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This article will focus broadly on “the Resistance” (the movements and constellation of forces that have grown up in opposition to the Trump administration and its authoritarian efforts), its political dynamics, and the role and posture of the revolutionary Left.

I start here because this new reality defines and delimits the nature of the class struggle in the United States.

Among other things, the second Trump administration (Trump II) represents the most significant one-sided class attack by the U.S. state and capital since the global economic crisis in 2008. Whatever its populist veneer, this is a government of and by the billionaires. To provide just one glaring example, as Thomas Hummel argued last summer in reflecting on the first six months of the administration, Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” carried “the largest transfer of wealth from the very poorest to the very richest in the country’s history, while at the same time it allocates $75 billion to ICE, in effect massively expanding what has effectively become a state gestapo.”

Now approaching eighteen months of Trump II, the attacks on Medicaid and food subsidies for the poorest of working class people in the United States have not yet been fully felt. The impact on the broader working class is being widely felt and continues apace, escalated by Trump’s trade and imperial policies. Last year’s decimation of the unionized federal work force is the single largest union busting operation for decades. Most significantly, the fascistic and racist violence directed at immigrant workers is the greatest qualitative escalation of an assault on this part of the working class since the mid-1990s, if not earlier.

All of this needs to be placed in the broader crisis of late neoliberalism. For capital, the challenges of re-establishing systemic profitability in a global system marked by sluggish growth, at best, and built on unsustainable and contradictory fiscal and monetary policy, has provided an opening to the far right. The results internationally have been a spectacular, dangerous, and reciprocally impactful reworking of the global imperialist system.

In the United States we are witnessing the demolition of the post–World War II state and political order. As a result, some of the most acute fights over the last few years, and therefore some of the biggest social movements, have been about basic democratic rights—the right to organize, assemble, and protest (for example, the Palestine movement and campus repression generally), the right to basic bodily autonomy and freedom (trans health care), the right to representation and equal protection under the law (attacks on voting rights and so-called DEI, fights against racial profiling and warrantless invasions by ICE). These are foundational class questions.

As Tempest argued in an editorial in February 2025,

We should understand struggles against identity-based oppression as struggles against capital’s socio-material relations…

Donald Trump’s recent barrage of executive orders—which have targeted workers, immigrants, queer and trans folks, women, and those who are racially oppressed—give lie to the fact that struggles against oppression can either be tabled in favor of class-wide demands or somehow fought indirectly.

In addition, an even cursory assessment of recent “workplace” struggles— for example the nurses’ strike in New York City, the educators’ strike in San Francisco, the meat packing strike in the Midwest, or ongoing oil workers bargaining nationally—shows these to be fundamentally conditioned by the dynamic of Trump II and the post-2008 fallout. This is also true of the political developments and struggles within key unions such as UAW and the Teamsters.

The cross-class “Resistance”

Taken as a whole, the breadth and depth of these attacks and the struggles that follow, also mean that the Resistance has been likewise broad and cross-class. Even more than is generally true in our undemocratic capitalist republic, the opposition to this authoritarian trajectory in all its myriad forms has a mass character. The majority of the population opposes what is unfolding. The recent turnout at the mass No Kings protests is one good indication.

This has inevitably meant that the perspectives and strategies of the different parts of this broad, cross-class movement is being contested. Different parts of the movement reflect different politics and different class interests. Rather than stand on the sidelines of these broad mobilizations because of their liberal character and ties to the Democratic Party, the Left, including revolutionaries,  must be present and fight for our approach as a distinct current.

The recent experience in Minneapolis is instructive. All of these streams of social and class attacks converged in Minnesota, culminating in mass protests that forced Trump to retreat, fire his commander of the Border Patrol, Greg Bovino, sideline Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, and withdraw hundreds of ICE and Border Patrol agents. This uprising against ICE was based on a much more developed infrastructure of resistance forged over the last couple of decades. This was built through the George Floyd uprising against police brutality, union organizing and strikes, immigrant rights struggles, and indigenous-led climate justice campaigns.

And at the turn of the new year in the Twin Cities, the different perspectives and strategies played out, with efforts of the Left to consolidate workers’ assemblies and to continue to build more lasting infrastructure. At the same time, those sections of the resistance most closely aligned with the Democratic Party leadership (the mayor of Minneapolis, the Governor of Minnesota, the leadership of the police and sheriffs offices) sought to demobilize the movements, and prioritized stability and a return to an unsustainable status quo.

Yet whatever challenges exist in Minneapolis, the dynamic was in advance of most of the rest of the United States. In reality, there is a continuum across the country in the development of infrastructures of resistance. Most parts of the country lack the scope of organization that had been previously built in the Twin Cities. And like the rest of the United States, the militant minority and revolutionary Left remain small in the Twin Cities. This hampers the organization and politics of the resistance.

Local character and the fight to build a national resistance

Even granting the national character of Indivisible and the more nascent May Day Strong, the overarching dynamic of the Resistance is the extent to which it is defined by local and regional constellations of forces and organizations. Unfortunately, the Left lacks a counterpart to  national organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Congress of Racial Equality, or Students for a Democratic Society. This is especially lamentable in the lack of any national immigrant rights formation that could have taken the lead in the response to the ICE invasions and abductions.

While it is possible to generalize about certain common approaches within the Resistance generally, the contest over how best to build the Resistance, and therefore what the class struggle will look like in its specificity, depends on the relative balance of power among those organizing on the ground in a given city or region.

It is clear that dynamics in any given place can be highly contingent. Some of this is a result of how acute an attack a given city has faced. The invasions by ICE and the National Guard in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Portland, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Memphis, New Orleans, and beyond, have forced a higher level of organization and political contestation over the response of the movements. The extent to which Burlington, Vermont, has been at the center of important and high-profile struggles around immigration detention has impacted the character of its coalitions. Similarly, the decades of experience of immigrant rights organizing, and the memory of the protests of 2006, in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Diego, inevitably impacts the dynamics there.

We also should not underestimate the impact of the Palestine solidarity movement on the current organization and politics of the Resistance . Finally, the relative strength of the organized Left and its revolutionary and reformist wings plays a role that is often overlooked.

Unionization and the role of the unions

It is also important to note the role of the trade unions. This is especially true because it has been where the trade union forces are more advanced in organization and politics that they can have a more decisive role in giving political direction and shape to the local Resistance movements. Chicago, and the Chicago Teachers’ Union, offers the best example.

Despite the adverse political conditions nationally—including the composition of Trump’s National Labor Relations Board and the massive attacks on the size of the federal work force—the broader political radicalization has led to an increase in organizing and in overall unionization rates and density. In 2025, 16.5 million workers in the United States were represented by a union—an increase of 463,000 from 2024 and the highest number in 16 years. This represents 11.2% of all wage and salary workers, up from 11.1% in 2024.

This growth was roughly equal in the public (236,000) and private (227,000) sectors. Construction and Health and Social Services accounted for 70 percent of the private sector increases.

Nonetheless, the level of strike activity paints a more ambivalent picture with overall strike numbers either flat or down slightly. As Kim Moody argues, in recent years, “Strikes are, with rare exceptions, limited to when contracts expire and new ones are negotiated. That means labor’s most powerful weapon against capital is limited to a prearranged schedule like the union’s convention or the monthly local membership meeting.”

Thus, despite the uptick in union organizing, the role of the unions and their leaderships varies greatly but is consistently delimited by their structural role as essentially defensive organs of the working class. Especially in the context of the all out attacks of the far right and state, in the absence of significant pressure from broader movement and Left forces, the strategic and tactical conservatism of the union leaderships, and the depth of their historic ties to the Democratic Party coalition, will negatively impact their role in a local Resistance.

Thus, the role of organized labor, and the relative success or weakness historically of the Left in building rank-and-file organization and class struggle and social justice unionism, impacts what roles the unions play, and therefore what is possible in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, or San Francisco as opposed to New York City, to give one example.

One of the impacts of this dynamic with the unions is that the calls for a general strike largely exist at the level of agitation, and have not yet manifested themselves in a realistic prospect for an actual general strike led by the trade union movement. This is not to minimize the importance—or breadth—of the actions in Minneapolis in January 2026 and its significance in raising expectations. Rather, it is to recognize the challenges we face if our aim is truly a South Korea–style mass strike (to give but one recent historical example).

Efforts to build national organization

Despite the inevitable local character of the broader resistance efforts, there is an ongoing struggle to forge new national organizations and coalitions and therefore a new Left. The two main organized currents of the national resistance are Indivisible and May Day Strong.

Indivisible was formed by two Democratic Party organizers who explicitly conceived the project to galvanize its base in struggle and then turn it to elections to defeat Trump and Republicans. It has staged the massive No Kings rallies. But, because of its ties to the Democratic Party, it has tended to exclude Palestine solidarity activists and has proved reluctant to even include opposition to the war on Iran. Its strategy is to turn those millions into campaigners for the Democrats in the midterms and 2028 presidential elections.

As we know from bitter experience, the Democrats offer no alternative for the vast majority. The people on those demonstrations are open to much more radical ideas and strategies, however, and should not be written off or left with no alternative but the liberal politics on offer from the front of the march.

May Day Strong was spearheaded by the Chicago Teachers’ Union. It has brought together unions, immigrant rights groups, other social movement organizations, and NGOs in a potential united front of working-class forces.

May Day Strong does include Indivisible and another liberal formation, 5051, and it is limited by the horizons of the left union bureaucracy. Nevertheless, it has taken an initial call by the UAW leadership, and helped put May Day back on the map, encouraged solidarity schools to prepare unions to stage political strikes against Trump, and pushed the slogan “no work, no school, no shopping” for this year’s May Day.10 Recent reports from May Day Strong is that they have decided to back off this slogan nationally out of opposition from the leadership of the National Education Association. Further evidence of the ambivalent role played by the trade union leadership. And in Chicago, the CTU and its May Day coalition are campaigning for the mayor to shut down the schools, and therefore to shut down the city, in a backdoor mass strike.

May Day Strong is the key national vehicle to advance the argument for a general strike to challenge Trump’s increasingly authoritarian regime. Its explicit model is the South Korean strike that blocked a coup and toppled the government. That said, it is not immune from cooptation by the Democrats through the trade union officialdom’s alliance with the party. And it does not exist in all cities and towns.

Despite its limitations, the Left should take up the May Day Strong banner, as it facilitates our ability to highlight the qualitatively new nature of the attacks of the far right and therefore the need for much higher levels of class struggle and strike action. Our challenge is how to forge similar local formations aligned with the national coalition. For the moment, it is our best shot to agitate for mass working-class action to topple the Trump regime and what it represents.

At a much more modest level, and with an eye to both strengthening the revolutionary left pole of the resistance and helping build a more coherent national face to this resistance, for the last year Tempest has been part of building the United Left Platform. The ULP was launched by five revolutionary and independent socialist organizations (International Marxist Humanist Organization, Socialist Horizon, Solidarity, Workers Voice, and Tempest), with a sixth (Speak Out Socialists) subsequently joining.

The driving motivation behind the ULP was two-fold. First, to amplify revolutionary perspectives and strategy in the Resistance. Second, to help build common defense in the context of “the unprecedented authoritarian assaults facing the left, oppressed communities, and the working class as a whole in the U.S.” In addition to some joint propaganda and meetings, the ULP helped launch the Committee to Defend Tom Alter, which has proven to be a vibrant and successful effort to defend one of the many victims of the authoritarian assaults.

Competing perspectives and strategies within “the Resistance”

At the risk of over generalizing, there are four main political tendencies within (and in relationship with) the Resistance. It is worth reiterating that often people have a mix of consciousness and will share aspects of each. This is part of the reason why there is space for political contestation among these trends.

First is the right-wing of the movement, best represented by the national leadership of No Kings and Indivisible. It is inevitably and unwaveringly pro-Democratic Party, and therefore electoralist. These forces often conceive of the fight as one of “rescuing democracy,” with the assumption that the U.S. state pre-Trump is what we are fighting for, a restoration of the post-World War II status quo. This is often (though unfortunately not exclusively) the side of the movement which encourages the use of U.S. flags in the demonstrations, who will discourage the discussion of purportedly “divisive” issues—like imperialism, Palestine, or trans rights—and whose purpose is to get Democrats elected.

As a distinct current within this first tendency, the social democrats share with the liberals a commitment to the Democratic Party and electoralism, though often couched as a strategic or tactical choice.

Second, the popular front wing of the movement, as against the liberals and (usually) the social democrats, conceives of their approach as a Marxist one built on a legacy of the (official Stalinist) Communist Party. They share a perspective of a defense of democracy, not based on a principled defense of popular democratic rights but on the idea that any project of building socialism has to be taken in stages. And that a “democratic” capitalist stage has to be consolidated before a real fight for socialism can be engaged. To this end, these forces actively and explicitly seek to build a cross-class political coalition with a “progressive” section of the bourgeoisie.

In the United States, this has meant building a political coalition with that section of the “progressive” capital that supports the Democratic Party and historically subordinates all other goals to winning elections. In its recent iteration, many of the forces supporting this strategy, including some of the leadership of May Day Strong, acknowledge the importance of independent class activity and strike action, but have historically ended up subordinating this to a pro-Democratic Party electoralism.

The third trend that is identifiable and worth mentioning is one that can be described as “ultraleft.” It often rejects participation in the broader Resistance because of its liberal or social democratic leadership. As a result, it can often focus on more adventurist activism at the expense of building the mass movement. In choosing to focus on a more comfortable or familiar, pre-existing radical milieu, and too often in choosing to conflate radical tactics for socialist strategy, it mistakenly foregoes politically contesting leadership of the class movement as a whole.

