Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera praeclara)

The North American tallgrass prairie ecosystem once dominated the middle part of the continent, comprising a 170-million-acre inland sea of extremely biodiverse grassland. Today, 99% of it is gone. Humans replaced these verdant waves of vein with one invasive species in particular - Zea mays - known locally as ‘corn’.

Within the remaining 1% resides the Western Prairie Fringed Orchid, a handsome flower whose ambrosial luster feeds the soul rather than the belly. It is a fickle plant; hiding out as a tuber and waiting only for the perfect conditions to sprout. It emits its orchidaceous scent only at night, to attract one particular family of moth which serves as its pollinator.

Restoring American grasslands to their former glory remains a distant prospect. Efforts to conserve the orchid focus on reconstituting small patches, safeguarding the pollinating moths, and combating invasive species.

IUCN: Endangered (EN)

Be sure to sign up to get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

The Trump administration is refusing necessary permits for any new wind energy project in the nation, reports Canary Media. Up to 30 GW of new generation is being held up by typically routine Department of Defense approvals.

Trump is keeping gigawatts of clean and cost-effective power off the grid at a time when the nation desperately needs more of it to power data centers, factories, and electric appliances coming online

It’s a particularly dumb strategy to pursue policies that raise both electricity and gasoline prices at the same time. –DB

Subscribe now

2. Water Crisis Looming in Western US

Early melting of snowpack this spring means much of the Western US could run dry this summer, warns Grist. The Colorado River basin looks set to be particularly affected.

“What happened in March was unprecedented and stunning and disturbing and out of this world, frankly — we had temperatures the likes of which we have never seen and couldn’t have happened without human-caused climate change…”

3. Naturalist Icon David Attenborough Turns 100

Legendary naturalist and entertainer David Attenborough has reached the age of 100, relays Euro News. Attenborough is known for his prolific documentaries on the natural world.

“Over the course of my life I have encountered some of the world’s most remarkable species of animals,” the broadcaster said. “Only now do I realise just how lucky I have been. Many of these wonders seem set to disappear forever.”

Our Blue Marble

Uluru | Australia

25° 20′ 42″ S, 131° 2′ 10″ E 1

Good Climate News

1. Ford Launches Energy Storage Business

US automotive company Ford has launched its new battery storage business, notes Electrek. Its new venture will repurpose factories built for electric vehicles to churn out batteries for use in grid storage projects.

The subsidiary will operate out of Ford’s Glendale, Kentucky facility — the same plant that was originally built for EV battery production under the BlueOval SK joint venture. Ford now wholly owns the Kentucky operations and is repurposing them into what it calls a gigafactory for energy storage production.

Although it would be nice to have more EVs on US roads — battery storage enables deeper decarbonization of the electric grid. This is a pro-climate move by Ford. –DB

2. 4 GW Solar Plant Planned in Houston

The US state of Texas will be the site of a massive new solar panel plant, reports PV Magazine. Local company SEG Solar already has a 2GW plant in the state — which as a whole is expected to have a combined 15 GW of solar manufacturing capacity by the end of the year.

The 500,000 square foot facility represents an investment of more than $200 million and is projected to create 800 jobs.

3. Inside the Geothermal Energy Boom

Geothermal energy could soon add large amounts of 24/7 clean electricity to the grid, explains Euro News. A slew of companies with different approachs are finding success with field trials and moving to commercialization.

Experts believe this type of power could eventually expand beyond volcanically active regions. According to the IEA, advances in deep drilling could make it viable across larger parts of Europe, Asia and North America.

Book of the Week

Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation | Paul Hawken

Hawken lays out a vivid sector-by-sector plan for solving the climate crisis and creating a better, more sustainable planet. A truly remarkable book that clarifies the net-zero challenge by breaking it down into discrete pieces. –DB

Amazon

Bookshop.org US | Bookshop.org UK

In Brief

🇦🇺 Australia: Tech companies like Apple are investing in Australian macadamia farms for carbon credits.

🇧🇷 Brazil: Seasonal climatic extremes are now more common in the Amazon, according to tree ring analysis.

🇮🇷 Iran: The Caspian Sea is rapidly retreating and its decline may be approaching an irrevesible tipping point.

🇪🇸 Spain: Spain’s groundbreaking climate shelters are saving thousands of lives, and provide a model for the world.

Planetary Pulse

Planetary Health — Latest figures

CO2: 432.24 PPM (+1.79 YoY)2 | Temperature Anomaly: +1.48 C

Forest Cover: 31.8% | Protected Areas: 12.3% (17.3% terrestrial, 10.01% marine)

Emissions per Capita: 4.89 (World) | 9.1 (China) | 13.1 (USA) | 6.1 (EU) | 2.1 (India)

Low Carbon Electricity: 43.1% | Low Carbon Energy: 19.8% | EV New Sales : 24.1%3

The Other 74%

• Australia is creating biobanks to help preserve marine species.

• Greenpeace is livestreaming a deep-sea expedition to highlight thriving ecosystems in places that may be subject to mining in future.

• Introduced pink salmon populations are surging in the Great Lakes, worrying conservationists.

• New Orleans is uninhabitable and evacuation should begin now, according to a new study.

Meet the Endangered

Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera praeclara)

The North American tallgrass prairie ecosystem once dominated the middle part of the continent, comprising a 170-million-acre inland sea of extremely biodiverse grassland. Today, 99% of it is gone. Humans replaced these verdant waves of vein with one invasive species in particular - Zea mays - known locally as ‘corn’.

Within the remaining 1% resides the Western Prairie Fringed Orchid, a handsome flower whose ambrosial luster feeds the soul rather than the belly. It is a fickle plant; hiding out as a tuber and waiting only for the perfect conditions to sprout. It emits its orchidaceous scent only at night, to attract one particular family of moth which serves as its pollinator.

Restoring American grasslands to their former glory remains a distant prospect. Efforts to conserve the orchid focus on reconstituting small patches, safeguarding the pollinating moths, and combating invasive species.

IUCN: Endangered (EN)

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

Pink Pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri)

In the 1990s, the Pink Pigeon was on the verge of extinction, with fewer than ten individuals left in the wild. Since then, this comely Mauritian bird has staged a remarkable comeback, evading the fate of its famously bygone cousin - the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus).

The Pink Pigeon is native to the old-growth forests of Mauritius, a remote volcanic island in the Indian Ocean. Only 2% of the island’s original forest cover remains, and this habitat destruction - melded with the bane of introduced predators - begot the pigeon’s decimation.

Aggressive intervention saved the species. Captive Pink Pigeons from global zoos were flown to Mauritius to interbreed with native birds, diversifying the gene pool. There are now around 500 individuals in the wild, and its classification has been upgraded to Vulnerable.

