This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. It’s barely the middle of summer in the northern hemisphere, and heat waves are once again breaking temperature records. In the United States, dozens of cities sweltered through their hottest Fourth of July celebrations, with temperatures over 100 degrees F. In New […]
This story was originally published by Vox and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. On a sweltering June afternoon, I stood in what was essentially a roadside ditch. Sandwiched between a four-lane highway and the parking lot of a faith-based recreation center near Birmingham, Alabama, the ditch was filled with cool, flowing water, a bit of […]
This story was originally published by Yale Environment 360 and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Scientists have been documenting the presence of microplastics in our oceans and soils, in air, drinking water, and food for more than a decade. More recently, peer-reviewed studies have revealed the presence of microplastics in the human body. But […]
In his new book, Roger Hallam of Extinction Rebellion provides tools for effective resistance to climate collapse under repressive systems. Chris Hedges We are living in an age of climate collapse, which will most likely result in mass displacement and death, warns Roger Hallam, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion in the United Kingdom on this episode […]
President Donald Trump and other Republicans are threatening retaliation against Canada for the wildfires ravaging Ontario, smoke from which has caused hazardous air quality in a significant swath of the United States this week.On Truth Social Friday afternoon, the president accused Canada of “Willful Negligence,” vowing to add billions of dollars to existing tariffs against Canada to make up for the wildfires’ cost to the U.S.“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein,” the president wrote, “and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air.” Trump vowed to contact Prime Minister Mark Carney.Trump was joining a growing chorus of angry Republicans. Earlier Friday, GOP Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio proposed a bill to slap Canada with sanctions “in response to transboundary wildfire smoke affecting the United States,” which he called an “atrocity.” Before that, three Republican congressmen representing Michigan penned a letter warning Carney to take “immediate action.”Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada who also hails from Michigan, has sung a more temperate tune. On Wednesday, he described the more than 800 ongoing Canadian wildfires as “a shared challenge” that “demands a shared response.”“I commend the outstanding cooperation between the United States and Canada as we confront these fires together,” Hoekstra said in a statement. “Our two governments are monitoring and sharing information in real time—coordination that reflects our partnership at its best.… This challenge knows no borders.”Some obvious wrinkles plague MAGA’s blame-Canada narrative: A primary driver of the devastating wildfires is climate change, which Trump dismisses as a “con job.” Research shows that the United States is culpable for $10 trillion in climate damages globally since 1990. And Trump has systematically rolled back federal clean air protections while in office.