While it is understandable for newly radicalizing people to want to take action, and unconditionally reject the politics of the pro-Democratic Party trends, this current often ends up writing off the possibility of both winning other people who are newly radicalizing from our right2The biography of one of the leading organizers of the 1934 Teamsters strike in Minneapolis, Farrell Dobbs, offers a useful reminder of how people’s ideas develop in the course of struggle. Dobbs was a registered Republican, voting for Herbert Hoover in both the 1928 and 1932 elections. He was won from that position, to the politics of revolutionary socialism, in the course of the strike and spent the rest of his life as a leader of the Trotskyist movement. and the tactical importance of legal mass action.

Whatever our criticisms of its leadership, and the reactionary character of some of the liberal politics and tactics—insisting on not having speakers at rallies in some cases and in others platforming Democratic Party officials, refusing to countenance demands around Palestine, wrapping propaganda and demands in the U.S. flag, concessions around national and so-called border security, a refusal to acknowledge the crimes of U.S. imperialism— we should recognize the value of this mass action as a response to the class attacks and Trump II. The Left must use these mass protests as a place to meet, engage, and most importantly, organize people who are looking to take the struggle, in all its limitations, in a better direction.

Tempest is committed to a different, fourth, strategy, a United Front approach, one premised on a consistent and principled engagement with the class struggle on all fronts, including the defense of democratic rights, while rebuilding independent organizations of the working class and oppressed communities.

This is a strategy for forging coalitions for activism and action, and will inevitably mean working with forces to our right, while remaining opposed to electoralism and any subordination to the Democratic Party. It also means fighting for open, democratic organizing spaces where different political currents can freely argue for the best ideas, strategies, and tactics.

Given the relative size and weakness of the revolutionary Left, we see the importance of engaging the class struggle—with these goals in mind, and without hiding our principles—in as broad a political front as possible to best achieve our ends. This means working with other forces that do not necessarily share our politics and approach, in the interest of building our collective organizational capacity and winning discrete fights, all while helping to clarify and win an argument about what will best take the working-class movement forward. In this process we should be focused on helping to organize our class and social forces to build a new political party; one focused not primarily on elections but on giving voice and organizational weight to class and social struggle. This includes working to build both a principled revolutionary socialist organization and, using the United Front approach, to build broader socialist, worker, and popular organizations.

While it is true that the initial formulation of the theory of the United Front— in the early 1920s at a period of mass workers parties and with revolution on the agenda—is quite different from our own, the lessons from the period, and the approach overall, remain very relevant.

The post-2008 political radicalization has taken place in a period of overall weakness of the organized forces of the Left and after decades of largely one-sided neoliberal class war in most Western capitalist countries. The United Front approach is important in this moment precisely because it provides revolutionaries a road map for engaging in the broader class struggle. It gives us a chance to stand side-by-side with those newly participating in these struggles. And this allows us to engage and win activists who, given the weakness and lack of continuity of the organized Left, may have little theoretical, historical, and/or practical organizing experience.

Just as importantly, it also allows us to learn the lessons we collectively need to build stronger and more implanted organizations on the Left. In this, we should not shy from the value and importance of building self-consciously revolutionary organizations such as Tempest, so long as we are winning people based on this broader perspective and its importance in helping build a broad, effective Left and working-class movement and lasting infrastructures of dissent.

Opinions expressed in signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of the editors or the Tempest Collective. For more information, see “About Tempest Collective.”
Featured Image credit: Myotus; modified by Tempest.

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This week the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutional right to birthright citizenship for anyone born in the United States.

But the citizenship of the original inhabitants of these lands should never have been put into question. This country was founded on the blood of our ancestors who have loved and cared for this land long before the United States existed.

On July 4th, as we mark the 250 years of existence of the U.S., we must remember and remind others that unless you know where you have come from, it is difficult to know how to move forward. Our collective history of this land stretches back millennia.

Our ancestors built governments, created trade routes, organized multi-tribal sporting events, sustained communities, and adapted through profound challenges — including climate shifts, displacement, and attempts to erase our ways of life.

That resilience is not just our history; it is the wisdom guiding us today.

We have a collective responsibility not only to protect what we have inherited from our ancestors, but to help shape what comes next for the betterment of all.

The next 250 years begin with all of us. It is time to resist, reimagine, repair, reclaim, and rebuild. Together, we can create a future rooted in justice, equity, and self-governance that is people-powered, not profit-driven.

The challenges we face today did not emerge overnight. They are rooted in systems and structures established 250 years ago that were designed to serve a select few of the rich while excluding the majority. These systems are also premised on the limitless expansion and control of land and natural resources for the profit of a few.

Understanding that history is essential if we are to reshape those systems and build a more just political and economic system now and for the future.

Together we will keep walking with our ancestors toward a better future for all.

The post 250 years of U.S. history & thousands of years of Indigenous history appeared first on Native Organizers Alliance.

Registered nurses at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, Md., will hold a one-day strike on Monday, July 6, to protest the administration’s refusal to address RNs’ deep concerns about patient safety and staff retention. The nurses will be joined by U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume at their morning rally.

BLM Issues Records of Decision for Bakersfield and Central Coast Regions, Ignoring State Health Protections and Fracking Ban

BAKERSFIELD, CA — Environmental organizations across California are condemning Trump’s Bureau of Land Management’s issuance of Records of Decision (RODs) finalizing oil and gas leasing and development plans for both the Bakersfield and Central Coast field office regions — a rushed, legally deficient move that ignores California law, bypasses the public, and offers some of the state’s most beloved public lands over to the fossil fuel industry.

The BLM issued the RODs without allowing Governor Newsom the standard 60-day Governor’s Consistency Review period required before a federal land use decision affecting California can be finalized. That review exists precisely to ensure federal actions do not conflict with state law and policy — and this decision is in direct, flagrant conflict with both.

Among the state laws the BLM has chosen to ignore: SB 1137, California’s landmark legislation establishing 3,200-foot health and safety buffer zones between new oil and gas drilling operations and sensitive receptors, including homes, schools, daycares, and hospitals; and California’s ban on fracking, which prohibits the dangerous well stimulation practice that the BLM’s plans contemplate occurring on federal lands within the state.

The BLM’s action comes after nearly half a million public comments were submitted opposing Trump’s “drill baby drill” agenda onshore and offshore across California — one of the largest public comment mobilizations in recent memory. Those voices have been summarily dismissed.

“We submitted hundreds of thousands of comments. We organized. We made our voices heard through every legal channel available to us,” said Benjamin Pitterle, Director of Advocacy and Field Operations, Los Padres ForestWatch. “The BLM’s response was to rush through final decisions before the ink was dry and before the Governor had any opportunity to weigh in. This is what regulatory capture looks like.”

The agency’s plans open more than a million acres of California’s public lands and federal mineral estate to oil and gas leasing across Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Ventura, Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Merced, and San Joaquin counties — threatening communities, wildlife, drinking water, and air quality across some of the most pollution-burdened regions of the state. These are the same communities that already breathe some of the worst air in the nation.

“This insane proposal shows that the federal government is so obsessed with the idea of prolonging the United States’ fossil fuel addiction that it would open up lands within beloved state and regional parks to oil and gas leasing, as well as areas known to be completely devoid of these resources,” said Juan Pablo Galván Martínez, Land Advocacy Director for Save Mount Diablo. “This project increases economic, health and societal harm for everyone by increasing air and water pollution and making more frequent, more widespread, and more severe drought, fire, heat and floods caused by human-caused climate change even worse. We are ready to once again defend the beautiful open space of the Diablo Range and its highly diverse, unique wildlife and natural systems from nonsensical efforts to destroy it.”

This is the third time in a decade the BLM has attempted to ram through oil and gas expansion in the Bakersfield region, and the second such attempt for the Central Coast. Litigation previously halted both. 

“The Trump administration didn’t just ignore the public — it ignored the law,” said Ilonka Zlatar, a climate justice organizer with Oil and Gas Action Network. “Issuing these Records of Decision without the Governor’s Consistency Review, without regard for SB 1137, and without honoring California’s fracking ban is not just procedurally reckless — it is an affront to every Californian who has fought for cleaner air, safer communities, and protected public lands.”

The BLM’s RODs — issued under the Secretary of the Interior’s Order 3418, which directs federal agencies to maximize fossil fuel development on public lands — also rely on analyses that are more than a decade old, failing to account for the accelerating climate crisis, updated public health research on proximity to drilling, or California’s own sweeping policy changes to protect communities from fossil fuel harm.

This leasing plan threatens public lands near Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National Parks; Carrizo Plain National Monument; the Los Padres, Sierra, and Sequoia National Forests; and state and county parks and beaches like Montaña de Oro State Park and Port Hueneme Beach Park — places that millions of Californians depend on for clean water, clean air, outdoor recreation, and refuge.

The Last Chance Alliance is calling on Governor Newsom and state agencies and departments to formally object to these decisions and assert California’s rights under federal and state law.

Members of the Last Chance Alliance and allies said the following:

“We’ll fight this with everything we’ve got,” said Cooper Kass, an attorney for the Center of Biological Diversity. “It’s a reckless decision that shows who’s really calling the shots at the White House. From Ventura to the Bay Area, California’s public lands have always been a refuge for people and wildlife. We’ve got to protect these places and our communities from a government hellbent on lining this toxic industry’s pockets.”

“BLM’s decision to rush this process shows just how much Trump and the fossil fuel industry are walking in lockstep to the detriment of our public lands and environment,” said Nicole Ghio, California Director at Food & Water Watch. “Californians have made it abundantly clear that we don’t want drilling on our public lands and it’s despicable that the Trump Administration is so eager to disregard anyone who dares stand up to it.”

“California leaders won’t meet the people’s climate goals if they allow the Trump administration to vastly expand oil and gas operations on beloved public lands in already burdened areas,” said Miguel Miguel, Director of Sierra Club California. “Affordability goals won’t fare any better. These corporate giveaways are doing nothing to reduce energy prices. They block access to public lands, harm wildlife, destroy cultural resources and leave pollution in the air and water of communities who later often pick up the tab for the mess.”

“By ramping up the timeline the BLM is defying procedures that protect our public lands. America’s public lands are owned by We the People. A right protected by Congress. We the People will not see the profits from the oil and gas industry as we continue to be subjected to price volatility at the gas pump. We will see the devastation and destruction to the California environment. Once the drilling starts those areas will be lost to everyone,” said Ramona Cornell du Houx, Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) Communications Director. “Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) will do everything within our power to stop this apparent land grab for the oil and gas industry.” 

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LCA LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We acknowledge that Bakersfield is the traditional home of the Kitanemuk people of the Tejon Tribe. Part of our commitment to decolonizing ourselves, our language, and our organizations is a commitment to learning and better understanding the history of Indigenous Peoples of so-called California, including the history of contact, colonization and the extraction of resources from Indigenous lands which has been part of the continuation of modern colonization.

The post Trump Administration Scoffs at Federal and California Law and Public Process to Hand Public Lands to Big Oil appeared first on Last Chance Alliance.

EPA quietly unleashes three toxic ‘forever chemical’ pesticides onto America’s food supply Monica Amarelo July 2, 2026

WASHINGTON – Under the radar, the Environmental Protection Agency has approved three new PFAS “forever chemical” pesticides for use on crops, including one EPA scientists flagged as having “suggestive evidence of carcinogenic potential.”

There was no warning to the farmworkers who will handle these chemicals or the families who will eat the food they’re sprayed on. The EPA published the fast-tracked approvals in the Federal Register in recent days. The hazardous new herbicides – trifludimoxazin, diflufenican and epyrifenacil – can now be sprayed directly on major food crops, including wheat and citrus.

 “The EPA’s hands-off approach to pesticide mixtures is leaving families exposed to a cocktail of forever chemicals on their food,” said Varun Subramaniam, a science analyst at the Environmental Working Group.

“We know ultra-short-chain PFAS like TFA [trifluoroacetic acid] are accumulating in the environment and pose potential reproductive risks, yet regulators assess these hazards one by one and without considering the full range of potential health harms.

“The science shows combined chemical exposure can amplify health harms, but the EPA is consistently failing to enforce the extra safety protections legally required to safeguard children during pregnancy and early life,” he added.  

The Trump administration is greenlighting forever chemical pesticides at an alarming, unprecedented rate. In less than two years, the EPA has authorized five PFAS pesticides – including cyclobutrifluram and isocycloseram – effectively quintupling the pace of the previous administration, which approved just one over four years.

This isn’t just a policy shift; it’s a direct threat to the food supply.

Approved despite the EPA’s own warning signs

Despite the EPA’s internal data linking these chemicals to animal tumors and persistent water contamination, it quietly posted the approvals without informing the press or the public.

“Allowing an avalanche of new PFAS pesticides onto our fields will never make America healthy again,” said Jared Hayes, senior policy analyst at EWG. 

“Contaminating our agricultural fields with persistent forever chemicals does nothing to help the farmers who work tirelessly to feed us. By prioritizing corporate chemical approvals over public health, the EPA is actively undermining both our long-term food security and the very farming communities we rely on,” said Hayes.

Trifludimoxazin is cleared for everyday staples like oats, wheat and fruit. That’s despite EPA data showing the chemical breaks down into 12 persistent PFAS variants and shows “suggestive evidence of carcinogenic potential.”