IUCN: Vulnerable (VU)

Sign up to get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

The most dangerous form of air pollution is PM2.5, which consists of fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (about 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair). They can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream and are associated with negative health outcomes.23

Let’s look at the worst seven countries in the world for outdoor air pollution, as measured by average annual PM2.5 concentrations:4

7. Nepal🇳🇵

PM2.5: 42.8μg/m³ - 9 times WHO limit

Like most alpine countries, Nepal is vulnerable to air pollution as mountains impede air circulation. Residential use of biomass for heating and cooking is the largest source, with crop burning, brick-making, and vehicles also contributing. Nepal heavily incentivizes electric vehicles, which now make up 76% of new car sales5. 30% of the country’s pollution is imported, drifting in from India and Pakistan through valleys.

Subscribe now

6. Tajikistan 🇹🇯

PM2.5: 46.3μg/m³ - 9 times WHO limit

The Central Asian nation of Tajikistan is 93% mountainous, with the vast majority of its population concentrated into two valleys. This geography makes it vulnerable to air pollution, which comes from vehicles, industry, and, increasingly, the power sector. Historically reliant entirely on hydropower, Tajikistan has begun burning coal during the dry season when hydro capacity drops; this has been disastrous for air quality.

5. India 🇮🇳

PM2.5: 50.6μg/m³ - 10.12 times WHO limit

India is home to both the world’s largest population - 1.4 billion people - and some of the worst air pollution on Earth. The sources of PM2.5 are diverse with vehicles, coal-fired generating stations, crop burning, industry, and home cooking fires all making substantial contributions. The nation’s geography exacerbates the situation; the Himalayas prevent air pollution from blowing away.

4. D.R. Congo 🇨🇩

PM2.5: 58.2μg/m³ - 12 times WHO limit

The Democratic Republic of Congo has the most hydroelectric potential in the world, yet only 22% of its population has access to electricity6. As a result, basic energy needs are met mostly by burning wood and charcoal, which generates an awful, persistent haze of air pollution.

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

3. Pakistan 🇵🇰

PM2.5: 73.7μg/m³ - 15 times WHO limit

Pakistan uses a cheaper, more polluting form of gasoline than most other countries and perhaps unsurprisingly vehicle emissions are the South Asian nation’s largest source of air pollution. Brick kilns, seasonal crop burning, and coal use in the power sector also contribute.

2. Bangladesh 🇧🇩

PM2.5: 78.0μg/m³ - 16 times WHO limit

Bangladesh's brick kilns produce 33 billion bricks annually to support the densely populated South Asian nation’s construction industry. The small coal-fired kilns also generate between 30% and 40% of the country’s air pollution7, the rest coming from fossil fuels burned in the power sector, vehicle exhaust, and dust.

1. Chad 🇹🇩

PM2.5: 91.8μg/m³ - 18 times WHO limit

The African nation of Chad has the worst air pollution on the planet. The source is mostly natural. At the country’s center is the Bodélé Depression - a dry basin made of chalky rock. It is the world’s single-largest source of dust storms, which blanket the country on a persistent basis.

The capital city of N'Djamena adds to this mix with open-air burning and a fleet of antiquated gasoline vehicles.

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

France has published a detailed plan to phase out fossil fuels, heralds France 24. The nation plans to eliminate coal use by 2027, oil by 2045, and fossil gas by 2050 — the specific dates going beyond the vague “net-zero” promises of other countries.

French manufacturers are expected to produce 400,000 electric vehicles by 2027 and one million by 2030. The aim is to ensure that “reduced dependence on oil does not translate into new dependence on imported vehicles,” the document says.

Subscribe now

2. Toxic Chemicals Found in Clothing

The clothing you wear could be contaminated by lead and other toxic substances, warns ABC News. Textile makers use such substances in the dyeing process, and recent research has found contaminants can transfer to humans.

“Knowing how textiles are processed, and knowing how little they’re tested, I think that there’s a very reasonable argument that we should be concerned,” she says. “Because ultimately, we don’t really know what’s in these products. They’re not being tested.”

3. 152 Million Americans Live With Unhealthy Air

Just under half of the United States’ population is breathing air with unhealthy levels of air pollution, relays CBS News. Children are likelier to live in polluted areas than the general population — and are more vulnerable to the negative health impacts.

Nearly 4 million more people across the U.S. were breathing unhealthy levels of smog between 2022 and 2024 than they were between 2021 and 2023…

The air quality benefits alone are enough to justify the transition away from fossil fuels –DB

Our Blue Marble

Hiva Oa | French Polynesia

9° 47′ 32.28″ S, 139° 0′ 46.08″ W 1

Good Climate News

1. Coal Uptick Limited Despite Iran War

The Iran War has disrupted supplies of oil and gas, but this will not lead to a large uptick in coal use — notes Carbon Brief. Rather, countries are switching to clean energy.

Notably, experts say that there is no evidence of the kind of structural “return to coal” that would spark concerns about countries’ climate goals. There have been no new coal plants announced in recent weeks.

2. $2 Billion Greener Steel Plant Planned in Arkansas

The US state of Arkansas will be the site of a new lower-emission steel plant, reports Canary Media. Nippon Steel says the Big River plant will use Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) technology and will be coal-free.

These facilities can emit about half the CO₂ emissions of coal-based blast furnaces. A handful of efforts are underway globally to instead use green hydrogen, which is made with renewable energy, to produce nearly zero-emission iron.

3. Agrovoltaics Take Off in Tennessee

Integrating cattle grazing and solar energy production is a massive win-win for farmers and the climate, explains The Associated Press. The extra income helps farmers stay on their land, and its dual-purposing mitigates the land footprint of solar — the most abundant source of low-carbon energy.

…pasture beneath solar panels retains more moisture, making it more drought tolerant, said Anna Clare Monlezun, a rancher and rangeland ecosystem scientist who’s working on the Tennessee project. Grazing in the shade leaves animals less prone to heat stress, enabling them to gain more weight and drink less water.

Agrovoltaics will greatly expand the potential of solar energy — allowing it to become truly dominant globally –DB

Book of the Week

Life on a Little-Known Planet: Dispatches from a Changing World | Elizabeth Kolbert

Elizabeth Kolbert has spent two decades writing on the environment for the New Yorker. This book is a curation of seventeen of the author’s finest essays over this period - chronicling humanity’s reckoning with the climate crisis in real-time. –DB

Amazon

Bookshop.org US | Bookshop.org UK

In Brief

🇨🇳 China: The planting of 78 billion trees has had some unexpected side-effects.

🇪🇨 Ecuador: Fracking is now underway in the Amazon rainforest.

🇬🇹 Guatemala: Conservationists are using AI-enabled bioacoustics to detect illegal logging.

🇮🇩 Indonesia: Deforestation rose sharply in Indonesia last year.

