Trump rolls back several key climate adaptation policies

President Trump has reversed several federal climate adaptation measures established under Presidents Biden and Obama, affecting national security, flood protections and vulnerable communities.

Christopher Flavelle reports for The New York Times.

In short:

Trump rescinded a Pentagon directive to consider climate risks in defense and national security strategies, dismissing previous efforts to address climate-driven vulnerabilities.
Agencies are no longer required to evaluate how climate change impacts federal operations, including risks to facilities like Smithsonian museums.
A program allocating federal climate resilience funds to disadvantaged communities was ended, halting efforts to address long-standing inequities in disaster preparedness.

Why this matters:

Climate change is steadily reshaping the risks faced by communities across the globe, with homes, infrastructure and vulnerable populations increasingly in harm’s way. Rising temperatures, more intense storms and unpredictable weather patterns are straining aging infrastructure and testing the limits of disaster preparedness. For low-income areas, which often lack the resources to recover swiftly or implement preventative measures, the stakes are especially high.

www.nytimes.com

A semi truck hauling a large gas container

Credit: Vladdon/Big Stock Photo

Industrial gas giants quietly outpace tech and oil companies in power use and emissions

Companies producing everyday gases like nitrogen and oxygen are among the world’s largest electricity consumers, responsible for 2% of carbon emissions in China and the U.S. Despite their massive climate footprint, firms such as Linde, Air Liquide, and Air Products have largely escaped public scrutiny.

Read the Full Article on

www.latimes.com

Trump rolls back several key climate adaptation policies

High stakes and hopes as leaders gather ahead of COP30

Democrats show early signs of winning energy messaging war

The U.S. is skipping this year’s climate summit. For many, that’s OK.

New York climate advocates celebrate Mamdani’s victory, prepare to hold him accountable

Record-smashing shutdown hits energy, enviro work

Intensive livestock farms fail to declare climate impacts in ‘emissions scandal’

Industrial gas giants quietly outpace tech and oil companies in power use and emissions

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.