Not content with three new approvals, the EPA wrapped up its overnight blitz by expanding uses for the notorious water-pollutant bifenthrin: a PFAS pesticide already classified as a “possible human carcinogen” by the agency.

In March 2026, EWG found residue of the PFAS pesticide fludioxonil was in 14% of all produce samples and in nearly 90% of peaches and plums, with fluopyram and bifenthrin also ranking among the top 10 most detected chemicals.

Peer-reviewed studies link pesticide exposure to hormone disruption and nervous system harm, potentially undermining the cardiovascular and fertility benefits of a fresh produce diet.

Even with the use of PFAS pesticides on crops, EWG stresses that consumers should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Despite the mounting risk from exposure to these chemicals, the answer isn’t fearing produce – it’s fixing a regulatory system that fails to protect people.

“A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is essential,” said Subramaniam. “Families should enjoy the significant health benefits of consuming produce while making informed choices to reduce pesticide exposure, particularly for children, without sacrificing nutrition."

This week the EPA also proposed adding six new PFAS, including TFA and other compounds that form from PFAS pesticide use, to the sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. PFAS pesticides are likely a major source of this contamination but the required nationwide testing would not begin until 2028.

What are ‘forever chemicals’?

PFAS are a group of thousands of human-made chemicals used in a wide range of consumer, industrial and electronic products, in addition to pesticides.  

As these chemicals partially break down over time, they can form other harmful compounds, including trifluoroacetic acid, or TFA, which is increasingly being detected in the environment, wildlife and people. One study estimates PFAS pesticide use in California could generate between 185,000 and 616,000 pounds of TFA each year. 

Emerging research links TFA to reproductive harm and immune suppression, raising growing concerns about its spread and potential health risks.

Regulators are largely flying blind  

An EPA analysis noted that 36 PFAS pesticides – 25 of which are registered in California – lack updated developmental and reproductive toxicity tests. Immunotoxicity studies are routinely waived in pesticide applications, despite growing evidence that PFAS chemicals are particularly harmful to the immune system.

“By the time these PFAS residues reach our plates, they have become part of a toxic cocktail that may suppress the immune system and harm reproductive health,” said Subramaniam “That raises serious concerns about the long-term health risks of using these chemicals on food crops.”

“We’re spraying millions of pounds of chemicals on food without understanding their full health impacts or considering what little we do already know. It’s unconscionable,” he added.

A peer-reviewed study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found PFAS pesticides are increasingly contaminating waterways, posing potential threats to health.

Pesticides containing PFAS are used throughout the country on staple foods such as corn, wheat, kale, spinach, apples and strawberries. They are widely used for residential use in flea treatments for pets and in insect-killing sprays.

Health risks of PFAS exposure

Very low doses of PFAS have been linked to suppression of the immune system. Studies show exposure to PFAS can also increase the risk of cancer, harm fetal development and reduce vaccine effectiveness. 

Some of the most sensitive harms from PFAS are to the human immune system, such as weakened antibody response to vaccinations and increased risk of infectious disease. But since 2012 it has been common for the EPA to waive immunotoxicity study requirements for pesticides, which limits the agency’s ability to detect such harms. 

This means the EPA is missing key, not fringe, health effects when considering the harms of PFAS pesticide exposure in regulatory decisions.

States leading on regulation

Some states are stepping up where the federal government is failing to act. 

California – the nation’s “salad bowl” because of the huge amount of produce it grows that feeds Americans – is weighing a bill targeting the rampant use of the PFAS pesticides. Assembly Bill 1603 by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank) would monitor and report the use of PFAS pesticides in the state. EWG is co-sponsoring the bill, along with other health advocacy groups. 

The legislative push follows a damning EWG analysis of state data exposing the sheer scale of the contamination crisis across California:

• Contaminated produce: PFAS pesticide residues were detected on 37% of California-grown non-organic produce samples, including a staggering nine out of 10 samples of peaches, nectarines and plums.
• Polluted waterways: Mirroring the food data, PFAS pesticides were found in up to 50% of California surface water samples and roughly half of all tested sediment samples.
• Massive environmental footprint: Between 2018 and 2023 alone, mega-farms and local growers applied 15 million pounds of PFAS pesticides across all 58 California counties.

What needs to happen now

EWG is calling on the EPA to reverse course immediately and stop approving new PFAS pesticides while the science of cumulative, low-dose exposure remains poorly understood. 

Specifically, regulators must:

• Halt new PFAS pesticide approvals until cumulative and immunotoxic risks are fully assessed.
• Mandate immunotoxicity testing for every PFAS active and inert ingredient, no more waivers.
• Treat persistence itself as grounds for regulation, regardless of a chemical’s individual toxicity profile.
• Assess cumulative impacts from the fluorinated byproducts shared across multiple pesticide products.
• Expand environmental and biomonitoring programs to cover all PFAS pesticides, not just a fraction.
• Require full disclosure of “inert” ingredients on all pesticide labels.
• End the practice of fluorinating plastic pesticide containers, a known contamination source.

###

The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.

Areas of Focus Food & Water Farming & Agriculture Pesticides PFAS Chemicals California Agency’s decision brings total of PFAS pesticides to five greenlit in under two years    Press Contact Monica Amarelo monica@ewg.org (202) 939-9140 July 2, 2026

CALGARY — David Pickup, director of the Pembina Institute’s Electricity program, made the following statement in response to the final investment decision of a large gas power project in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland:“Adding a new power plant of...

Open access notables

Warming climate has lengthened global intense tropical cyclone seasons, Liu et al., Nature Communication

Intense tropical cyclones (TCs), which pose serious threats to human life and property, often occur within a short period of time each year, known as the intense TC season. Changes in the lengths of intense TC seasons under climate change are critical scientific and socioeconomic issues. While trends in overall TC seasons have been widely studied, the response of intense TC seasons to climate change remains underexplored. Here, we show that intense TC seasons have been lengthening globally since 1980, with statistically significant increasing trends ranging from 9.9–13.8 days/decade across all basins, equivalent to 7.4–21.9% increase in intense TC season lengths per decade. This is primarily due to the enhancing probability of off-season TCs experiencing rapid intensification, which is partly driven by oceanic warming. Meanwhile, changes in background atmospheric circulation play a role in the complexity of intense TC seasonality change. As a result, off-season TCs are more likely to develop into intense TCs. The findings in this study indicate an increasing exposure of human societies to intense TC risks outside historical seasonal norms. This suggests the urgent need for preparation and mitigation measures for the potential risks of intense TCs under future climate change.

Abrupt permafrost thaw drives exceptional carbon release across the Tibetan Plateau, Jia et al., Nature Communications

Climate warming is accelerating abrupt permafrost thaw, driving substantial carbon emissions. Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) represent the most severe instance of abrupt permafrost thaw, yet their carbon emissions remain poorly quantified due to limited observations. Here, by synthesizing 4728 RTS incidents and 1862 in-situ CO2 and CH4 measurements from RTS-affected zones across the Tibetan Plateau, we estimate that the area of RTS susceptibility will expand by 17–19% by 2100 relative to 2022, driven primarily by precipitation changes. Compared to control areas, the ecosystem respiration rate in collapsed areas decreases by 14.4%, while CH4 release rate increases by 20.0%. The combined CO2 and CH4 release associated with RTS expansion increased 1.1-fold between 2016 and 2022. Under the intermediate Shared Socioeconomic Pathways scenario, carbon emissions from RTS-susceptible areas are projected to surge 2.7-fold by 2100. These findings highlight that abrupt thaw strengthens permafrost carbon-climate feedback in high-altitude regions, underscoring the urgent need for targeted permafrost protection strategies to achieve carbon neutrality goals.

Influence of seismic energy dissipation technology on carbon emission of building construction, Zhang et al., Scientific Reports

This study aims to simultaneously enhance structural safety and reduce carbon emissions using the seismic energy dissipation technology. Eight reinforced concrete frame structures with varying numbers of floors are selected as case studies in accordance with the Chinese design code. By incorporating additional energy dissipation devices, the required dimensions of structural components in structures with damper (SWD) are reduced compared with structures without damper (SWOD), thereby lowering carbon emissions and improving seismic performance. Both SWOD and SWD systems are designed for each of the eight reinforced concrete frame structures for comparative analysis. Structural component dimensions are calculated using SAUSG software, and key performance indicators, including the natural period and inter-story drift ratio, are analyzed to verify compliance with code-specified safety requirements. Engineering quantities and life-cycle energy consumption are quantified, including the production and transportation of materials, as well as construction and dismantling stages. The results indicate that SWDs reduce material and energy consumption, with average carbon emissions 17.4% lower than those of SWODs. This study provides a novel perspective on carbon emission reduction during the design phase and offers an effective technical pathway for the coordinated development of low-carbon buildings and seismic resilience.

Ideological drivers of climate obstruction and delay: political parties and public opinion in Spain, Ochoa et al., Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences

This study contributes to the growing body of international research examining how political actors strategically resist or slow down climate action despite scientific consensus. It combines a cross-sectional public opinion survey with a systematic analysis of political party manifestos. The study identifies clear ideological differences between parties and their supporters in regard to how climate change is framed and addressed. While most respondents acknowledge anthropogenic climate change and express support for stronger government action, significant segments resist lifestyle changes and consider resource extraction to be unavoidable. Left-leaning voters tend to emphasize collective responsibility and call for stronger public intervention. In contrast, conservative and far-right voters are more likely to downplay human causation, prioritize economic growth, and frame climate disruption as being driven by natural forces. Party programs across the political spectrum indeed mirror these tensions by promoting incremental rather than transformative measures. The Far-right nationalist narratives of sovereignty and securitization further serve to delegitimize mitigation efforts. The Old and New Right parties try to avoid regulations and thus oppose decisive government intervention in environmental matters. The findings show that political polarization plays a central role in shaping attitudes towards climate policy in Spain, in line with broader European trends whereby far-right parties promote climate delay narratives. The research also identifies that climate delay is a structural phenomenon, rooted in the intersection of ideologies such as capitalism, nationalism, and patriarchy, rather than a purely partisan one.

Negative partisanship, positive partisanship, and variation in climate policy attitudes on the political right, Huddart et al., PNAS Nexus

Conservatives are more likely than liberals to oppose climate policies, resulting in political polarization over climate change. Most research treats this gap as if it reflects two cohesive blocs on opposite sides of an issue. Drawing on original survey data from a probability sample of Canadians (n = 2,503), we find that while liberals are highly uniform in their orientation toward climate policies, conservatives are far more heterogeneous. Further analyses reveal conservatives' policy positions strongly correlate with their partisan affect—both the extent to which they dislike opposing liberals (negative partisanship) and the extent to which they like fellow conservatives (positive partisanship). These findings highlight the importance of considering variation within, and not just between, political sides. The results additionally suggest that reducing hostility toward the other side (particularly among conservatives) may facilitate cross-ideological climate coalitions.

From this week's government/NGO section:

Global trends in climate change litigation: 2026 snapshot, Joana Setzer and Catherine Higham, Global School of Sustainability, London School of Economics

The authors identify the following key trends for the period January to December 2025: in 2025, 249 new climate cases were filed, bringing the total since 1986 to more than 3,600 cases. Over three quarters of these cases have been filed since 2015, the year of the Paris Agreement. Cases have been filed across 62 countries, up from just 17 countries a decade ago. In 2025, cases were newly filed in Grenada, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Singapore and Zambia. • The United States remains the jurisdiction with the highest number of cases: 151 new cases were recorded in 2025, bringing the total to 2,078.

Fossil fuel emissions have rapidly worsened European heatwaves in just a few decades, Keeping et al., World Weather Attribution

Just weeks after a severe heatwave that broke all-time May records, Europe is experiencing another major heatwave that is breaking June and annual records. This is particularly remarkable given that June is not historically the hottest month in Western Europe. The authors assessed to what extent human-induced climate change altered the likelihood and intensity of the extreme heat in Western Europe. The analysis focuses on the 3 hottest days and nights over the most affected area and additional analysis of the 19 capitals of the affected countries. This June 2026 heatwave occurred under a circulation pattern broadly similar to historical analogues – Southerly Flow. However, a similar circulation pattern now produces significantly hotter temperatures than it did in the mid-20th century because the climate baseline has warmed. This summer shows that at 1.4°C of global warming, extreme heat is already reaching the limits of our societies’ ability to cope. The analysis shows that intense heat is increasing rapidly even in living memory, with such events tens to hundreds of times more likely since only 2003 and virtually impossible just 50 years ago. 120 articles in 58 journals by 790 contributing authors

Physical science of climate change, effects

AMOC response to historical freshwater increase, Devilliers et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02028-8

Barents-Kara Sea Ice Variability Drives Stronger Tropospheric Anomalies Over East Asia After 2000 Due To Weakened Stratospheric Polar Vortex, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd046058

Declining tropical sea surface temperature variability under post-2050s greenhouse warming, Wang & Santoso, Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02684-z

Distinguishing the Direct Radiative, Surface Warming, and Ozone Mediated Contributions to the Acceleration of the Brewer–Dobson Circulation under Abrupt CO2 Forcing, Menzel et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-25-0515.1

Reply to: AMOC response to historical freshwater increase, Pontes & Menviel, Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02029-7

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Temporal Variability of Ventilation in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean, Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, 10.1029/2023jc020608 6 cites.