🇿🇦 South Africa: Overfishing is causing African penguins to starve.

Planetary Pulse

Planetary Health — Latest figures

CO2: 432.24 PPM (+1.79 YoY)2 | Temperature Anomaly: +1.48 C

Forest Cover: 31.8% | Protected Areas: 12.3% (17.3% terrestrial, 10.01% marine)

Emissions per Capita: 4.89 (World) | 9.1 (China) | 13.1 (USA) | 6.1 (EU) | 2.1 (India)

Low Carbon Electricity: 43.1% | Low Carbon Energy: 19.8% | EV New Sales : 24.1%3

The 77%

• Robotic submarine exploration in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean is uncovering new details about the world’s largest animal migration.

• Homeowners in North Carolina are moving their homes on wheels to escape storms and rising sea levels.

• A native tribe in Washington state is buying up land and flooding it to restore wetlands.

• The race is on to map Indonesia’s rare glaciers before they disappear.

Meet the Endangered

Pink Pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri)

In the 1990s, the Pink Pigeon was on the verge of extinction, with fewer than ten individuals left in the wild. Since then, this comely Mauritian bird has staged a remarkable comeback, evading the fate of its famously bygone cousin - the Dodo (Raphus cucullatus).

The Pink Pigeon is native to the old-growth forests of Mauritius, a remote volcanic island in the Indian Ocean. Only 2% of the island’s original forest cover remains, and this habitat destruction - melded with the bane of introduced predators - begot the pigeon’s decimation.

Aggressive intervention saved the species. Captive Pink Pigeons from global zoos were flown to Mauritius to interbreed with native birds, diversifying the gene pool. There are now around 500 individuals in the wild, and its classification has been upgraded to Vulnerable.

IUCN: Vulnerable (VU)

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

Solar generated about 8.8% of electricity globally in 2025, and posted a 31% increase over the year prior.1 Some places - like Australia, Chile, Greece, and Spain - get more than 20% of their electricity from solar.2

And yet despite all this success - myths about solar energy abound. It directly competes with the fossil fuel industry, which has funded a vast disinformation campaign aimed at disparaging its most serious competitor. Myths, lies, and untruths about solar abound on social media.

Here are eleven solar energy myths debunked:

11. Drains The Sun

As strange as it might seem to the scientifically literate, one of the more pervasive myths about solar energy is that it “drains the sun” of its energy. According to this theory, solar panels deplete the star at the center of our solar system of its vitality and will leave it dead and lifeless in just a few centuries.

This assertion is, of course, nonsense. The Earth is 1.3 million times smaller than the Sun. Nothing that happens on the surface of Earth affects our star. Additionally, the Sun is not a battery that can be drained. Rather, it generates energy de novo via fusion and radiates that energy into the universe. What happens to solar radiation after it departs the Sun has no impact whatsoever on the star’s internal dynamics or longevity.3

Subscribe now

10. Explodes Birds

Anti-solar misinformation on social media often features the dramatic claim that solar PV panels “explode birds.” The root of this claim lies in an older, little-used solar energy technology called Solar Concentrating Power (CSP). CSP uses a massive array of mirrors to concentrate heat, which is then used to generate electricity. The heat from these plants can indeed singe birds, damaging their feathers and causing them to fall from the sky. They do not, however, explode.4

There is nothing extraordinary about human structures killing birds. Buildings, windows, vehicles, power lines, and cats all pose a larger danger to birds than CSP plants. And in any case CSP represents a tiny and decreasing percentage of solar energy. The vast majority of solar energy comes from solar photovoltaic technology, which poses no such danger.

9. Doesn’t Work When Cloudy

Anti-renewable advocates often claim that solar panels don’t work on cloudy days or in cloudy climates. This assertion is simply not true. There is a massive difference between the pitch-black darkness of a windowless room and the brightness of a cloudy day. That difference is entirely due to solar radiation (light) that can be captured by solar panels and converted into electricity.5

Solar panels work during the day in any climate. They simply work better in sunny places. A solar farm in California, for example, will produce about two to 2.5 times as much electricity as the same size solar farm in England.6 But that reduced output in England is still very useful, and developers can compensate for lower solar resource by building larger farms.

8. Minor Source of Energy

Solar energy is often derided by its critics as “too small” to make a difference in global energy consumption. They correctly point out that solar’s relatively high share of electricity production overstates its role in energy consumption as electricity only accounts for 40% of energy use. This is because many energy services - like fossil gas for home heating or gasoline in cars - do not use electricity.

However, these critics typically proceed to make a calculation mistake of their own: the notorious ‘primary energy fallacy’. Fossil fuel defenders will say things like “solar only makes up 1.35% of energy consumption” or “fossil fuels make up over 90% of energy consumption”. These figures are incorrect because they include heat losses from fossil fuel combustion that do not contribute useful work - for example when gasoline heats the hood of your car instead of propelling it forward.

When properly adjusted for heat losses, solar made up just over 3% of global primary energy consumption in 2025.7 This number is still quite low. More revealing, however, is how quickly solar’s share is growing. At 2023-2025 growth rates, solar will be 38.1% of primary energy by 2040 - hardly minor.

7. Panels Are Unrecyclable

A deluge of disinformation on social media proclaims that solar panels are horrendous for the environment because they cannot be recycled and create massive amounts of “green waste”.

Both claims are untrue. Solar energy farms create roughly 2 kilograms of solid waste (mostly glass and aluminium) per MWh over their full life cycle. Coal on its own produces 300 to 800 times more solid waste (coal ash) on a per MWh basis.8 Moreover, solar panels are 85% to 95% recyclable.9 And they contain valuable metals like silver, which incentivises high recycling rates by making the process extremely profitable.

6. Panels Are Toxic

Fossil fuel propagandists often say that solar panels are toxic. For the vast majority of panels, this is untrue. 98% of the world’s solar panels are of the crystalline silicon variety. They are made predominantly from highly purified sand, and no more toxic than a day at the beach.

Conversely, around 2% of solar panels are made with cadmium telluride - which can in fact be toxic. Cadmium telluride panels are easier to manufacture and perform better in high heat conditions. They could in theory be dangerous if they are somehow shattered. But there have been no documented cases of leakage into the environment and every single cadmium telluride panel is recycled by the US-based manufacturer.10

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

5. Panels Stop Working In 10 Years

The anti-renewable lobby often claims that solar panels “stop working” after a short period of time (usually 5, 10, or 20 years) and must therefore be replaced at great expense.

Like most myths, there lies within a kernel of truth. Solar panels do in fact become less effective over time, a process known as degradation. But annual degradation rates are tiny. Solar panels retain 93% of their capacity after ten years, 87% after 20 years, 84% after 30 years, and 73% after 50 years.11

Solar panels never truly stop working, their efficiency just slowly fades. No replacement cycle is necessary; solar developers simply factor predicted degradation into their financial calculations. Modeling suggests that certain panels could still be performing at 50% of their original capacity 100 years after manufacture.

