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The Inflation Reduction Act will put the energy-saving technology within financial reach of many thousands of low- and middle-income Texans. TCN contributing editor Bob Henson provides an in-depth look at what’s in store.
In this installment of TCN Digest, we recount some important climate and energy developments that occurred around the turn of the year and examine the indications that they provide about the months ahead.
With the social media platform in turmoil, scientists from Texas and elsewhere are pondering their next steps as they watch their reader engagement drop and dismissal of climate change rise.
Coral reefs – indicators of overall ocean health – have fared better in the Flower Garden Banks Marine Sanctuary than many reefs elsewhere. But researchers have now concluded that could change as Gulf waters heat up.
Republican victories in Texas mean explicit, state-level climate action seems sure to be a continuing nonstarter. But the failure of a “red wave” to materialize nationally means Biden’s legislative achievements appear secure.
We examined the websites of the Republican and Democratic candidates for Texas governor, land commissioner and railroad commissioner. Their discussions of issues weren’t always what you might expect.
As consumer interest in EVs grows, government officials at all levels in Texas are working to decide how to add infrastructure to support more EV ownership in the state, a transportation researcher at Texas A&M said.
A sampling of recent coverage – articles, maps, videos and photos that explain and illustrate hurricane intensification, the growing hazards of storm surge and the role of population growth in vulnerable areas.
Recent polling paints a mixed picture of whether voters will assign importance to climate issues – and how much – as they decide how to vote in hundreds of congressional and state races across the country.
A NASA experiment could inform mitigation of health-threatening urban heat worsened by climate change. Readings just after sunrise showed areas in central Houston and near roadways were far warmer than the city’s outskirts.
Industry promotes natural gas as a climate solution – burned in power plants, it yields less greenhouse pollution than coal. Research, however, continues to highlight gas leaks’ climate, safety and health hazards.
While the court’s decision didn’t go as far as some climate-action advocates feared, it restricts the government’s options for reducing emissions and signals possible curbs on other federal regulation.
Sweltering conditions in a new summer forecast include frequent highs of 105 and hotter. And there’s no end to the state’s current drought in sight. La Niña, often associated with drought in Texas, is predicted to persist.
A warming climate hasn’t erased the risk of cold extremes, and the Texas power grid wasn’t prepared for the frigid blast that blanketed the state in February 2021. Will it be ready for the next one?
Vegetation-covered roofs may be challenging to create and maintain, but they can be up to 40 degrees cooler than conventional roofs. They can also reduce flash flooding and provide islands of habitat for pollinators.
The U.N.-sponsored body assessed various strategies for limiting pollution-fueled climate change to avoid the worst impacts. “Carbon dioxide removal” supplements emission reductions in some of them.
In his new book, the atmospheric scientist and environmental engineering professor dives into diplomacy, technology and policy, arguing that action in all three areas is needed for progress against climate change.
“There’s a huge number of homes out there that cannot hold a [set temperature] for even a minute – if the AC shuts off, that house is getting hot,” a Texas energy efficiency expert said.
Some hyper-wealthy people are pledging donations to fight climate change and protect ecosystems. Is it a positive, even “game-changing” development? Or should governments constrain carbon-spewing luxuries?
After a record-mild autumn and a freakishly warm December, much of Texas could sink into its worst drought in a decade. That prospect is ominous – a reminder of the state’s catastrophic heat wave and drought in 2011.
Your tax-deductible donation to Texas Climate News will be received and transferred to TCN by our official fiscal sponsor, the nonprofit Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources (IJNR).
Thank you for your crucial support.
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