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Observations of climate change, effects

Marine Heatwaves Have Increased in Frequency, Duration, and Depth Across Southeast Asia, Gulakaram et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans Open Access 10.1029/2025jc023614

Tropical origins of the recent trends in Northern Hemisphere wintertime jet streams, Rivière et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74980-3

Warming climate has lengthened global intense tropical cyclone seasons, Liu et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74651-3

Warming Tropical Western Pacific Fuels More Frequent Winter Surface Wind Extremes over the South China Sea, Shi et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-26-0047.1

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Climate-driven deoxygenation of northern lakes, Nature Climate Change, 10.1038/s41558-024-02058-3 77 cites.

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Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects

A Coordinated Framework for Global Climate Reanalyses, Cobb et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 10.1175/bams-d-25-0056.1

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Independent Quality Assessment of Essential Climate Variables: Lessons Learned from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 10.1175/bams-d-21-0109.1 18 cites.

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Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects

Assessing Earth's Energy Imbalance Trend in the Early 21st Century in Two High-Resolution Coupled Models, Chen et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121277

Past Global Warming Influence on Intense Typhoons Reaching Southern China During El Niño and La Niña Using a Variable Resolution Global Model, Zheng et al., Atmospheric Science Letters Open Access 10.1002/asl2.70052

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Collapsed upwelling projected to weaken ENSO under sustained warming beyond the twenty-first century, Nature Climate Change, 10.1038/s41558-024-02061-8 35 cites.

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Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection

Extreme Precipitation in the Contiguous United States in Gridded Analyses and a Convection-Permitting Model Simulation, Schumacher & Hill, Journal of Hydrometeorology 10.1175/jhm-d-25-0212.1

Observational Data for Next-Generation Climate Model Evaluation: Requirements, Considerations, and Best Practices, Beadling et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Open Access 10.1175/bams-d-25-0079.1

Opinion: status, plans and needs of Southern Ocean modelling, Martin et al., Ocean science Open Access 10.5194/os-22-1429-2026

Unlocking Urban Climate Change Analysis in Global Kilometer-Scale Climate Simulations, Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl120583

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
General circulation models simulate negative liquid water path–droplet number correlations, but anthropogenic aerosols still increase simulated liquid water path, Atmospheric chemistry and physics, 10.5194/acp-24-7331-2024 34 cites.

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Cryosphere & climate change

A Sea Ice Entrapment Event in the Southern Chukchi Sea: Analysis and Prediction, Moore et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121181

Detection and attribution of the role of anthropogenic climate change in industrial-era retreat of Pine Island Glacier, Bradley et al., cryosphere Open Access pdf 10.5194/tc-20-3443-2026

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:

Accelerating glacier volume loss on Juneau Icefield driven by hypsometry and melt-accelerating feedbacks, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-49269-y 33 cites.

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Sea level & climate change
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Stakeholder Driven Sensor Deployments to Characterize Chronic Coastal Flooding in Key West Florida, Earth s Future, 10.1029/2023ef003631 3 cites.

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Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry

Volcanic eruptions caused weakening AMOC during the preindustrial past millennium, Chen et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74873-5

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Past Earth warmed by tidal resonance-induced organization of clouds under a shorter day, Nature Geoscience, 10.1038/s41561-024-01469-3 3 cites.

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Biology & climate change, related geochemistry

A framework for climate-resilient forest planning and restoration: advances linking species distribution modelling, genetic adaptation and future climate scenarios, Chacón-Moreno et al., Frontiers in Forests and Global Change Open Access 10.3389/ffgc.2026.1735354

Climate Change Has Impacted Tree Growth in Temperate and Boreal Forests Since the Beginning of the 21st Century, a Meta-Analysis Tells Us, Sergeant et al., Global Ecology and Biogeography 10.1111/geb.70239

Climate change is causing more local extinction of temperate species than tropical species, [authors did not process], Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02671-4

Climate impacts on the multidiversity–multifunctionality relationship change with habitat type, Antiqueira et al., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rstb.2024.0392

Climate-Driven Range Dynamics of the Chinese Giant Salamander: Past, Present, and Future Projections From Ensemble Species Distribution Models, Zhao et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73474

Concepts and Methods for Identifying Species Niche Edges, Potentially Truncated Edges, and Climate Risks and Opportunities, Schlenker & Williams, Global Ecology and Biogeography Open Access 10.1111/geb.70241

Distinguishing leaf scorching from senescence under climate extremes, Bergström et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02682-1

Historical Imprints and Future Shifts: Evolutionary Biogeography of Atlantic Reef Fishes Under Climate Change, Cord et al., Global Ecology and Biogeography 10.1111/geb.70259

Kelp forests modulate fish community dynamics and responses to ocean warming, Reis et al., Journal of Ecology Open Access 10.1111/1365-2745.70383

Mass mortality of avian migrants in New Mexico, USA, that coincided with an extreme weather event, Osterhaus et al., Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.3389/fevo.2026.1763394

Natural microcosms are bellwether model systems in ecology and evolutionary biology especially under climate change, Pincebourde & Borges, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rstb.2024.0378

Over three-quarters of earthworm species lack protection in China, a crisis exacerbated by climate change, Zhou et al., Ecography Open Access 10.1002/ecog.08554

Prioritizing Conservation of Trailing-Edge Populations for Future Climate-Resilient Forests, Boyce et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.70971

Relative importance of traits, climate, and threats to extinction risk in salamanders, Wang et al., Conservation Biology 10.1111/cobi.70281

Resource declines shape phenological and morphological responses to climate change, Probst et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 10.1073/pnas.2607714123

Rising tree mortality in France is associated with distinct seasonal climate anomalies, Schneider et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74613-9

Sea of Okhotsk warming impacts adult return abundance of southwestern marginal Chum salmon populations over four decades, Kim et al., Scientific Reports Open Access 10.1038/s41598-026-58635-3

Shifting growth–climate limitations in Canadian forests under recent climate change, Sang et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03713-7

Small ecosystems, big insights: tank bromeliads as model systems to investigate human-induced global changes, Antiqueira & Romero, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rstb.2024.0393

Topography constrains the climatic response of treeline migration in Taiwan's subalpine forests, Chen et al., Ecography Open Access 10.1002/ecog.08500

Unique fingerprint of marine ectotherm body size change during hyperthermal crises, Nätscher et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2505564123

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
High temperatures reduce growth, infection, and transmission of a naturally occurring fungal plant pathogen, Ecology, 10.1002/ecy.4373 28 cites.

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GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry

Abrupt permafrost thaw drives exceptional carbon release across the Tibetan Plateau, Jia et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74850-y

Blue carbon storage in surface sediments of seagrasses and mangroves for Mauritian inventories, Santos et al., Scientific Reports Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-026-58343-y

Carbon dioxide removals by tropical moist forests offset most land-use emissions across 18 Afrotropical countries, Verbiest et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03710-w

China's growing halogenated gas emissions and banks over 1980-2024: Impacts on ozone, climate, and trifluoroacetic acid, Bai et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2026.04.009

Comment on Ju et al. (2025): Global Declines in Mangrove Area and Carbon Stock From 1985 to 2020, Bunting et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl118093

Comment on “Tracking Ethane From Space Over a Large US Oil and Gas Region” by Francoeur et al., Millet et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl119868

Concerns on the human-induced biospheric carbon sink in the Taklamakan Desert, Xu, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access pdf 10.1073/pnas.2612132123

Global Peatland Carbon Pool Sizes: Current Estimates, Uncertainties, and Future Research Directions, Ren et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.70882

Heterotrophic bacteria in the dark ocean are major contributors to CO2 fixation, [authors did not process], Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02014-0

Impacts of bed topography resolution on sea-level rise projections from coupled subglacial hydrology and ice dynamics for Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica, Ehrenfeucht & Dow, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences Open Access 10.1098/rsta.2024.0545

Land Carbon Sink Distribution in Northern Eurasia Is Driven by Climate Change, Melnikova et al., Global Biogeochemical Cycles Open Access 10.1029/2025gb008971

Misattributed biospheric carbon sink to the Three-North Program in the Taklamakan Desert may lead to an impractical policy: A commentary, Gao et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2607916123

Multi-centennial response of marine carbon pumps to global warming, Khatiwala et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02686-x

Multidecadal preindustrial methane variability can be explained by noise in the source–sink imbalance, Mei et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access pdf 10.1073/pnas.2601235123

OzRiCa: an Australian riverine carbon database of concentrations, gas fluxes and isotopes, Ulloa-Cedamanos et al., Earth system science data Open Access pdf 10.5194/essd-18-2723-2026

Rapid changes in global river particulate organic carbon flux, et al., Nature Geoscience 10.1038/s41561-026-02034-w

Reply to Comment by Bunting et al. on “Global Declines in Mangrove Area and Carbon-Stock From 1985 to 2020”, Ju et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl121242

Reply to Comment by Millet et al. on “Tracking Ethane From Space Over a Large US Oil and Gas Region”, Francoeur et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2026gl122208

Reply to Gao et al. and Xu: Greening the Taklamakan: Human efforts to convert desert into a carbon sink, Noor et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2609809123

Temperate wetlands lose climate-cooling capacity under warming, Ma et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74772-9

Thawing Siberian permafrost stabilizes organic carbon from recent plant litter inputs, Knoblauch et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-23-3615-2026

Tidal Inundation Decreases Carbon Dioxide Exchange in an Irish Atlantic Saltmarsh, Jessen et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2025jg009040

Top-down benchmark of US methane inventories reveals regional discrepancies in activity-based estimates, Worden et al., Atmospheric chemistry and physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-26-8855-2026

Warming dominates over circulation slowdown in reducing marine carbon storage under high-mitigation scenarios, [authors did not process], Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02687-w

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Human degradation of tropical moist forests is greater than previously estimated, Nature, 10.1038/s41586-024-07629-0 123 cites.

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CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering

Applying the Bow Tie Method to Evaluate Emerging Risk: The Case of Carbon Capture and Water Stress, Weisner et al., Risk Analysis Open Access pdf 10.1111/risa.70296

Biotechnological innovations in the realm of carbon capture, storage and utilization, Jofre et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1805906

Rethinking solvent regeneration pathways for maritime carbon capture, Shi et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-026-74909-w

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Organic blue carbon sequestration in vegetated coastal wetlands: Processes and influencing factors, Earth-Science Reviews, 10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104853 59 cites.

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Decarbonization

A risk-informed multicriteria framework for ocean current energy site selection for Small Island Developing States, Oladejo et al., Scientific Reports Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41598-026-56952-1

Batteries versus fuel cells for decarbonizing medium- and heavy-duty vehicles across applications, Woody et al., Nature Energy 10.1038/s41560-026-02095-6

Decoupling development from concrete, Kane, Nature Sustainability 10.1038/s41893-026-01883-y

Hyperbranched dielectric polymer networks exhibiting giant energy storage density at 250 °C, Ran et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74830-2

Influence of seismic energy dissipation technology on carbon emission of building construction, Zhang et al., Scientific Reports Open Access 10.1038/s41598-026-59044-2

Onshore Wind Energy Development Causes Localized but Lasting Shifts in Plant Community Composition and Function, Seifert et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.73916

The PAINT database for operational concentrating solar power plant data following FAIR data principles, Phipps et al., KITopen Open Access 10.5445/ir/1000194409

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Understanding the large role of long-distance travel in carbon emissions from passenger travel, Nature Energy, 10.1038/s41560-024-01561-3 39 cites.

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Geoengineering climate
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Public perceptions on solar geoengineering from focus groups in 22 countries, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01518-0 19 cites.

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Black carbon
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Long-Term Trend in Black Carbon Mass Concentration Over Central Indo-Gangetic Plain Location: Understanding the Implied Change in Radiative Forcing, Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, 10.1029/2024jd040754 15 cites.

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Aerosols

Accelerated European Summer Warming Driven by Atmospheric Circulation Changes in Response to Aerosol Forcing, Roldán-Gómez et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2026gl122424

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Sensitivity of cloud microphysics to aerosol is highly associated with cloud water content: Implications for indirect radiative forcing, Atmospheric Research, 10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107552 14 cites.

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Climate change communications & cognition

A climate action intervention boosts key psychological drivers, increasing climate advocacy, sustainable eating and supporting education behaviours, Castiglione et al., Royal Society Open Science Open Access pdf 10.1098/rsos.260140

Climate change knowledge, attitude, risk perception, and health adaptation behavior in an urban megacity, Sakib et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000901

Climate-Related Disasters, Inequality, and Tax Morale in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nichelatti & Tagem, The Journal of Development Studies Open Access pdf 10.1080/00220388.2026.2658564

Fossil fuel phaseout, renewable energy, and just transition discourse at COP26 and COP28: A discourse network analysis of Instagram posts, Shakespear et al., Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104724

Fossil fuel reliance and public support for climate change mitigation: evidence from 105 countries, Klebl et al., Environmental Politics Open Access pdf 10.1080/09644016.2026.2691468

Ideological drivers of climate obstruction and delay: political parties and public opinion in Spain, Ochoa et al., Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences Open Access pdf 10.1007/s13412-026-01127-7

Media Portrayals of Net Zero: Stakeholders’ Perspectives and Climate Solutions Framing, Rhodes et al., Environmental Communication 10.1080/17524032.2026.2692085

Negative partisanship, positive partisanship, and variation in climate policy attitudes on the political right, Huddart et al., PNAS Nexus Open Access pdf 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag094

Place, Climate Change and the Experience of Loss, Biasio & Velasco, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change Open Access 10.1002/wcc.70056

Public support for climate action is underestimated in the German political domain, Sevincer et al., PubData Open Access 10.48548/pubdata-3925

Responsibility, risk and climate policy support, Im, Environmental Sociology Open Access pdf 10.1080/23251042.2026.2691099

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Climate beliefs, climate technologies and transformation pathways: Contextualizing public perceptions in 22 countries, Global Environmental Change, 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102880 33 cites.