4. Destroys Prime Farmland

One of the more pervasive and pernicious untruths told about solar farms is that they destroy “prime farmland”. There is one energy technology - ethanol - that does in fact compete for farmland. Solar energy does not.

Solar farms tend to be located on marginal land like deserts or brownfield sites because marginal land is cheaper.12 Solar panels can also be affixed to rooftops, hung over parking lots, or even made to float in reservoirs.13 It is entirely possible to power the Earth many times over with solar alone without using any farmland at all.14

Solar can even be integrated into certain types of farming - a practice called agrivoltaics. Crops like grapes or lettuce can be grown in between rows of solar panels, producing both food and electricity. Studies have found agrivoltaics can increase farming yields.

3. Increases Electric Rates

Electricity prices have been rising in some places. And almost everywhere, large amounts of solar energy are being added to the grid. It’s not completely irrational to suspect there may be a causal relationship between these two trends.

However, multiple analyses have found virtually no correlation between increasing levels of solar energy on the grid and retail electricity rates.15 16 The US states of California and Nevada, for example, both have very high amounts of solar but electricity prices in Nevada are 50% lower. High electricity prices are most often the result of other factors like poor electricity market regulation.

2. Unreliable

Fossil fuel advocates accuse solar energy of being “unreliable”. Solar panels generate electricity during the day, and do not generate electricity at night. This pattern is the very opposite of unreliable, as their production can be predicted and relied upon to a very high degree of accuracy.17

Solar energy is perfectly reliable. Yet it is intermittent, which is a problem if you’re trying to build an energy system that delivers clean, dispatchable 24/7 electricity. This problem is of course known to energy systems engineers and is very close to being solved. Cheaper batteries are making it more economical to store electricity generated by solar panels during the day for use in the evenings or at night.

1. Bad For the Environment

The largest lie told about solar energy is that it is worse for the environment than fossil fuels. The story goes like this: solar panels are made in China - which burns a lot of coal - and therefore solar farms generate more greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) than fossil fuels.

The claim is preposterous. Manufacturing solar panels does indeed create some emissions. But studies show solar panels pay off their initial “carbon debt” within six months to a few years - thereafter generating carbon-free electricity for decades. On a full life-cycle basis, electricity generated from solar photovoltaic panels creates 10 times fewer GHG emissions than fossil gas and 20 times fewer than coal.18

Additionally, solar energy also generates no particulate, ozone, or nitrate air pollution in the generation phase. And the carbon footprint of solar is expected to decline over time as the solar supply chain itself is increasingly powered by low-carbon, renewable sources.

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

15

By the Numbers

Do US states with more renewable energy have more expensive electricity?

Last week I published two interactive slide-decks on state-by-state electricity data in the United States: one looking at electricity sources, and the other looking at prices and bills…

Read more

a year ago · 151 likes · 31 comments · Hannah Ritchie

An effort to gut the Endangered Species Act on Earth Day has failed, heralds Inside Climate News. Republican leadership in the US House of Representatives pulled a bill last week that would have key provisions — following a rebellion from their own members, particularly the Florida delegation. The vote had been scheduled for Earth Day.

“Don’t tread on my turtles. Protected means protected,” U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) wrote in a social media post on Monday ahead of the then-pending vote.

Congress is expected to change hands next year. Until then, environmentalists must be on guard for new legislative attacks. –DB

Subscribe now

2. Catastrophic AMOC Shutdown More Likely

A new study has raised the likelihood that the ocean current system that maintains Europe’s temperate climate will slow down due to climate change, reports CBC News. Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) brings warm Caribbean water to the Vieux Continent — and a disruption could drastically destabilize its climate.

“The contrast between the weather that we get will get much larger, which is kind of bad for agriculture. You might get a very warm spring and all the blossoms are out and suddenly you get a cold air outbreak from Scandinavia and they freeze…”

These findings underscore the need for more aggressive climate action to insure against the risk of the worst possible outcomes. –DB

3. Climate Change Turning Arctic Rivers Acidic

Thawing permafrost and increased precipitation are turning Arctic rivers into liquid rust, relays Yale Environment 360. The seepage of heavy metals in particular poses concerns about wildlife impacts.

Since at least 2019, the rusting and other similar river discolorations have spread to more than 200 rivers in Alaska, a growing number of rivers in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and as far north as the Arctic Archipelago.

Photos of the discoloration phenomenon offer a striking visual depiction of climate impacts. –DB

Our Blue Marble

Denali | Alaska, USA

63°4′9″N 151°0′23″W 1

Good Climate News

1. Fossil Phase-Out Conference Underway in Colombia

The world’s first intergovernmental conference aimed at eliminating fossil fuels has commenced in Santa Marta, Colombia — notes The Associated Press. A group of 50 nations — frustrated by a lack of climate progress — is driving the talks, which aim to generate proposals for halting fossil fuel extraction directly (rather than indirectly through vague carbon emissions targets).

“As people everywhere suffer the consequences of oil-driven conflict, it’s never been clearer that the world needs to leave the fossil fuel era behind,” she said. “Santa Marta is a chance for governments and communities to grab the bull by the horns and take action toward a greener, more equitable and peaceful world.”

At some point the world is going to have to stop burning fossil fuels. The sooner we abandon “all-of-the-above” energy policies and start the phase-down, the better. –DB

2. Solar Keeps Fossil Generation Flat in 2025

The growth of solar energy kept fossil fuel consumption in the power sector flat in 2025, explains Ember. Globally, fossil fuel generation fell by 0.2% — driven by unprecedented declines in China and India.

“We have firmly entered the era of clean growth,” said Aditya Lolla, Ember’s managing director. “Clean energy is now scaling fast enough to absorb rising global electricity demand, keeping fossil generation flat before its inevitable decline.”

We know where this is heading. The explosive growth of solar will soon lead to absolute declines in fossil fuel consumption — a watershed moment in the history of the climate movement. –DB

3. Indigenous Australians Embrace Solar Microgrids

Remote Indigenous Australian communities are regaining their energy sovereignty by switching from fuel-dependent diesel generators to solar microgrids, says The Guardian. The systems enhance electricity reliability and generate revenue by selling into the grid — slashing monthly bills.

“We’re investing in an idea,” he says. “Ownership of everything. The time has passed where communities rely on a broken system, and we out at Djarindjin don’t believe the system works for us.”

