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Summer was Earth’s hottest summer on record. September was the hottest September. Other climate extremes abound. Is climate change speeding up? We examine all of that in one of our annotated summaries of recent climate news.
The saguaro cactus is a bellwether of impending disaster as climate change pushes the Sonoran Desert of the U.S. and Mexico to the brink. Scientists warn the desert's intricate web of life is unraveling.
As climate change fuels higher temperatures, deaths on the job have increased. But few regulations anywhere address the issue. Texas lawmakers this year banned city ordinances requiring water breaks for construction workers.
Inside Climate News
Hungry for royalties, the state is awarding offshore leases to oil and gas companies to bury carbon dioxide beneath the sea floor. Critics worry about leakage, pipeline safety and carbon storage’s lackluster onshore record.
Context
In cities including San Antonio, local authorities with an eye to climate, sustainability and jobs impacts increasingly are requiring that buildings be taken apart rather than demolished.
El Paso Matters
Proposition K, comprising several climate policies, landed on the ballot after organizers gathered about 22,000 signatures on a petition. But it sparked fierce opposition – and heavy campaign spending – from business groups.
Grist
Texas led in generating electricity from wind, natural gas and coal, and was the No. 2 state in solar. Experts say the national trend toward renewables still isn’t fast enough to stop the worst impacts of climate change.
Texas Tribune
As global efforts to combat climate change falter, climate activists have turned to local initiatives to rein in carbon emissions. A May vote on a city charter amendment has thrust El Paso into the fray.
Context
The new science report says rapid, deep emissions cuts are needed. It urges people everywhere to act out of self-interest for their health and wellbeing and says choices this decade will have impacts for thousands of years.
Another state refuses to cooperate with EPA on environmental justice. Center for Public Integrity
Texas still issues thousands of permits for natural gas flaring. Texas Observer
Dallas Fed report says Texas economy slows as summers get hotter. Texas Tribune
New ERCOT battery rule could limit energy storage use in grid emergencies, operators say. Utility Dive
Advocates urge Texas education board to OK climate change curriculum. Houston Chronicle
Controversial climate protests aim to ‘shake humanity awake’. Houston Chronicle
Carbon capture project back at Texas coal plant after 3-year shutdown. Reuters
New fines aim to ease Louisiana’s ‘orphan’ oil wells problem. NOLA.com
‘Carbon mega bomb’: climate experts urge Biden to block gas export hub. The Guardian
House Speaker Mike Johnson doubts climate science. New York Times
Hurricane Otis kills at least 27, hammers Acapulco as damage seen in billions. Reuters
In early 2029, Earth will likely lock into breaching key warming threshold, scientists calculate. Associated Press
To a growing number of scientists, climate change is an ‘emergency’. Washington Post
Global discord threatens COP28 climate talks, EU commissioner says. Reuters
Dramatic plan to expand flood areas could force millions to buy insurance. E&E News
Melting of West Antarctic ice shelves may be inevitable. New York Times
Oil companies capture a lot of their CO2. They use it to drill more oil. Washington Post
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