A big jump in climate-action support follows 2021’s run of extreme weather

A new national poll found increases in Americans’ agreement that global warming is happening, their worries about it and support for climate action. Will the surge translate into passage of bills stalled in Congress?

Bill Dawson

Climate, local authority, divestment: The enduring clout of oil and gas

Fossil fuels don’t dominate the Texas economy as they did in the past. But they still provide “a huge amount of the money that goes into the coffers” of public office-seekers, said a TCU political scientist.

John Kent

No doubt climate change made Ida more destructive, scientists say

Warmer ocean waters can rapidly strengthen storms. Ocean warming has been unceasing for 50 years, the IPCC recently reported. And this trend “will likely continue until at least 2300 even for low-emission scenarios.”

Bill Dawson

TCN Digest: Even with a ‘code red’ climate report, scientists still have hope

“Unprecedented” climate changes lie ahead, some “irreversible.” Parts of the IPCC’s latest update may prompt a defeatist response, but the report also says there’s still time to avoid the worst, researchers stress.

Bill Dawson

‘Code red for humanity’: The IPCC report’s meaning for the world and Texas

Human-caused warming of the earth is “unequivocal,” the new scientific assessment’s authors declared. “This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels,” the UN secretary-general said.

Bob Henson

Winter, summer weather extremes are taking a toll on Texas plants, wildlife

Researchers are documenting impacts of extreme cold and heat on animals and the plants they rely on for food and habitat. The deaths of hundreds of thousands of animals were recorded in February’s winter storm, for example.

Melissa Gaskill

Electric vehicle infrastructure bill fizzles as EVs shift into high gear

Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature co-sponsored a measure to ensure Texas plays a leading role in the transition to electric vehicles. The House bill easily won committee approval but never came to a floor vote.

John Kent

Will Texas implement reinstated U.S. rules to cut methane emissions?

The curbs on leaks of climate-changing methane from oil and gas operations restore Obama-era rules that Trump junked. Texas has a record of suing to stop climate-protecting measures and refusing to implement them.

Nushin Huq

Two national polls find falling Republican support for renewable energy

Historically, Republicans have voiced more support for renewables than concern about climate change. But their enthusiasm for clean energy appears to be eroding in another possible sign of partisan polarization.

Bill Dawson

Threat of more blackouts may erode reliability claims for fossil energy

Amid soaring temps, Texas’ grid operator said unexpected shutdowns at power plants had stressed the system. Nearly 80% were “thermal” generators (mostly natural gas-fueled in Texas) and not renewable sources.

Bill Dawson

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