Solar microgrids with battery storage will almost certainly replace dirty diesel generators worldwide over the next decade. –DB

Book of the Week

The Ecology Book | DK, Tony Juniper

A basic primer on fundamental environmental science principles. Highly visual and easy to understand. Useful for beginners to ecology or anyone looking for a simple, clear overview of the topic. A great gift for adult friends and older, curious children. –DB

Amazon

Bookshop.org US | Bookshop.org UK

In Brief

🇧🇴 Bolivia: Cacao farmers are fighting back against gold mine pollution.

🇮🇳 India: Heatwaves are disrupting India’s election campaign rallies.

🇯🇵 Japan: A 1,200-year-old database of cherry blossom bloom dates has a new steward.

🇳🇿 New Zealand: Insurance premiums are surging as climate change makes storms more frequent and intense.

🇿🇦 South Africa: A delay in coal phase-out plans would cause an extra 32,000 deaths.

Planetary Pulse

Planetary Health — Latest figures

CO2: 432.24 PPM (+1.79 YoY)2 | Temperature Anomaly: +1.48 C

Forest Cover: 31.8% | Protected Areas: 12.3% (17.3% terrestrial, 10.01% marine)

Emissions per Capita: 4.89 (World) | 9.1 (China) | 13.1 (USA) | 6.1 (EU) | 2.1 (India)

Low Carbon Electricity: 43.1% | Low Carbon Energy: 19.8% | EV New Sales : 24.1%3

Latest Research

PLOS Climate: Environmental claims, climate promises, and ‘greenwashing’ by meat and dairy companies

Environmental Science & Technology: Uncovering the Global Burden and Future Trajectories of Nanomagnetite Particle Emissions from Biomass Power Plants

PNAS: A millennium of cold-water coral habitat loss in the East Pacific during low ENSO variability in the mid- to late Holocene

Science: Amazon forest loss: An all-sky biophysical top-of-atmosphere cooling feedback

Nature Medicine: Epigenetic fingerprints link early-onset colon and rectal cancer to pesticide exposure

Meet the Endangered

Kamehameha Butterfly (Vanessa tameamea)

Around 8 million years ago, a single pregnant female Red Admiral butterfly living on the American West Coast was swept up by a gale, taken 3,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean, and deposited alive onto the Hawaiian island of Kauai. From this single Eve sprang an entirely new species - the Kamehameha Butterfly.

Unlike its cousins, the Kamehameha displays sexual dimorphism; males display three yellow spots, while females boast white. Its caterpillars feed on local species of nettle, particularly the māmaki (Pipturus albidus) - which are abundant in the high-elevation damp forests of Hawaii. Adults gorge on the sap of the koa tree (Acacia koa).

Endemic to all the Hawaiian islands, the Kamehameha is gradually disappearing from its native range. The largest threats are habitat destruction in coastal areas and predation from invasive species, particularly ants and wasps.

IUCN: Vulnerable (VU)

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

Gee’s Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei)

In the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas swings a magisterial, aureate monkey that has been considered sacred for thousands of years. Divided between India and Bhutan, its realm extends from riverine lowlands to highland peaks. As recently as the 1980s, it was one uninterrupted forest measuring 30,000 sq km (11,583 sq mi).

Golden Langurs live in troops averaging eight in size, typically with only one adult male. They spend almost their entire lives in the high-tree canopy, between 19 and 47 m (62-154 ft) off the ground. Males display a more deeply golden-colored fur than females, particularly in winter when their luster darkens.

A surprisingly positive census in India last year bumped estimates of remaining individuals up to around 12,000. Habitat fragmentation nevertheless remains an existential threat, as roads slice and dice the Golden Langur’s native forests. Electric power lines are also a hazard; the arboreal species can mistake them for tree limbs.

IUCN: Endangered (EN)

Sign up to get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we’re doing!

Here are seven of the weirdest marine animals:

7. Yeti Crab

The Yeti Crab was only discovered in 2005, when researchers using remote submarines to explore hydrothermal vents 1,500 km (930 mi) south of Easter Island stumbled upon the creature at a depth of 2,200 m (7,200 ft). Inhabiting an abyssal darkness, the crab is thought to be fully blind.

Its thick fur-like covering - called setae - gives the Yeti Crab a uniquely strange appearance. These setae evolved to serve as a sort of bacteria farm, attracting various species to reside on the surface. The crab feeds these bacterial colonies by exposing them to nutrient-rich hydrothermal plumes, and then harvests them for food.

Kiwa hirsuta | IUCN: Not Evaluated (NE)

Subscribe now

6. Vampire Squid

The Vampire Squid has one of the most fearsome names in all of biology. But in reality, the ‘squid from hell’ is a small, gentle creature that hurts nobody.

It does indeed live in the infernal depths of the extreme deep sea - typically between 600 to 1,200 m (2,000 to 4,000 ft). But it is only 30 cm (1 ft) long. And it feeds exclusively on marine snow - the detritus of other marine animals that falls naturally into the depths below. A living fossil, it is a relic of an ancient lineage that dates back to the Jurassic period.

Vampyroteuthis infernalis | IUCN: Not Evaluated (NE)

5. Sarcastic Fringehead

The English word ‘sarcastic’ derives from the ancient Greek sarkázein, which literally means ‘to tear flesh’. It is in this sense that the Sarcastic Fringehead is named. Their comically wide mouths are used not only for feeding but also for viciously battling one another for territory or mating partners.

Neoclinus blanchardi | IUCN: Least Concern (LC)

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

4. Blue Sea Dragon

The Blue Sea Dragon is a type of sea slug that looks downright alien and is sometimes referred to as a ‘living Pokemon’. It floats upside-down on the ocean surface by ingesting an air bubble and storing it in its stomach. It feeds by performing a similar trick - stealing venom from predators, concentrating the venom in its own body, and then using it to catch prey. It can stun fish 300 times its own size.

Glaucus atlanticus | IUCN: Not Evaluated (NE)

3. Sea Pig

The sea pig is a type of sea cucumber that lives on the deep ocean floor, typically at depths between 3,000 - 5,000 m (9,843 - 16,404 ft). It is as weird as it looks - breathing through its anus, using a system of hydraulic legs for locomotion, and sporting flesh full of toxins to ward off predators.

Scotoplanes globosa | IUCN: Not Evaluated (NE)

2. Blanket Octopus

The Blanket Octopus displays the most extreme sexual size dimorphism of any animal. Females can grow up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in length. The male, however, is 10,000 times smaller - the size of a walnut.

Its method of sexual reproduction is equally bizarre. When a male finds a female, he detaches his sperm-filled arm, which then autonomously crawls inside the female to fertilize her eggs. The male then dies. The female body may hold the arms of several males at a time.

Tremoctopus violaceus | IUCN: Least Concern (LC)

1. Pacific Barreleye Fish

The Pacific Barreleye fish looks like an alien spaceship - with a fluid-filled transparent dome atop its head. Inside are complex eyes that serve as a sort of powerful night-vision to find prey in the watery depths.