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Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change

Adoption of climate smart agriculture for enhancing socio-ecological resilience: a systematic review of evidence from Punjab, Pakistan, Ullah et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science Open Access pdf 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1853469

Climate change and oil palm: impacts and adaptation strategies for resilient production, Ramachandrudu et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1862586

Environmental claims, climate promises, and ‘greenwashing’ by meat and dairy companies, Bach et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000773

Genetic technologies to enhance crop nutritional value under climate change, Straeten et al., Nature 10.1038/s41586-026-10593-6

Increased Likelihood and Intensification of Global Agricultural Droughts Under Compound Meteorological Droughts and Hot Extremes, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 10.1029/2025jd045918

Increasing irrigation demand coincides with declining irrigation development potential under climate change, Sun et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-026-03775-7

Leveraging farmers’ social networks to improve co-production and dissemination of climate information services in SSA: a systematic review, Appiah et al., Climate and Development 10.1080/17565529.2026.2689985

Promoting climate resilience through learning-based behavioural change: Insights from an agent-based model of a coastal farming community in Guangxi, China, Nie et al., Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2026.104375

Spatially explicit temperature optima improve climate impact assessment of global crop productivity, Wang et al., Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74564-1

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Soil carbon maintained by perennial grasslands over 30 years but lost in field crop systems in a temperate Mollisol, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01500-w 28 cites.

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Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change

Impacts of Meteorological, Hydrological, and Compound Droughts on the Precipitation–Runoff Relationship Across Timescales, An et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2025ef006795

Increasing global threat of outburst floods from overlooked small alpine lakes, Ahmed et al., Nature Sustainability 10.1038/s41893-026-01873-0

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Non-stationary low flow frequency analysis under climate change, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 10.1007/s00704-024-05081-8 10 cites.

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Climate change economics

Comprehensive national climate damage assessments framework applied to the UK, Rising et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02665-2

Improving economic impact assessment of climate change with machine learning, Orlov & Sillmann, Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-73956-7

Multi-channel analysis suggests the UK faces large climate-related losses, [authors did not process], Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02664-3

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Asset-level assessment of climate physical risk matters for adaptation finance, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-48820-1 41 cites.

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Climate change mitigation public policy research

Carbon emission trading scheme, induced technological change, and green innovation: Evidence from listed companies in China, Tang et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115335

From policy to reality: Forecasting Spain's vehicle fleet trajectory toward 2030 climate targets, Díaz-Díaz et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115298

Malleable Preferences and the Normative Desirability of Demand-Side Solutions to Climate Change, Berger & Creutzig, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change Open Access 10.1002/wcc.70079

Planning, policy, and accountability: Managing the renewable energy transition for sustainable development in Nigeria, Adedokun, Energy Research & Social Science Open Access 10.1016/j.erss.2026.104706

The impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EU ETS on firms' carbon emissions: evidence from the UK ETS, Chiappari et al., Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2026.2691436

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Diversifying heat sources in China’s urban district heating systems will reduce risk of carbon lock-in, Nature Energy, 10.1038/s41560-024-01560-4 51 cites.

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Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research

Addressing barriers in climate action planning: an analysis based on six Italian territories, Ravazzoli et al., Frontiers in Climate Open Access pdf 10.3389/fclim.2026.1828407

Assessing adaptive capacity to multi-hazard climate health risks in China's provinces and core cities, Hong et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102890

Refined Modeling of Arctic Circumpolar Building Stock Increases Estimated Mid-Century Permafrost Degradation Damages, Manos et al., Earth s Future Open Access 10.1029/2026ef008578

Severe droughts in Senegal are linked to increased family reunification at migration destinations in Europe, Savas, Nature Communications Open Access pdf 10.1038/s41467-026-74655-z

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
The challenge of closing the climate adaptation gap for water supply utilities, Communications Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43247-024-01272-3 22 cites.

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Climate change impacts on human health

Assessing adaptive capacity to multi-hazard climate health risks in China's provinces and core cities, Hong et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102890

Climate change knowledge, attitude, risk perception, and health adaptation behavior in an urban megacity, Sakib et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000901

Emerging heat resilience demands among tourist destinations for building responsible tourism: An empirical investigation in 291 A-level scenic spots in Chongqing, China, Mao et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102877

Urban compound humid-heat exposure: Health risks, mitigation challenges, and pathways toward integrated adaptation, Qian et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102881

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Temperature-related neonatal deaths attributable to climate change in 29 low- and middle-income countries, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s41467-024-49890-x 44 cites.

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Climate change impacts on human culture
Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Assessing potential impacts of climate change on China’s ski season length: a data-constrained approach, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 10.1007/s00704-024-05075-6 3 cites.

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Other

Accelerating Regime Restructuring of Ozone Sensitivity From VOC-Limited to Transitional With Heatwave Intensification, Zhang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres Open Access pdf 10.1029/2026jd046849

Revisiting the global budget of atmospheric glyoxal: updates on terrestrial and marine precursor emissions, chemistry, and impacts on atmospheric oxidation capacity, Zhang et al., Atmospheric chemistry and physics Open Access pdf 10.5194/acp-26-5123-2026

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion Causes Southern Ocean Surface Cooling, Li et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2025gl120200

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Assessing of the county-level synergy between CO2 emissions and PM2.5 pollution in Shandong Province, China, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 10.1007/s13762-024-05861-9 2 cites.

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Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives

Early-warning systems unfit for compound disasters, Alcântara & Mantovani, Discover Hazards Open Access pdf 10.1007/s44475-026-00052-1

US funding uncertainties threaten to sink key global oceanography projects, Witze, Nature 10.1038/d41586-026-02028-z

Most cited from this section, published 2 years ago:
Achieving the Kunming–Montreal global biodiversity targets for blue carbon ecosystems, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 10.1038/s43017-024-00566-6 60 cites.

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Book reviews

Capitalism at the limit: a political ecology of a world in crisis, Nyberg, Environmental Politics 10.1080/09644016.2026.2696665

Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change

Generator Interconnection Interim Progress Report. Customer Reviews of the Seven U.S. Regional Transmission System Operators, Campbell et al., Advanced Energy United

Generator interconnection – the grid-connection process for large-scale projects like solar, wind, and energy storage – continues to be one of the biggest barriers for project developers and is preventing energy supply from keeping up with skyrocketing energy demand. While grid operators have made meaningful strides in reducing interconnection queue backlogs and improving planning processes, significant challenges remain. The authors evaluate how each grid operators is progressing since an initial 2024 assessment at fixing these bottlenecks, and outlines policy solutions to speed connection to the transmission grid. Grid operators have, with varying levels of success, cleared the backlog of projects while also preparing and implementing process changes for future review cycles. However, in many places, reforms have been slow, delays have been common, project withdrawal rates remain high, post-interconnection delays are both persistent and opaque, and fast-track workarounds have primarily benefitted costly thermal-generation projects. Project developers (interconnection customers) still generally face uncertainty with respect to both the cost and time to connect to the grid.

Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Lake Chad, Iversen et al., Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

The ongoing insecurity in the Lake Chad region—which intersects Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria—cannot be understood in isolation from climate and environmental change. Climate change-related stressors—such as increasingly variable precipitation and drought—contribute to existing tension and conflict between different communities by exacerbating scarcity of natural resources, including land, water and food. Such pressures amplify the tensions between local community members, refugees and internally displaced people and between livelihood groups such as arable farmers, fishers and pastoralists. Through its destabilizing effects on livelihoods, climate change can further increase vulnerability to recruitment by violent extremist organizations, such as Boko Haram and Islamic State–West Africa Province and other unidentified armed groups and bandit networks, that operate throughout the region.

Short-Term Energy Outlook, US. Energy Information Administration

Electricity generation. Above-average temperatures this summer contribute to a 3% increase in forecast U.S. electricity generation compared with the summer of 2025. This growth is met by increased generation from renewable fuel sources, with solar generation increasing by 19% and wind generation increasing by 10%. Generation from coal is forecast to decrease by 2%. Natural gas generates about the same amount of electricity it did last summer

Delivering Positive Energy, Energy Transition Institute, Robert Gordon University

The authors prepared the report to support decision and policy makers in shaping a coherent and pragmatic pathway for the North East of Scotland’s energy future. Drawing on the analytical framework and scenarios established in Robert Gordon University’s Striking the Balance report (2025), this regional assessment reflects the specific industrial strengths, workforce capabilities and economic dependencies of the North East. It has been developed in collaboration with, and part-funded by, Scottish Enterprise, ensuring both analytical rigor and alignment with regional economic priorities.

Integrated Resource Plan 2026 (Preliminary Final), Tennessee Valley Authority

TVA’s 2026 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and associated programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluate the long-term demand for power in the TVA region, the resource options available for meeting that demand, and the potential economic, operating, and environmental impacts of these options. Consideration of stakeholder input is integral to TVA’s IRP process. The IRP will provide strategic direction for meeting the region’s energy needs between now and 2050, establishing a strong planning foundation and informing TVA’s next long-range financial plan.

The Price of 5 A Day?, Will Stronge and Luiz Garcia, The Autonomy Institute

Climate change is on course to make fresh fruit and vegetables unaffordable for many across the next two decades as it disrupts the production of UK’s imported and domestic produce. Heat waves are projected to add around 11% to the price of the UK’s top twenty fruit and vegetables by 2035 and around 68% by 2050 under a high emissions scenario, on top of normal inflation. Imported tropical fruit such as melons, oranges, bananas, easy peelers and grapes will rise 12% to 14% by 2035 and 80% to 93% by 2050 on these climate grounds alone. Compounded with estimated normal inflation, total average shelf prices of the overall basket of fruit and veg will reach upwards of 170% above today’s level by 2050. This means that climate-flation will be contributing 40% of total inflation across the basket of basic goods by 2035 and over 60% of it by 2050. Climate change will have gone from a junior contributor to the dominant driver of shelf-price inflation on fresh produce inside the working lifetime of someone in their thirties today. It is essential to note that the authors only included the effects of heat waves on the cost of food in the UK and uses a standard baseline for CPI inflation. They do not factor in other climate-related effects on food production, such as flooding as well as second order effects, e.g. infrastructure degradation, soil erosion, water quality and so on. Nor are geopolitical effects on inflation included which are often intertwined with climate and resource factors.

Protecting BC workers in a warming climate: Recommendations for WorkSafeBC, Susanna Klassen and Anelyse Weiler, BC Policy Solutions and the Worker Solidarity Network

British Columbia's current heat exposure regulations are outdated and insufficient to protect workers from the risks of extreme heat. Implement a straightforward trigger temperature approach. Prioritize worker involvement in developing regulations. Update protocols to reflect current research, especially for acclimatization, shade, drinking water access, rest breaks without pay disruption, sanitation and worker training. Protect workers from employer retaliation. Strengthen enforcement systems. Develop enforcement partnerships with worker groups. Enforce regulations proactively. ‘Name and shame’ bad bosses. Support improvements and coordination beyond Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS) regulation.

National Survey on Energy and the Environment, Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion

In 2025 a record number of Americans indicated that there is solid evidence of increasing temperatures on Earth, with 77% of individuals maintaining this opinion in the most recent wave of the National Survey on Energy and the Environment (NSEE). The 77% level is the highest mark recorded since the NSEE was initiated in 2008. The long-term partisan divides on the existence of evidence of climate change were once again present in 2025 with 94% of Democrats indicating that there is solid evidence of rising temperatures on the planet compared to 52% of Republicans and 80% of Americans unaffiliated with a political party. Among the majority of Americans that believe there is solid evidence of rising temperatures on Earth, most attribute the change to human activity (56%) or a combination of human activity and natural patterns (22%). Over 6 in 10 Americans agree that they have personally experienced the effects of climate change, with partisan affiliation playing a major role in this perception. While 8 out of 10 Democrats report experiencing the effects of climate change, only one third of Republicans stated that they had felt such effects. As the federal government reversed many of its previous efforts to reduce climate change in 2025, a solid majority (59%) of Americans indicated that the federal government has a great deal of responsibility to reduce global warming. About 2 out of 3 Americans agree that if the federal government fails to address climate change it is their state’s responsibility to address the problem.

How Can the World Bank Integrate Climate Action and Disability Inclusion in Transport?, Bank Information Center

Cases from Colombia and Ghana illustrate the disconnect between climate action and disability inclusion, showing how accessibility remains overlooked in the design of climate resilient and low-carbon transport systems. If the World Bank continues to treat disability inclusion and climate action as two separate issues, it risks creating or reinforcing new mobility barriers for persons with disabilities while missing opportunities to expand accessible mass transit systems that support transport decarbonization. The findings reinforce that achieving Paris-aligned transport systems requires more than reducing emissions; it also requires prioritizing transport systems that are inclusive and accessible for all.

Global trends in climate change litigation: 2026 snapshot, Joana Setzer and Catherine Higham, Global School of Sustainability, London School of Economics

The authors identify the following key trends for the period January to December 2025: in 2025, 249 new climate cases were filed, bringing the total since 1986 to more than 3,600 cases. Over three quarters of these cases have been filed since 2015, the year of the Paris Agreement. Cases have been filed across 62 countries, up from just 17 countries a decade ago. In 2025, cases were newly filed in Grenada, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Singapore and Zambia. • The United States remains the jurisdiction with the highest number of cases: 151 new cases were recorded in 2025, bringing the total to 2,078.

