The past year has been characterized by very visible climate impacts — record-breaking heat, floods, and other natural disasters. An ongoing megadrought led to increasingly pressing concerns over the future of water security in the American West. Hurricanes pummeled Puerto Rico, Florida, and much of the Eastern seaboard. And cities and towns in between experienced searing heat, torrential floods, and epic snowfall. Despite the obvious signs of planetary peril, the industrialized world continues to fall short of the emissions goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.
But through it all, some hard-earned victories have given climate advocates reasons to be hopeful. In August, the United States passed its most meaningful piece of climate legislation ever with the Inflation Reduction Act, a win that caught many by surprise after months of gridlock. The law will make roughly $369 billion available for cutting emissions and protecting frontline communities. Last month, negotiators at COP27 worked through challenging conditions to forge a historic agreement to establish a fund for loss and damage... Read more