Macropinna microstoma | IUCN: Not Evaluated (NE)

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

France has announced plans to accelerate its phase-out of fossil fuels due to the Iran War, heralds Euronews. Plans include €240 million of new money for long-distance electric truck charging stations, heat pumps to replace gas furnaces (boilers), and better grid connections for the electrification of industry.

“France is uniquely positioned to lead the continent’s electrification, with abundant low-carbon electricity, an established nuclear fleet, and vast renewable potential – particularly in offshore wind and solar power.”

Subscribe now

Earthview’s Take: This isn’t your grandfather’s Middle East oil crisis. Unlike in the 1970s, the tools to get off fossil fuels exist — and smart countries will use them.

2. Green Steel Factory Back on Track

The first green steel mill in the world is back on track after securing €1.4 billion in new financing, reports Canary Media. Swedish company Stegra will now be able to finish building its factory in Boden — which could be a model for decarbonizing the steel sector worldwide. Steel accounts for around 8% of global emissions.

“The sprawling facility will use giant electrolyzers, powered by the region’s ample hydro and wind energy supplies, to split water molecules and produce the clean fuel. That hydrogen will then turn raw iron ore into lumps of iron, which will be melted and made into steel in electric arc furnaces, also powered by renewables.”

Earthview’s Take: Stegra is one of the most important companies in the world right now. It could prove to be the Tesla of steel — showing the world that greener options are possible.

3. Giant Solar Factory Planned in South Carolina

A new 4.5-GW solar cell manufacturing plant is coming to Laurens, South Carolina, explains Electrek. American company Suniva is expanding out of Georgia, where it already has a 1.5-GW facility. About 92% of solar cells globally are made in China — but the US supply chain is growing rapidly and roughly doubles with this announcement.

“The new plant will be a 620,000-square-foot facility backed by more than $350 million in investment. It’s expected to create more than 550 jobs in advanced manufacturing and clean energy.”

Earthview’s Take: If US solar and battery manufacturing is booming under Trump, imagine what might happen post-2028.

4. Volvo Introduces Semi-Truck With 400 mi Range

Volvo has introduced a semi-truck that can go 400 miles (644 km) on a single charge, notes Inside EVs. Electric semis will be vital as heavy vehicles make up about 30%–35% of global road transport carbon emissions.

“When hooked up to a megawatt-capable DC fast charger, the extended-range Volvo FH Aero can go from 20-to-80% in about 50 minutes…”

Earthview’s Take: Long-haul trucking will electrify even faster than light vehicles now that the technology is available.

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

Lemur Leaf Frog (Agalychnis lemur)

The Lemur Leaf Frog’s mirthful appearance belies its perilous conservation status. Once abundant across nearly all of Central America, fewer than 1,000 are thought to remain in the wild and the survivors are limited to two tiny patches of premontane rainforest.

Read more

Here are the seven worst environmental impacts of the fashion industry:

7. Deforestation

Viscose is a common semi-synthetic fiber used in clothing for its affordability and silky, draping texture. Unfortunately, viscose production is terrible for the environment. 200 to 300 million trees a year are logged to be turned into viscose and other Man-Made Cellulosic Fibers (MMCFs), which also include rayon, modal, and lyocell.1 Additionally, toxic chemicals are used to break down the wood pulp and transform it into fibers.

Attempts are being made to green the viscose industry. Sustainable forestry practices are being adopted. Bamboo is increasingly used as a feedstock. And new processing techniques are being developed that require fewer, less toxic solvents.

Subscribe now

6. Water Consumption

Cotton is one of the most water-intensive crops in the world, and it thrives in relatively arid regions where water is already scarce. It takes around 2,700 l (713 gal) of water to make enough cotton for a single T-shirt, and most of this comes from irrigation.

The most notable casualty of the cotton industry is the Aral Sea. The third-largest lake in the world as recently as the 1960s, it no longer exists due to its water being diverted for Soviet cotton farms. Organic, rain-fed cotton is the best option for the environment.

5. Wastewater Pollution

The cotton industry is the second-largest polluter of water globally, after agriculture. Its cultivation uses enormous amounts of pesticides, which run off into streams and rivers, leach into the ground, and drift into the atmosphere. Synthetic dyes used to color cotton can also contain heavy metals like lead, chromium, cadmium, or mercury. Formaldehyde and PFAS are often used to treat cotton fabric to make it water-repellent or shrink-resistant.

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

4. Land Degradation

Cotton is an extremely demanding crop on soil, rapidly stripping it of nutrients and turning rich, fertile soil into a barren desert in a matter of decades. It doesn’t have to be this way. Regenerative, no-till farming that uses natural methods like cover cropping and crop rotation can prevent land degradation with fewer costs and higher yields.

3. Post-Consumer Waste

Most disused clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators, with only 12% to 15% being reused or recycled. This on its own is bad enough. But the problem is compounded by the extremely high velocity of garment replacement - the average piece of clothing is worn only seven times before being tossed out.

Incineration releases toxic fumes into the air. Synthetic fibers in landfills do not biodegrade and leach chemicals into the soil. Even much of the supposedly “reused” portion of fashion waste actually ends up being dumped in open-air pits in the developing world - which has a surplus of donated clothing it cannot use.

2. Microplastic Pollution

When we wear polyester clothing, we are literally wearing fossil fuels. Synthetic fibers like polyester, acrylic, and spandex are essentially specialized plastics melted down and spun into strands. Like all plastics, they shed tiny microplastic particles over time. This microplastic pollution ends up contaminating the environment and has been found in human tissue.

Of particular concern are microplastics that leach off clothing inside washing machines, later flushed into rivers and subsequently the ocean. Humans also inhale microplastics from our clothing when we breathe, for example, when we sleep in polyester pajamas.

1. Carbon Emissions

The fashion industry has a surprisingly large effect on climate change. It is estimated that clothing generates 8% - 10% of carbon emissions. The production of synthetic fibers and the dyeing process are energy intensive and powered by fossil fuels. Weaving machinery consumes enormous amounts of electricity. Garments are transported across the world before sale on oil-powered container ships or kerosene-powered cargo planes. Machine washing and drying at home also generate emissions.

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

Since the early 2000s, a significant and ever-expanding fraction of human interaction — from banking and retail to entertainment and dating — has been mediated by vast arrays of computer servers siloed into electricity-devouring warehouses called data centers. The recent surge in artificial intelligence (AI) has supercharged this trend, as AI requires more processing power than conventional computing and thus larger, more voracious colonies of cerebrating silicon.