World Risk Poll Report 2026, Gallup, Lloyd’s Register Foundation

The poll is the first and only global, nationally representative study of worry about, and harm from, the risks people face to their safety. It draws on more than 143,000 interviews conducted across 140 countries and territories throughout 2025, many of them places with little or no official data on safety and risk. The authors offer a rare view of how people experience and perceive the risks in their lives, from the everyday hazards facing millions, such as unsafe food and water or danger on the roads, to the generational and existential risk of climate change. The authors turn to that last risk in depth. Climate change is the only threat the poll frames as generational, asking people to weigh it not as it stands today but over the next 20 years. Alongside the long-running measure of personal concern, the 2025 edition introduces a new question on what people believe most others in their country think.

Climate Change and Culture: Reimagining an inclusive, sustainable and creative future, Mariana Mazzucato, University College of London Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose

Climate change is driving systems toward tipping points that require urgent action, and the cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of action. Yet the case cannot be made in the language of economics alone. Technocratic solutions cannot make a different future feel possible, desirable, or worth its cost. That is what arts and culture can do. From visual arts to music and design, they can become the social infrastructure of a just transition: how societies imagine alternative futures, build the legitimacy to pursue them, and hold together as change happens. Yet culture is still treated as peripheral to the economy: a cost to be cut rather than a precondition for transformation. The author sets out four shifts that place culture at the center of a new economy: shaping a new direction for economic growth that is inclusive, creative and sustainable; building legitimacy from the bottom up, with communities shaping climate policy through their lived experience; recognizing cultural institutions and coalitions as essential infrastructure, from national bodies to community spaces; and funding culture as investment, not expenditure, with the “creative bureaucracies” to co-create what comes next

Renewables save $750 million in electricity subsidies in Türkiye, Ça?lar Çeliköz, Ember

Record renewable generation in the first five months of 2026 drove wholesale electricity prices to historic lows in Türkiye. The decline in wholesale prices reduced the gap between market prices and the residential tariff, lowering the level of government support required for household electricity bills. As a result, the government saved $746 million in electricity subsidies during the first five months of 2026. In the first five months of 2026, electricity generation from renewable sources increased by 32% year-on-year to 87 TWh, the highest level on record. As a result, renewables accounted for 61% of total electricity generation, marking the highest share recorded in the past 26 years. In May 2026, wholesale electricity prices fell to their lowest level since the market was established in 2011. The share of renewables, which have significantly lower generation costs than fossil fuels, rose by 17 percentage points compared to May 2025 to reach 73%, helping drive wholesale electricity prices down.

Fossil fuel emissions have rapidly worsened European heatwaves in just a few decades, Keeping et al., World Weather Attribution

Just weeks after a severe heatwave that broke all-time May records, Europe is experiencing another major heatwave that is breaking June and annual records. This is particularly remarkable given that June is not historically the hottest month in Western Europe. The authors assessed to what extent human-induced climate change altered the likelihood and intensity of the extreme heat in Western Europe. The analysis focuses on the 3 hottest days and nights over the most affected area and additional analysis of the 19 capitals of the affected countries. This June 2026 heatwave occurred under a circulation pattern broadly similar to historical analogues – Southerly Flow. However, a similar circulation pattern now produces significantly hotter temperatures than it did in the mid-20th century because the climate baseline has warmed. This summer shows that at 1.4°C of global warming, extreme heat is already reaching the limits of our societies’ ability to cope. The analysis shows that intense heat is increasing rapidly even in living memory, with such events tens to hundreds of times more likely since only 2003 and virtually impossible just 50 years ago.

Valuing the Future. Pennsylvania’s Shrinking Economic Fossil Fuel Footprint Leaves a Widening Fiscal Gap, Cohn et al., Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis

Pennsylvania’s budget deficit will widen as state spending outpaces tax receipt growth. The largest economic contributions from the state’s coal industry, its petrochemical sector, and its natural gas business are several years in the rearview. Tax credits that are 26 times the size of effective tax rates on the fossil fuel industry are adding fuel to the fire. The state’s tax policy toward natural resource extraction should be revised to align industry contributions with policy goals.

Enquête Sur la Surexposition des Quartiers Populaires aux Vagues de Chaleur (Survey on the Overexposure of Working-Class Neighborhoods Heat Waves), Fondation Pour le Logement des Défavorisés (Foundation for the Housing of the Disadvantaged)

The authors analyze the latest trends and data on living in kettle housing (uninsulated apartments) by examining summer fuel poverty in working-class neighborhoods. They present recommendations on how people can move out of these types of apartments.

Eye on the Market, Michael Cembalest, JP. Morgan Asset and Wealth Management

The author looks at energy arguments, battles and debates: the affect of data centers on power prices, the cost of solar plus storage as baseload power, the “primary energy fallacy” that ignores waste heat, the true cost of small modular reactors, Germany’s decision to shut down nuclear, China’s dominance of renewable supply chains, solid oxide fuel cells as turbine alternatives, the materiality of demand response, staffing cuts at the EIA, the hype around geothermal and geologic hydrogen, the misplaced fascination with small country energy transitions, satellite vs factor-based oil & gas basin methane emissions, the mostly profitless EV industry, xAI mobile gas plant permits, negligible progress on carbon capture and renewable fuels.

Let The Sun In: Clean Energy Is The Cheapest Way To Meet Rising Demand, Pierpont, Energy Innovation Policy and Technology

To better understand how to best meet growing demand in today’s changing electricity landscape, the authors conducted a national analysis examining two futures for meeting electricity demand through 2030: one where the U.S. doubles down on fossil fuels as demand accelerates, consistent with the current federal policy approach, and another where America takes full advantage of clean energy to meet growing electricity use. They found that meeting America’s expected demand growth with a fossil fuel-heavy approach will add $29.7 billion annually to customer bills by 2030. However, the clean energy scenario reduces overall costs to meet load growth by $5.1 billion annually that year compared to a high fossil scenario, a savings of 17 percent. These costs will be passed through to both existing and new customers, and policymakers in many states are working to ensure that large, rapidly growing customers like data centers pay their fair share. This means the cost of meeting America’s expected electricity demand growth will be significant, but doing it with a clean energy portfolio reduces the overall system cost.

States at the wheel: A state policy scorecard on electric vehicle readiness, Shriya Methkupally and Mark Muro, Brookings

State policies promoting electric vehicles (EVs) lie at the center of the action in the wake of federal policy retrenchment, but they vary widely. The authors benchmark states’ EV policy implementation, with scores ranging from zero to 11 out of a possible 13. The highest scores are clustered in the Northeast, West Coast, and a handful of other states. Six states—mostly in the South—have no EV policies in place, scoring zero across all indicators. High-scoring states use a combination of policies across consumer incentives, charging infrastructure, environmental standards, market access laws, and public procurement. Charging infrastructure and procurement are the most consistent gaps among mid-scoring states. Ten of the 12 mid-tier states score minimally on charging infrastructure policies and near zero on EV fleet procurement targets. The scorecard points to different next steps for different types of states. High-scoring states should prioritize preserving adopted policies; mid-tier states should focus on filling gaps; and low-scoring states should prioritize low-cost entry points.

Improving Future U.S. Drought Assessment, Overpeak et al., National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

The authors examine how drought assessment can better account for nonstationarity, or shifts in drought conditions and behaviors over time. The authors explore how climate variability and change, along with evolving water and land management practices, are altering drought characteristics and affecting the usefulness of traditional assessment approaches that rely on historical baselines. The authors propose a framework for incorporating nonstationarity into drought assessment to support decision-making and future resilience. They outline a two-pronged approach that addresses both short-term operational needs, such as drought monitoring and early warning, and long-term planning for water management, infrastructure, and adaptation. The authors also highlight opportunities to strengthen drought indicators, affect data, and scientific understanding of drought dynamics to support more effective drought assessment across the United States.

Home Buying in the Energy Transition, The Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative

The authors investigated the influence of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies on the home-buying process. What information about the home’s energy efficiency is readily available? How important would this information be for consumers as they evaluate potential homes? Are realtors able to promote efficiency in listings and tours, and to what degree are they able to educate consumers who may be looking for answers about energy efficiency? The research uncovered multiple opportunities for improvement throughout the home-buying process – opportunities for creating win-win-win outcomes for all participants.

Transition Minerals Tracker; Key findings 2026, Gómez et al., Business and Human Rights Tracker

The solutions to the climate crisis are today well known: full fossil fuel phase-out and swift deployment of wind and solar capacity, coupled with general electrification. This critical new energy expansion is helping to fuel a global mining boom for copper, cobalt and the other transition minerals – accelerated by growing competition and pressure from other expanding sectors such as tech and defense. But increasing mineral demand is also fueling environmental and human rights risks. New data reveals a dramatic surge in human rights abuses linked to the mines supplying materials for the global energy transition. The authors document the human rights implications of mining operations for key minerals used in renewable energy, electrification, and battery technologies, since 2010. These allegations are closely linked to rising social conflict around mining operations and should raise concern across the renewable energy value chain, from mining companies to end-users of their products.

2026 State of Reliability. Assessment Overview of 2025 Bulk Power System Performance, The North American Electric Reliability Corporation

The report is a high-level summary of the most important and actionable topics affecting the Bulk Power Supply (BPS) and how these are being addressed along with a comprehensive annual analytical review of BPS reliability for the 2025 calendar year. The analysis provides an unbiased, data-driven look at the BPS’s reliability, identifying ongoing challenges, and informing future looking assessments. This overview seeks to inform regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders of the most significant reliability risks facing the BPS. About New Research

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The following is a statement from Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, in response to the Social Security Administration announcing that babies born during the rest of 2026 will receive Social Security cards featuring the Freedom 250 logo:

“The first Social Security card was issued in 1936, ninety years ago. In all that time the design has never been politicized.

Now, the Trump administration is putting the logo of a semi-private, partisan entity, which is widely reported to be corrupt, on the Social Security cards of newborn babies. They claim ‘no additional cost to families or taxpayers’, but the cost has to come from somewhere.

Alarmingly, Freedom 250 has a history of harvesting data, and employs former DOGE operatives. DOGE has been found in court to have mishandled our private Social Security data, and these cards may provide another opportunity for that abuse of Americans’ most personal, sensitive information.

We demand Commissioner Bisignano answer the following questions:

• Is the Social Security Administration paying a licensing fee to Freedom 250?
• Will you release any and all contracts between the Social Security Administration and Freedom 250?
• Will Freedom 250 have access to data associated with beneficiaries of Social Security cards bearing their logo?

This is abuse of Social Security, a nonpartisan institution which Trump claimed he would not hurt. Like issuing passports with Trump’s visage and signature, putting his name on the Kennedy Center, and destroying the East Wing of the White House, turning Social Security cards into political propaganda reveals yet again Trump’s contempt for the American people he is supposed to be serving.”

“The Hub” is a weekly round-up of transportation related news in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Check back weekly to keep up-to-date on the issues Clean Air Council’s transportation staff finds important.

Happy Fourth of July! As we celebrate America’s 250th, learn how you can get around to major summer 2026 events without a car, or being stuck in traffic with GoPhillyGo: Car-Free Routes Map!

Image Source: The Inquirer

Spotlight PA: Pennsylvania’s budget is late for the fifth year in a row – Pennsylvania legislators missed the budget deadline of June 30, for the fifth year in a row. Republicans that lead the Senate have stated they expect the budget deal in the days after the fourth. Democrats that lead the House were less positive about passing a budget soon. Clashes over state spending, revenue sources, and other hot topics all delay budget deals. Without a set budget, many schools, libraries, non-profits, counties, and other recipients of state funds suffer. With transit agencies in all counties across the state heading towards fiscal cliffs, service cuts, and fare increases, a revenue source is absolutely necessary.

Image Source: PhillyVoice

PhillyVoice: Here are the road closures and SEPTA detours for the Fourth of July concert and fireworks – Drivers can expect roads around the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to be closed this week as the city prepares for the Fourth of July concert and celebration on Saturday. The concert begins on the 4th at 5pm, with doors opening at 3pm, and concluding with fireworks at around 11:30pm. Several roads will be closed from Friday to Monday morning, the full list posted here. Several SEPTA routes will also be adjusted to accommodate the event.

Image Source: PhillyVoice

PhillyVoice: PPA starts issuing speeding tickets using traffic cameras along Route 13 after warning period ends – Six traffic cameras have been active on Route 13 since April of this year, and will begin authorizing tickets to drivers exceeding the 25 mph speed limit. The 60-day warning period in Northeast Philadelphia is ending, and fines begin at $100. This is the latest in partnerships between the city and the PPA, aimed to improve traffic safety, and revenue brought in to cover further safety measures.

Other Stories

Philadelphia Today: Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts Completes First Phase of $150 Million AveArts 2.0 Transformation

CBS Pittsburgh: PRT unveils “Spirit of ’76”-inspired “T” train ahead of Fourth of July weekend festivities

BillyPenn: Here’s how road closures for America 250 events may affect your commute

CBS Philadelphia: NJ Transit fares increase by 3% starting July 1

The Inquirer: Spanning 100 Years: See how the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was built a century ago

The author Meghan Hart was a UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) Fellow and Greenbelt Alliance research collaborator between February and May 2026.

For decades, California has been building new homes in the wrong places. Between 1990 and 2020, nearly half of new housing development landed in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), where suburbs intermingle with fire-prone vegetation. 

