Climate Change

... Yet, when it comes to the challenge of global warming, California cannot go it alone. There are economic considerations. As White cautioned in La Jolla, "If California remains something of a green island, then it will be that much harder and more costly. The ISO expansion project shows that." In political terms, he added, "it will also be much easier to be picked off… by those who want to see us fail." That could happen at any number of federal venues, suggested White — the EPA, FERC or Congress with budget decisions.

Last year marked the first time in several million years that atmospheric concentrations of CO2 passed 400 parts per million. By looking at what Earth’s climate was like in previous eras of high CO2 levels, scientists are getting a sobering picture of where we are headed. ...

China’s dominance in wind, solar, and hydro energy is growing as the U.S. is falling behind, experts have said.

From the Energy section:

A first-of-its-kind analysis of the health impacts in the U.S. from ozone smog pollution caused by the oil and gas industry found that pollution will take a toll on Bay State kids.

Forests could actually turn into a source of CO2, according to a study that paired climate forecasts with an analysis of records on more than two million trees across North America.

Politics, capitalism, and energy poverty are combining in strange ways across India. The result looks like progress—sometimes.

Fellow Kelly Sims Gallagher spoke recently with The GroundTruth Project about Donald Trump’s impact on the international relations of the Paris climate agreement, and what effect the U.S. election might have on climate politics in Europe and China.