The largest investors in artificial intelligence — the so-called ‘hyperscalers’ like Amazon, Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic — are building gargantuan data centers around the world to service demand for their AI products. Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is currently constructing a 5-GW data center in Louisiana.1 On its own, it will consume three times as much electricity as the entire city of New Orleans and sprawl across a campus five times larger than its famed French Quarter.

Subscribe now

There are currently just over 4,000 data centers in the United States, with a combined 75 GW of total facility power (TFP) capacity.234 Additionally, there are 875 data centers planned or under construction, representing a further 241 GW of TFP capacity.5

The speed and scale of this build-out have provoked a crescendoing backlash. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has called for a nationwide moratorium on new data centers, motivated at least in part by their supposed environmental harms.67 The idea is rapidly gaining traction in the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s companion legislation in the House attracting 12 co-sponsors.

Progressive politicians are cresting a wave of public sentiment. A recent poll from the Pew Research Center showed 39% of Americans think data centers are bad for the environment, compared to 4% who think they are good, and 14% who claim they are neither.8 A Quinnipiac University poll has found that 65% of Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their communities, with only 24% in favor.9

The notion that AI data centers constitute a uniquely grave planetary menace has become firmly embedded in the popular imagination. Social media posts lambasting AI’s environmental effects regularly go viral — including the one above, which (earnestly) implies AI usage was directly responsible for last month’s heatwave in California. Demonstrations against AI data centers have erupted across the globe, where protest signs charmingly remind the assembled that “you can’t drink data.”10

But are data centers truly harmful to the environment?

The science paints a much more complex picture than the public debate. The worst data centers are powered by coal or other fossil fuels and use cooling water inefficiently; they do indeed cause environmental harm. The best data centers are powered by low-carbon energy like wind, solar, or geothermal and use very little water in their cooling operations or even none at all. These data centers are at worst neutral for the environment, and can actually be beneficial as — if properly tariffed and taxed — they provide revenues to finance electrical grid upgrades needed for the energy transition away from fossil fuels.

This more nuanced portrait suggests banning data centers on environmental grounds is not necessary. Rather, data centers should be regulated to ensure they both disclose their impacts and comply with strict emissions and water-use standards.

Gardez votre sang-froid

The environmental concerns surrounding data centers can be broken down into three basic categories: their land use, their water use, and the emissions associated with their energy use.

Of the three issues, land use is clearly the most trivial and easily dismissed. According to the most recent estimates, data centers in the United States occupy about 291 square kilometers of land, which is only 0.0032% of land in the United States.11 For comparison, this is less than the amount currently used for growing blueberries.12 Almond production takes up 17 times more land than data centers, and golf courses use 31 times more land (both also use enormous amounts of water and cause pesticide runoff pollution).1314

Even if data centers multiplied 100-fold over the next few decades, they would still occupy only a fraction of 1% of the United States’ land area. This compares to soybean production at around 3.7%, grain production at around 6%, and beef production at nearly 30%.1516 On a list of economic activities that consume land, data centers don’t even crack the top 100 and likely never will.

Concerns about data center water usage, however, are more serious. All computers – from a laptop singeing your leg to the servers housed in data centers – generate waste heat. For data centers to function properly, this heat must be removed from the building. The most commonly employed cooling method for large data centers is known as evaporative cooling — which cools indoor air by transferring its heat to water and then evaporating it into the ambient atmosphere.

Evaporative cooling is a water-consumptive process. Its total water consumption depends on the exact method employed and the cooling needs of the data center (which can vary with climate). The industry-standard estimate for Water Use Efficiency (WUE) in legacy (mostly non-AI) data centers is 1.9 L/kWh.17 The newer, even larger data centers used for AI are much more efficient — dragging the weighted national average down to only 0.36 L/kWh in 2024.18

In addition to the water used directly in cooling, data centers also consume water indirectly via their demand for electricity. Most electricity in the world is still made by boiling water to generate steam, which in turn spins the turbine of a generator. While the steam itself is recycled, copious amounts of water are consumed to cool the system and condense the steam back into liquid. Coal generation plants consume between 1.5–2.5 L/kWh of water for this purpose, and fossil gas plants between 0.4–1 L/kWh. Nuclear is the most wasteful thermal generation technology at between 2.2–3.2 L/kWh. Water usage for solar, on the other hand, is less than 0.03 L/kWh (for cleaning the panels), and the figure for wind is essentially zero.19 On average, 75% of data center water use comes via the electric power plants (coal, fossil gas, hydro, and nuclear) that provide their electricity.2021

Yet even when counting both direct usage for cooling and indirect usage from electricity — data centers represent only 0.3% of all consumptive water use in the United States.22 Golf courses use 50% more water, and the almond-industrial complex swallows more than four times as much.232425 Agriculture in aggregate accounts for ~90% of all water consumption in the United States.26 The amount of water wasted by the agriculture industry through inefficient irrigation practices alone is 61 times greater than the entire consumption of Big Tech and its data centers.2728

It is true that in places with high data center concentration, like Northern Virginia, AI water usage share can approach 3%. But this number is still not sufficiently large to meaningfully threaten local resources. The widely propagated narrative that water consumption from AI data centers is important enough to impair agricultural production or drinking water supplies is not supported by evidence.

There is one wrinkle in the conclusion that AI water usage is entirely a chimeric threat born of moral panic, however. The leaders of artificial intelligence companies like OpenAI and Anthropic promote AI as the most transformative technology ever invented and promise its economic returns will eclipse those of every other industry in human history. If this is true, a 20-fold increase in the data center fleet over the next half-century is not entirely outside the realm of possibility. Were data centers to indeed vigintuple while still predominantly using evaporative cooling and thermal power plants, their water usage would cause serious, localized ecological impacts in areas with high data center concentration.

This worst-case scenario, however, is vanishingly unlikely given improvements in cooling technology and a rapidly changing electricity generation mix. Hyperscalers are increasingly using closed-loop systems for cooling, cutting water use drastically. Remarkably advanced liquid-to-chip technology — in which cooling fluid circuits are built directly into each chipset — has already debuted and will likely bring AI cooling WUEs close to zero in the next few years.

On the power generation side, the increasing use of wind and solar energy to generate electricity will also reduce data center water consumption. Some AI hyperscalers are foolishly planning to build off-grid data center campuses powered by on-site fossil gas generators — walling themselves off from a greening electric grid. Most data centers, however, will benefit from a grid that is gradually decreasing both its carbon emissions and its water footprint.

The AI data center water issue isn’t “fake,” to cite the designation of one famous essay on the subject. Yet, at present, it isn’t an especially serious problem either. It is best thought of as an embryonic threat — one that is best nipped in the bud by forcing data centers to be water efficient and to power themselves with low-carbon, low-water sources of energy like wind and solar.

