ClimateWire News
Senate Democrats launch climate insurance probe
The lawmakers expressed concerns about a financial analysis company inflating insurer ratings.
2025 was one of three hottest years on record, scientists say
It was also the first time that the three-year temperature average broke through the threshold set in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
California needs more snow to bolster 2026 water supplies, officials say
The water content of snowpack at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada is at 50 percent of the average for this time of year and 21 percent of the average for April 1, said a state hydrometeorologist.
Hungary’s ‘water guardian’ farmers fight back against desertification
Farmers watch with distress as the Great Hungarian Plain, once an important site for agriculture, has become increasingly parched and dry.
South Korea’s climate pledge clashes with US push for LNG purchases
Talks are underway for South Korea to invest $350 billion in U.S. projects and purchase up to $100 billion worth of U.S. energy products.
AI energy demand by the numbers — and how it might affect the planet
States with booming data center construction are seeing spikes in new power needs. Much of it is being met by coal and solar.
Data centers fight uphill battle on energy messaging
Technology firms and their trade groups may not be doing enough to sway an increasingly skeptical public as electricity prices climb.
States were at the heart of 2025 climate fights
The year featured unprecedented assaults on state climate action. Democrats also think it showed them a path back to power.
The tough lesson US scientists learned from Trump
A yearlong assault on federal science programs taught researchers they can't always count on Washington to be a reliable partner.
Washington carbon market generates billions for climate projects
Nearly $2.8 billion is set for state projects ranging from hybrid ferries to bicycle rebates.
New York data center surge presents economic development conundrum
Proposed data centers in the state would require huge amounts of power while likely bringing few long-term jobs.
Parents divided on girls returning to flood-scarred Texas camp
Campers will start arriving in May, bunking on higher ground than the area where fast-rising waters swept away two cabins this year.
China’s bid for weather superpower status targets AI dataset
A reliance on Europe’s ERA5 runs counter to Beijing’s push for security and technological independence.
Fast shipping is increasing emissions. Here’s why.
When customers choose earlier delivery dates, the system shifts from optimized routing to getting the package out fastest.
Betting on climate failure, these investors could earn billions
Investment firms have put over $100 million into developing risky technologies that could cool the planet with unknown side effects.
Trump leaves wind industry reeling — at a perilous moment for his party
Republican worries about energy affordability didn’t deter the administration from halting five projects that had already begun construction.
State Farm: Illinois tried to block other states from company data
The insurer, fighting to protect internal records, said the Illinois insurance regulator made "improper efforts" to push aside other state regulators.
Green fuel company slashes workforce as tax credits dwindle
The layoffs at Twelve follow the reelection of President Donald Trump and the rollback of incentives that were designed to spur the production of sustainable aviation fuel.
Europe faces renewed US ire after ESG cutbacks fail to calm tensions
The EU and U.S. agreed in July to limit tariffs on most EU exports to 15 percent in a deal that included a commitment that environmental, social and governance rules don’t get in the way of trade.
Sri Lanka tea workers struggle in poverty. Flooding cost many their lives.
Social workers say plantation laborers, already living in distressed conditions, are in an even more desperate situation after Cyclone Ditwah.
