgrazing and development.
In short:
- Ecuador’s Antisana páramo, once damaged by over 200 years of cattle ranching, is now rebounding thanks to land purchases and restoration by the Quito Water Conservation Fund (FONAG), funded in part by Quito’s water users.
- With sheep and cows removed, the land is healing: Native grasses, wetlands, and wildlife — including foxes, deer, and even pumas — have returned, improving water quality for the city, and helping revive a key Andean ecosystem.
- The project is now seen as a global model for how public utilities, companies, and local communities can work together to restore natural water sources and biodiversity.
Key quote:
“It gives us hope — restoration is possible...even completely degraded areas, with careful management, can become success stories in restoring water sources and the food chains that rely on them.”
— Bert De Bièvre, technical secretary at FONAG
Why this matters:
Healthy ecosystems like the páramo act as giant sponges, storing and releasing fresh water to cities like Quito. Restoring these lands not only protects biodiversity but ensures clean water access for millions — a climate resilience strategy with global implications. Quito’s bet on restoration over concrete might just be the boldest blueprint yet for saving both biodiversity and the taps that keep us alive.
Read more:
- We must adapt to climate change. Can we do it in ways that solve other problems too?
- Nurses urge upstream approach to clean water and health
- Planting a million trees in the semi-arid desert to combat climate change
In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a nonprofit is using underground heat from a natural hot spring to operate greenhouses that grow produce year-round, even in freezing temperatures.
In short:
- The Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership in Colorado uses naturally hot water from a town-owned well to heat greenhouses, supporting local food production despite harsh winters.
- Geothermal greenhouses, unlike conventional models powered by fossil fuels, significantly reduce carbon emissions and energy costs by recycling Earth’s natural heat.
- Although geothermal systems can cut heating costs by up to 80%, high installation expenses remain a major barrier to widespread adoption in U.S. agriculture.
Key quote:
“Geothermal greenhouses offer a more sustainable solution by using the Earth’s natural heat directly for warming, greatly reducing overall energy use and carbon footprint.”
— Gina Marie Butrico, co-author of “Greenhouse Agriculture in the Icelandic Food System”
Why this matters:
As climate change intensifies and rural food insecurity grows, the need for resilient, low-carbon agriculture becomes more urgent. Geothermal energy, a stable and renewable source, offers a promising path to heating greenhouses without fossil fuels, cutting emissions while extending growing seasons in cold regions. Yet in the U.S., adoption has lagged due to steep upfront costs and limited policy support. Less than 0.5% of U.S. energy comes from geothermal sources, despite the country’s significant potential, especially in the West. In places like Pagosa Springs, where more than one in 10 residents lack reliable access to food, geothermal greenhouses could become important resources for survival and community health.
Related: Greenhouse expansion unexpectedly cools local climates
As storms get more brutal and tides creep higher, Boston is redefining how cities defend themselves from climate disaster.
In short:
- Boston is building a climate-resilient future with flood-ready building codes, nature-based defenses, and redesigned public spaces that double as sea walls — despite federal funding cuts and political inertia.
- The city’s 100+ projects are backed by a mix of local, state, and private money, while planners assume at least one meter of sea-level rise in their designs.
- Meanwhile, other U.S. coastal cities risk falling behind, especially in states like Florida where climate change is being scrubbed from official policy.
Key quote:
“We have to finish these projects sooner rather than later to solve a problem that is coming at us very quickly.”
— Brian Swett, chief climate officer, City of Boston
Why this matters:
Boston’s not waiting for Washington to throw it a life raft. The city is bracing for the kind of waterlogged future that’s no longer hypothetical, one where king tides slosh over sea walls and destructive nor’easters chew through neighborhoods with regularity. But instead of issuing dire warnings or hiding behind red tape, Boston is getting to work. The city is overhauling building codes to factor in future floods, and sidewalks, parks, and plazas are doubling as spongey infrastructure. As other coastal cities fumble the politics of climate change, Boston’s betting on pragmatism over paralysis.
Read more:
Copenhagen is rewriting the rulebook on flood protection with an ambitious plan to turn the city into a giant sponge — soaking up rain, storing it underground, and using parks, tunnels, and even bike shelters to manage the deluge.
In short:
- After a devastating flood in 2011 caused $1.8 billion in damages, Copenhagen launched the Cloudburst Management Plan, blending green infrastructure with massive underground engineering to handle future storms.
- Hundreds of new parks, bioswales, tunnels, and water-retaining public spaces now dot the city, reducing flood risk in key areas by up to 50% while doubling as urban gathering spots.
- Though the city is far from done, its “sponge city” model is now influencing cities worldwide and offering added benefits like cooling, biodiversity, and drought resilience.
Key quote:
“Copenhagen’s adaption efforts aren’t just technical and functional, but they’re social too. The infrastructure is aesthetically pleasing and experiential, like collection basins that are also skate parks and amphitheaters.
— Maryam Naghibi, urban landscape architect, Delft University of Technology
Why this matters:
By employing a forward-thinking mixture of above-ground beauty and below-ground muscle, Copenhagen's Cloudburst Management Plan points the way for many cities struggling to cope with a warming world. With extreme weather and rising seas threatening urban centers everywhere, the Danish capital's flood strategy offers a compelling example of how smart design responsive to local conditions can protect health, prevent disaster, and improve daily life.
Read more: People need shelter from climate change — their health hangs in the balance
Teens in western Massachusetts are joining Greenagers, a local nonprofit, to work outdoors building trails and protecting ecosystems — gaining both job experience and a deeper bond with the natural world.
In short:
- Greenagers trains high school students in trail work and environmental restoration, pairing them with college-age leaders to remove invasive species, build paths, and protect wetlands.
- The program saw increased interest during and after the pandemic, as parents sought ways to engage youth offline and outdoors, and participants often report long-lasting personal and mental health benefits.
- After the Trump administration cut AmeriCorps funding in April 2025, Greenagers stepped in to pay affected workers through summer, emphasizing its commitment to mentoring and environmental stewardship.
Key quote:
“My kid didn’t really want to go outside, or know what to do outside, and now they can’t get enough of it.”
— Will Conklin, founder and executive director of Greenagers
Why this matters:
As more young people report screen fatigue and rising mental health struggles, outdoor work programs like Greenagers offer a counterbalance rooted in physical effort, social connection, and nature. These experiences can foster environmental literacy and a sense of belonging — two qualities increasingly rare in a digital-first world. Studies show that spending time outdoors improves cognitive function, emotional well-being, and even sleep. Programs that combine stewardship and job skills can also offer pathways to future careers in conservation or science. In a warming climate, the ability to understand, protect, and repair natural ecosystems becomes not just useful but urgent, particularly for younger generations who will face its long-term impacts firsthand.
Related: Teen-run conservation group helps Minnesota youth cope with climate stress through action
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