State legislators and advocates are aware that building in WUI areas is increasingly problematic, threatening both natural habitats and our ability to meet our climate goals. The stakes have not been higher, but there are significant challenges—both structural and political—to redirecting new homes away from urban fringes and towards existing communities. 

Governance Challenges in Land-Use Planning

Land use planning is very decentralized. No one group, agency, or even layer of government is the primary driver of where to build in California. Each jurisdiction has its own rules and perspectives on what to build. Individual projects on the edge of town may seem to have a small impact, but in aggregate, this pattern of development takes a toll on natural habitats, air quality, and the health of our communities. Experts call these “spillover” effects, or the unintended costs of one person’s decision falling on others, who never had a say in the decision-making. 

Spillover effects are a signal that we need state-level intervention. In the past 10 years, lawmakers have passed legislation aimed at guiding development to reduce these effects by making it easier to build within existing communities. Recent successes include our co-sponsored Senate Bill 79, making it easier to build near transit, and strengthened support for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)  

Nevertheless, there’s a long way to go to make up for the sprawling development of the last 80 years.

Current Tools Fall Short

So, what state policies best meet the moment? To date, few tools exist to help advocacy organizations identify which legislative solutions have the greatest impact and move us closer to thriving, walkable communities. Without a research-based framework for evaluating novel policy ideas, it’s difficult to know where to focus advocacy energy.

Existing tools each capture part of the problem, but very few connect the need to protect habitats with the imperative to build in existing cities. The Terner Center’s Housing Development Calculator captures market forces well, but it is not intended to project statewide and doesn’t account for the impact of development on ecologically valuable lands. Conservation tools display environmentally sensitive areas, but don’t incorporate housing demand or the planning decisions that put those areas at risk. This gap exists for a good reason—it’s difficult to predict the long-term impact of a housing policy on production, since development is so dependent on interconnected market factors. Tracing how a policy might indirectly affect habitats and ecological processes is even harder to measure.

A New Framework

To work around the tradeoffs in measurement, I spent this spring as a fellow investigating how state land-use policies shape development patterns and using those findings to design an evaluation framework that captures both conservation and housing development dynamics. My research culminated in 5 main findings, which became the basis for the tool: 

1. Location-based housing policies offer many benefits for residents, including boosting new housing development in existing communities and away from ecologically significant and sensitive habitats. 
2. Although the state legislature has made progress, many barriers to compact development remain. The main challenges include political opposition at the local level, financial barriers, high costs of construction, and land readiness. 
3. Policies that split responsibilities across departments or require complex administrative processes increase a policy’s risk of failing to deliver on its intended outcome.
4. Economic levers—like taxes or subsidies—that rebalance the relative attractiveness of building in cities compared to urban fringes can benefit residents, but need to be carefully evaluated for which groups bear the costs. 
5. Some of the most effective state policies are those that offer the clearest expectations and provide defined, predictable guidelines for local governments to implement.  

I used these findings to build the evaluation framework, which works in three parts: 

First, we ask whether a policy idea is location-based. For policies that apply to specific places, we use an ecological risk map to assess whether the policies might impact sensitive areas, like valuable farmland, critical habitats, and areas at risk of wildfire.

In the second stage, we ask what outcome a policy is trying to achieve and how the design and implementation can help or hurt that goal. Based on the available details, we can estimate relatively how much land would be impacted and how significant the barrier to infill housing. Then, using a few more questions, we can estimate how likely the policy is to achieve its goal.  Combining the magnitude and likelihood produces a rough internal ranking that surfaces tradeoffs more intuitively than looking at either input on its own.

Finally, the framework collects practical considerations, including estimating the likely time to impact, noting the political environment, and capturing any current events the organization is aware of that may aid in decision-making. As a result, the framework produces a policy profile that brings more rigor to the organization’s legislative strategy.

The Big Picture

Land use decisions are hard to undo. This tool will help Greenbelt Alliance identify policies that move California closer to actually producing vibrant, connected communities and protecting the invaluable land we all enjoy. It gives the organization a shared language for discussing the tradeoffs and making the case to coalition members. Using the insights from the framework, the organization can push for policies that move California away from the fire-prone, fringe development of the last few decades, and towards the connected, sustainable communities that we know benefit both people and the environment. 

Header Photo: Gilroy aerial view. By Karl Nielsen/Greenbelt Alliance

The post A Framework for State-Level Land Use Policy appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.

VANCOUVER — CHRIS SEVERSON-BAKER, executive director of the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to the Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement:“Today’s agreement between the federal and B.C. governments...

Today’s jobs report shows the labor market added only 57,000 jobs in June, with April and May hiring revised down by 74,000 fewer jobs than previously reported. The unemployment rate changed little at 4.2%. A total of 720,000 people left the labor force last month, pushing the share of Americans working or looking for work to its lowest level since March 2021. Beneath the headline, workers are less confident they can find a job, higher prices continue to eat into paychecks, and families feel worse about their financial situation.

The share of unemployed workers who have been without a job for at least six months remains above one in four, up sharply from one year ago, while a growing share of workers are stuck in part-time jobs because they cannot find full-time work. Though President Trump campaigned on saving “Black jobs,” the unemployment rate among Black Americans is far higher than the national rate, reflecting the president’s unequal economy. Under President Trump, the economy is leaving working families with fewer opportunities to get ahead.

Groundwork Collaborative’s Chief of Policy and Advocacy, Alex Jacquez, released the following statement:

“Today’s weak jobs numbers are grim warning signs of a struggling labor market. Job gains reflect temporary seasonal hires and other workers separated from the broader economy while the majority of the labor force is frozen. Working Americans increasingly report that their paychecks can’t keep up with Trump’s high prices, but are not confident they’ll be able to find better opportunities. They’re instead focused on trying to keep up with the president’s price hikes.”

Ringed plover

Snow25 celebrations are over, deep summer begins and Snowchange takes it slower in July, but cultural work continues.

In June we had major boreal forest restoration under way in North boreal Sámi forest of Alttokangas, where appr. one hectare of clear-cut areas was burned for revitalisation of a logged area. Peatland restoration proceeded in Koitajoki river catchment and plans for Arctic Circle peatland restoration were made, they will commence in July. Fisheries helped Onkamo lakes with the removal of bream, ide and other coarse fish.

Alttokangas Sámi forest restoration burns

Several new sites, including boreal forests and large peatlands joined Snowchange in June. Out of these sites, now at 10,000 hectares, we have allocated Tongosoiva, a 100 hectare old growth forest to be the namesake site of one of our founders Eero Murtomäki, in Pelkosenniemi. This highlights the lifework he has done with nature and for nature. With these celebrations, we wish a great summer and see you in August!

Namesake site of Eero Murtomäki, in Pelkosenniemi, Arctic Circle.

Olive trees that took three generations to raise are burned in an afternoon. Wells are fouled. Animals are killed where they stand, or left behind when their owners are ordered out within the hour.

The post La Via Campesina Calls to Stop the War on the People of Lebanon, Their Land, and Their Bread appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.

Celebrating this Year’s Plastic Free July

In the more than ten years since Plastic Free July began, the global movement to reduce plastic pollution has grown into one of the world’s largest environmental campaigns. Every July, millions of people, organizations, businesses, and communities take action to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics while promoting more sustainable, zero waste alternatives.

At GAIA, Plastic Free July is an opportunity to highlight the urgent need to reduce plastic production, expand community-led zero waste solutions, and advocate for policies that protect both people and the planet. Together, we can stop plastic pollution while strengthening local economies, protecting public health, and building resilient communities worldwide.

Learn more about our plastics work

Why Plastic Pollution Is a Global Environmental and Health Crisis

The science is clear: plastic overproduction is causing a worldwide environmental and public health crisis. Plastic pollutes at each stage of its existence, from fossil fuel extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal in dumps, incinerators, or the open environment.  Microplastics are found contaminating our food, drinking water, and even our bodies, and plastic contains thousands of chemicals, some of which are known to be toxic to humans. Single-use plastic is used for seconds before thrown away, where it will remain forever as trash, or burned in an incinerator– turning it into air pollution and toxic ash or sludge, threatening the health of communities nearby. Much of this waste is also shipped from higher income countries to areas of the Global South who then have to deal with the toxic burden of other people’s pollution, called “waste colonialism.” 

Plastic pollution affects every ecosystem on Earth. From oceans and rivers to agricultural soils and urban communities, plastic waste threatens biodiversity, contaminates food systems, and disproportionately impacts communities already facing environmental injustice. Reducing plastic production is one of the most effective ways to address the problem at its source.

How Plastic Production Contributes to Climate Change

Not only is plastic a threat to our health and environment but plastic is also a significant concern for our climate. More than 99% of plastics are made of fossil fuels, and if plastic’s life cycle were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, and unless the world takes action, primary plastic production will consume 21-31% of the global carbon budget by 2050. 

Reducing plastic production is not only a waste issue—it is also a climate solution. Every stage of the plastic life cycle generates greenhouse gas emissions, making plastic reduction an essential strategy for meeting global climate goals and protecting future generations.

Learn more about our climate work

The Plastics Treaty: A Battle for Production Reduction

Thanks to the advocacy of Indigenous Peoples and civil society organizations worldwide, in 2021 the United Nations began a process to develop a plastics treaty that addresses pollution at each stage of its life cycle, from extraction to disposal. GAIA members and other civil society leaders have been at each round of negotiations demanding a strong treaty that cuts plastic production. The process has been far from ideal: hundreds of Industry lobbyists are present, and petrochemical producing countries have worked to water down the treaty and stall negotiations. However, a large group of countries, particularly in Africa and other parts of the world most impacted and least responsible for the crisis, have not backed down on such topics as human health, a strong financial mechanism, and of course, reducing plastic production. As negotiations continue, GAIA remains committed to supporting ambitious governments and civil society organizations working toward a legally binding plastics treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastics—from extraction to disposal—and prioritizes human health, environmental justice, and meaningful reductions in plastic production.

Check out our plastics treaty campaign page!

How GAIA and Communities Are Advancing Zero Waste Solutions

The zero waste solutions to the plastic crisis put forward by GAIA members around the world are gaining momentum: there is now even a United Nations Day of Zero Waste, and more and more countries are recognizing zero waste as a key climate solution. GAIA members are working with their cities to develop community-led zero waste systems that phase out plastic use while strengthening local economies, some of which were recognized by the United Nations in their list 20 Cities Towards Zero Waste this year. To date over 500 cities have committed to zero waste, and over 122 million people are living in a zero waste city. Our Zero Waste Academies have brought together over 500 participants from around the world to learn about how to develop and strengthen their zero waste projects. 

These community-led initiatives demonstrate that zero waste systems are not only possible—they are already delivering measurable environmental, economic, and public health benefits. By investing in waste prevention, reuse, composting and recycling instead of disposal, communities can reduce plastic pollution while creating local jobs and strengthening climate resilience.

Learn more about our zero waste work

Take the Plastic Free July Challenge

To get to a world free from plastic pollution, it’ll take both individual and collective action. Join us in the Plastic Free July challenge! Here are some actions you can take locally and in your daily life to reduce your plastic footprint:

• Bring your own bag to go shopping
• Ask for reusable foodware at your local establishments
• Bring a reusable bottle with you to stay hydrated and go waste-free
• Support local zero waste businesses 
• Choose products with minimal or refillable packaging whenever possible.
• Support policies and businesses that prioritize reuse over single-use plastics.

How You Can Help Reduce Plastic Pollution

Ending plastic pollution requires both individual action and systemic change. Whether you support local zero waste initiatives, advocate for stronger policies, or become part of GAIA’s global network, every action contributes to a healthier and more just future.

• Donate. Your donation supports GAIA and incredible grassroots leaders fighting pollution, building movements, and transforming transforming cities into places centered on community power, worker rights, racial justice, gender equity, sustainability, and resilience. 
• Find a GAIA member in your region. GAIA has members in Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, the U.S. and Canada, and Africa. 
• Already with an organization? Become a GAIA member! You will join an alliance of over 1,000 groups in over 100 countries, and gain access to materials that support local campaigning, regional and cross-regional power-building, and support from regional GAIA staff. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Plastic Free July What is Plastic Free July?

Plastic Free July is a global movement that encourages people to reduce their use of single-use plastics and adopt more sustainable habits throughout July and beyond.

Why is plastic pollution harmful?

Plastic pollution contaminates ecosystems, threatens wildlife, contributes to climate change, and exposes people to microplastics and harmful chemicals throughout the plastic life cycle.

What are microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that have been found in oceans, rivers, soil, drinking water, food, and even the human body. They are created as larger plastic items break down over time.

How does plastic contribute to climate change?

More than 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels. Greenhouse gas emissions occur during extraction, production, transportation, use, and disposal, making plastic pollution closely linked to the climate crisis.

What is the Plastics Treaty?

The plastics treaty is an international effort led through the United Nations to create legally binding measures that address plastic pollution across the entire plastic life cycle.

What is zero waste?

According to the Zero Waste International Alliance, zero waste is the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health. Zero waste is both a goal and a plan of action to achieve it. 

Plastic Free July reminds us that ending plastic pollution requires both everyday actions and ambitious regional and international policies. Communities around the world are already proving that zero waste systems, reduced plastic production, and environmental justice go hand in hand.

By supporting local solutions, advocating for a strong plastics treaty, and choosing to reduce plastic waste in our daily lives, we can help create healthier communities and a more sustainable future.

Join GAIA in building a world beyond plastic pollution—not just in July, but every day of the year.

The post Plastic Free July: How to Reduce Plastic Pollution with Zero Waste Solutions first appeared on GAIA.

Hydrogen is a promising clean-burning fuel for trucks, ships, and airplanes. The global demand for hydrogen has nearly doubled over the past two decades. But most hydrogen today does not come from a green source, over 95% comes from natural gas or as a byproduct of petrochemical processes.

At the same time, the world faces the environmental crisis of plastic waste. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have now come up with a practical solution for both problems.

They have made a device that uses sunlight to break down plastic waste and turn it into hydrogen. And it’s not just a lab curiosity. The team made it using simple methods and materials, and have tested it outside in the sunlight. “Converting waste streams into valuable products using clean energy sources is…an attractive strategy to address both energy and environmental concerns,” they write in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering.

The idea isn’t brand new. Chemistry professor Erwin Reisner and his team has been working on a way to do it for several years. Three years ago, they developed a solar-powered reactor that turns carbon dioxide and plastic waste into fuels and useful chemicals.

 

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That previous device relied on light-activated catalysts based on semiconductor materials. Making panels with such materials typically involves suspending the small particles in solution, depositing them onto a substrate and heating it. The process requires high temperatures and harsh chemicals, which limits scalability and increases cost and complexity. The older reactor was about 5 cm x 5 cm, and the researchers only tested it in the lab under simulated sunlight.

The new device is significantly larger—about one meter square—and the team has now tested it under natural sunlight outside Cambridge’s chemistry department. The researchers make the panels at room temperature using simple gear.

Using a common paint sprayer, they first spray the light-absorbing material onto a glass panel. Then they coat it with a second layer made of specially designed molecules containing cobalt and zirconium, which serve as the catalyst.

The reactor extracted hydrogen from cut-up plastic drink bottles, as well as from glucose and cellulose, which are found in plant biomass waste. Glucose produced the most hydrogen, while cellulose gave less.

The spray-coating method cuts the cost to produce the reactors significantly, which should make them easier to produce at scale. But the hydrogen right now is still too expensive. According to a press release, the researchers still need to improve the durability and efficiency of the reactors.

Source: Ariffin Bin Mohamad Annuar et al. Photoreforming of solid waste on 1 m2 scale using single-source precursor-derived co-catalyst films. Nature Chemical Engineering, 2026.

Image: ©Anthropocene Magazine

CALGARY — Janetta McKenzie, director of the Oil and Gas program at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement with regards to today’s anticipated announcement from the Province of Alberta and the prime minister's confirmation that there is...

In Guatemala’s southwest region lies a large lake with a storied history.

Lake Atitlán is one of Central America’s most critical local sources of drinking water, and is surrounded by volcanoes, a thriving tourism industry and an ancient Mayan culture. The Sololá region has long been home to Indigenous communities who have been attracted to its fertile land and pristine natural resources. 

But in recent years, this site of natural beauty in Guatemala’s highlands has had to contend with the growing impacts of the climate and nature crises. Climate change is disrupting the rain cycle and significant areas of land show signs of erosion and loss of soil fertility. These changes are threatening crop production and pushing local people into food insecurity. 

Elena Wason, co-executive director at Natün, a local non-profit supporting Indigenous people, told Climate Home News that community leaders have “identified deforestation and the effects of climate change in their communities as among their greatest concerns”. Forest cover declined by an estimated 12% in the past two years alone.

Women are often the social group most exposed to these changes and Natün has focused its efforts on reviving Indigenous agriculture techniques in a bid to improve climate resilience and empower female farmers.

How to fight drought

The impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities can often lead to further environmental damage as farmers are forced to rely on unsustainable practices, such as cutting down trees to clear more land. This can accelerate water scarcity, soil erosion and ultimately food insecurity. 

Giving nature breathing room builds climate resilience

An ongoing adaptation project led by Natün has sought to reverse these impacts, working with local people to combine modern climate-smart agriculture and ancestral knowledge. The approach involves the use of drought-resistant crops, organic pest management and soil conservation techniques. This is increasingly recognised as an effective way to strengthen climate resilience. 

“Our approach is based on soil analysis and the use of locally resilient, endemic tree species, significantly increasing survival rates and ensuring sustainable water availability despite changing rainfall patterns,” Wason explained.

A farmer in one of the small family food gardens growing nutrient-rich crops. Image: Natün A farmer in one of the small family food gardens growing nutrient-rich crops. Image: Natün

A US$170,000 grant from the Adaptation Fund-UNDP innovation platform (through the AFCIA programme) also allowed it to scale. For example, Natün established over 300 family food gardens – small spaces with shared resources that focus on growing nutrient-rich crops.

The project was built for the long-term by embedding innovation within Indigenous knowledge systems, organic farming and Mayan land stewardship rather than imposing external solutions. In this way, it ensures that communities remain the architects of their own resilience. Diversified revenue streams, including carbon credits and replicable learning kits, further support its longevity.

Nearly all of the typical Mayan gardens are managed by women, with the project training up to 30 women in climate-resilient practices, such as seed bank management. The approach has paid dividends by bolstering local food security and providing almost 19,000 people with sustainable food sources.

Young South Africans take up sustainable agriculture for food security

“The project uses locally led innovation by helping to restore sustainable Indigenous Mayan practices, while empowering vulnerable communities and women to build resilience and adapt to climate change and bolster food security,” said Mikko Ollikainen, head of the Adaptation Fund. 

“Community-led approaches like these can have profound positive impacts on the directly affected communities and beyond by creating practical scalable solutions,” he added.

Growing incomes

The programme was expanded in 2025 with the creation of over 260 small poultry farms, further diversifying family incomes. The early results have been positive: two-thirds of families with both a garden and poultry now have surplus produce and incomes that have grown by an estimated $61 per month.

“These impacts especially benefit women, who not only make up 75% of programme participants and have taken leadership roles in managing community gardens, but also generally take on the responsibility of providing nutritious food for their families,” said Wason. 

The project follows an earlier $5.4 million activity in Guatemala, also funded by the Adaptation Fund, that focused on honey bee production, forest conservation and ancestral knowledge across Suchitepéquez and Sololá. The aim was to empower vulnerable communities and Indigenous populations to adapt to floods and landslides, while enhancing diverse production landscapes and livelihoods. 

Advancing women’s rights and empowerment in climate adaptation

That project resulted in 6,093 hectares under forest management and conservation, nearly 1,500 beehives in operation, and 328 family gardens with the purpose of helping women adapt. Utilising such ancestral practices have helped to increase agricultural resilience in the Nahualate River basin, benefiting some 1,125 people.

Indigenous farmers in the Lake Atitlán region. Image: Natün Indigenous farmers in the Lake Atitlán region. Image: Natün Enduring benefits

The long-term benefits of the Lake Atitlán project will be in providing communities, especially women, with practical tools to respond to the environmental challenges of drought, storms and deforestation in the Sololá region. These challenges are becoming more pronounced as the climate becomes more extreme and unpredictable.

Guatemala is ranked among the most exposed countries to climate risk. The World Bank estimates that up to 83% of its GDP is generated in areas prone to disasters. As such, it is not only the people around Lake Atitlán who stand to benefit from sustainable farming techniques.

The Natün project is easily replicable by harnessing local knowledge and offering a practical model that can be adapted across Indigenous communities facing similar climate pressures. In a country with an Indigenous population of over 6 million people, this approach will be of importance to many other communities as they face similar existential crises in a warming world.

Adam Wentworth is a freelance journalist based in Brighton, UK.

The post In Guatemala, Indigenous women build climate resilience with old and new farming methods appeared first on Climate Home News.

The World Bank has scrapped its headline climate finance target under pressure from the Trump administration, but experts believe the survival of its wider climate programme should preserve support for clean energy and resilience in developing nations.

Following tense negotiations between its government shareholders, the global lender announced this week it would extend its Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) while “retiring” its commitment to direct 45% of its financing to projects with climate benefits – a target it has already met.

“It could have been a lot worse,” said Danny Scull, a senior policy advisor at think-tank E3G. “I would have loved to see the most ambitious outcome possible, but it is far less likely we’ll see a scenario where the bank all of a sudden reverses its current trajectory and starts delivering less on climate,” he added. 

• Jun 26, 2026 Comment Climate adaptation in Africa needs investment, not imported solutions Across Africa, communities have implemented vital climate adaptation measures – but these need investment to scale Read more
• Jun 30, 2026 Comment With extreme heat now a public health crisis, local data can save lives The impacts of extreme heat vary widely across countries and cities, and approaches tailored using data can target solutions at vulnerable groups Read more

Introduced in 2021, the CCAP has been credited with overhauling the World Bank’s approach to climate finance after years of criticism over the development finance institution’s lukewarm support for cutting planet-heating emissions and building resilience to extreme weather and rising seas.

Since the CCAP began, the World Bank’s climate finance nearly doubled to $39.2 billion in 2025, with 48% of its financing showing climate “co-benefits” and exceeding the target first set at COP28. 

US attack partially rebuffed

With the CCAP due to lapse at the end of June, the US – the World Bank’s largest shareholder – mounted a campaign for the lender to axe the programme entirely. Last April, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly welcomed the plan’s upcoming expiration, urging the bank to “shift its myopic focus on climate” and abandon its “distortionary” 45% climate finance target. 

But Washington was left increasingly isolated during protracted negotiations in recent months as both European governments and a wide-ranging coalition of developing countries held firm on the plan’s extension, sources with knowledge of the discussions told Climate Home News.

In May, executive directors representing a bloc of nearly 100 countries, including China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Russia, sent a letter to the World Bank’s board requesting the CCAP be extended and calling for an independent review of the programme.

While the US had previously seemed unwilling to compromise with its European counterparts, that intervention got it to “back off from its most extreme positions”, E3G’s Scull said.

Focus on “outcomes”

In its statement on Monday, the World Bank Group said it would place less weight on the amount of money flowing into projects with climate benefits and shift its focus to “outcomes”, including indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions avoided and the number of people better shielded from climate risks.

The UK’s international development minister, Jenny Chapman, said in a post on LinkedIn this week that the extension of the CCAP is “a critical step forward”, adding that the stronger emphasis on results “is essential to ensure maximum impact, and the UK will hold the Bank to account to ensure delivery”.

Despite ditching its headline goal, the international lender is still expected to keep counting the volumes of climate finance for the vast majority of its activities. That’s because the individual entities belonging to the group continue to have their own climate targets embedded in their current mandates. 

World Bank climate funding greens African hotels while fishermen sink

For example, the International Development Association (IDA), which supports the world’s poorest nations, has committed to providing 45% of its funding to climate-related activities until 2028. And its larger lending arm, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), should keep aiming for 30% of its financing to have climate benefits. 

Joe Thwaites, a climate finance expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said these targets “can be a backstop against the bottom falling out”. “Client countries are emphasising that they want to see more investments in clean energy and resilience,” he added. 

No major change expected

The World Bank’s provision of climate finance is also crucial for wealthy countries’ efforts to meet a commitment to provide $300 billion a year for developing countries by 2035 under the new UN climate goal agreed at COP29 in 2024. 

That year, multilateral development banks (MDBs) accounted for around half of all climate finance provided by developed countries under the previous $100-billion-a-year goal, according to calculations by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 

UK development minister Chapman said this week that the bank “must continue to meet the expectations of the wider international community, including those set out at COP29”. There, MDBs said that by 2030, their annual joint climate financing for low- and middle-income countries would reach an estimated $120 billion.

Fractious COP29 lands $300bn climate finance goal, dashing hopes of the poorest

Rajneesh Bhuee, just transition lead at campaign group Recourse, said it was a “blow” that the World Bank’s headline target had been dropped, but she doesn’t expect to see climate financing reducing – at least in the short term. 

“This is the [bank] management’s way of alleviating pressure from the US and ensuring they can have some sort of calm internally,” she told Climate Home News.

Thwaites said shareholder countries should hold the bank’s leadership accountable for delivering what countries have “agreed and need” on climate action.

“If World Bank climate finance does start to fall, donors should focus their support on other international financial institutions that continue to prioritise climate,” he added.

IMF also steps back from climate focus

Regional development banks outside of the Americas may be under less pressure to water down their climate mission. But the World Bank’s sister institution – the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – has seen its enthusiasm for climate action ebb, according to a report released in June by its official watchdog, the Independent Evaluation Office.

The report said that in 2021, the fund placed great emphasis on tackling climate change, as shown by its flagship climate strategy published that year and the establishment of the Resilience and Security Trust in 2022.

But in the last year or so, it found “decreasing emphasis on climate-related issues” which coincided with IMF cost-cutting, “emerging geopolitical challenges” and reduced support for climate action from some unnamed IMF member countries.

Last year, US finance minister Bessent accused the IMF of “mission creep”, accusing it of spending too much time on climate action, gender and social issues. 

As Nigeria rails at loss and damage “mirage”, fund boss assures money is coming

The evaluation report found that the focus on climate change among the IMF’s management and executive board has weakened, and its flagship reports have not included any climate-related chapters since 2023. IMF head Kristalina Georgieva and other managers mentioned climate-related terms in speeches and statements to the board far less in 2025 than the preceding years, it noted. 

While most of the nearly 700 IMF’s staff surveyed welcomed the swing away from climate work, others bemoaned it and felt “self censored” when working to promote awareness of the risks of climate change to the global economy – which the IMF is tasked with protecting.

The post World Bank’s climate work can endure without finance target, experts say appeared first on Climate Home News.