Methanum non incendendum est

The other serious environmental concern over data centers is their effect on climate change. Globally, data centers account for just 0.5% of carbon emissions.29 That is less than half the carbon footprint of a single American oil company, Exxon (1.3% of global CO2 emissions), less than one-eighth the footprint of the world’s largest oil company, Saudi Aramco (4.3%), and around one-sixteenth the footprint of the global cement industry (~8%).

Today’s absolute numbers are relatively small. But the trend line for data center carbon emissions is more worrisome than that for water use. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects data center greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will hit 1% of the global total by 2030. If AI usage growth goes hyperbolic (and AI boosters keep promising us it will), a 10-fold increase in data center capacity at current carbon intensity levels would be catastrophic for climate change. Under those conditions, data centers could account for between 10% and 15% of global GHG emissions by 2040 and push emissions higher than baseline projections by about 10%.30

There is perhaps some scope for reducing data center emissions by increasing the energy efficiency of AI chips.31 But a much more promising and far simpler strategy exists — don’t power them with fossil fuels.

Historically, Big Tech companies generated as much electricity as possible from clean sources. The economic imperatives of the AI race, however, have turned once-responsible corporate citizens into ferocious, fossil-gulping atmospheric arsonists. Companies like Amazon have faced criticism at several sites nationwide for over-use of emissions-intensive diesel generators, which are supposed to be deployed strictly during emergencies but are increasingly being relied upon as a primary source of power.3233

Elon Musk’s xAI, maker of the Grok LLM chatbot, has taken this concept a step further — assembling 27 gas turbines intended for temporary use at remote oil and gas fields into a makeshift off-grid power plant at a data center in Southaven, MS. The project has attracted significant opposition from local residents who cite the noise and air pollution.34 Undeterred, the company plans to expand its fleet to 41 turbines.35

Microsoft — a sustainability leader that pioneered carbon removal and waterless cooling technologies — is planning to build a massive 1.4-GW fossil gas plant in West Virginia.36 Google — which is building a state-of-the-art low-carbon data center in Minnesota — is also building a dirty, gas-powered data center in northern Texas that will produce more carbon emissions than the entire city of San Francisco.37

Notably, the dirtiest projects are located in states with notoriously weak environmental standards, suggesting the hyperscalers have already provoked a nationwide race-to-the-bottom that imperils decades of work to limit air pollution and carbon emissions.

In some cases (notably xAI), the return to fossil generation reflects a genuinely insouciant IDGAF attitude toward climate change. In others (Google and Microsoft), it is probably more of a scattershot redundancy strategy designed to ensure generation access if renewables and battery storage fail to scale to meet demand. Regardless of the motivation, this hodgepodge, ‘all-of-the-above’ approach will simply not work if our goal is to prevent data center carbon emissions from exploding.

Yet there are two reasons why a blanket moratorium specifically would be counterproductive. First, data centers have historically played a vital role in the development of new low-carbon green technologies. Around 2010, data centers began signing power purchase agreements (PPAs) that helped scale wind and solar energy in the United States. Although the AI boom has Big Tech flirting with fossil gas again, it is still voluntarily subsidizing GreenTech to a substantial degree.

Google, for example, is heavily invested in geothermal and iron-air batteries via Fervo Energy and Form Energy, respectively. These companies are expected to make significant contributions to the global fight against climate change — and neither may have survived to the present day without Google and its data centers. The next such companies may never exist were data center construction to be halted.

Second — and far more importantly — the AI data center boom can be harnessed to directly combat climate change. Burning fossil fuels for home heating accounts for around 5% of US carbon emissions. Burning gasoline for road transport accounts for an additional 16% of emissions. The only way to eliminate these emissions is by electrifying home heating with heat pumps and replacing gas-powered cars with electric vehicles (EVs).

The problem, however, is that the current electric grid does not have enough capacity to handle the additional load. Upgrades to electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure are necessary, and they will be extremely expensive, with the cost normally passed on to consumers. Thankfully, these same upgrades will also be necessary for the AI data center build-out, and — as it happens — AI companies have a lot of money.38

Compelling AI data center builders to fund the infrastructure necessary for their own use and for heat pumps and EVs turns a negative environmental impact into an enormously climate-positive 3-for-1 deal — one policymakers around the world would be foolish not to make.

In delay there lies no plenty

Done poorly, the AI data center build-out could increase carbon emissions by around a tenth, significantly setting back the fight against climate change. Done well, it could be used to decarbonize industries representing one-fifth of carbon emissions, accelerating progress toward net-zero.

The data center boom’s profoundly contingent climate trajectories make the Sanders–Ocasio-Cortez moratorium an especially suboptimal policy from an environmental perspective.39 Lawmakers should not be standing still — they should be actively steering data centers away from a climate-negative impact toward a climate-positive one.

Moreover, the restrictionist campaign is arguably an error of political logic. AI data center construction is an opportunity to force Big Tech companies to subsidize the fight against climate change and lower electricity bills for everyone else. The progressive and populist move (or even, more simply, the rational move) would be to take advantage of this moment — not to let it pass by.

To that end, lawmakers should ditch plans for moratoriums and instead enact a policy framework that requires new data centers to pay for their own new, low-carbon generation. This concept has been baptized BYONCE (Bring Your Own New Clean Energy) by energy policy experts, a winking nod to an obscure Texan recording artist once famous for fronting the ’90s girl group Destiny’s Child.40

In the United States, 100% BYONCE mandates should be adopted by states now and expanded to the federal level when the political winds allow. Regulators should also mandate data centers have best-in-class Water Use Efficiency scores (say, under 2.5 L/kWh – including both direct and indirect use).41 And the worst practices of the data center industry — such as running dirty diesel generators or building massive off-grid fossil gas plants — should be proscribed outright. Additionally, hyperscalers should be coaxed into paying for the transmission and distribution upgrades necessary for both their own needs and the wider needs of the energy transition.

The toolkit to green data centers exists and includes mature renewables like wind and solar, new renewables like enhanced geothermal (EGS), closed-loop and liquid-to-chip cooling, and wonkish policy concepts like demand response, virtual power plants (VPPs), large load tariffs, speed-to-power incentives, and 24/7 carbon-free energy matching.

It is indisputably possible to power data centers with 100% low-carbon energy, reduce their water use by 90%, and use their construction to underwrite electrical grid upgrades. Any specific data center regulation, law, or policy mixture should be in service of these three very laudable and attainable goals that collectively deliver critical environmental and economic benefits to the public. Eventually, the data center industry’s Scope 3 emissions — the carbon impacts embedded in cement, steel, and chip manufacture — must also be addressed with similar mandates.

There are many reasons why humanity might ultimately decide to halt the development of AI — from the existential risks it poses to our species’ survival to concerns about mass labor displacement, and the exacerbation of income inequality. The environment, however, need not be one of them. AI data centers are not inordinately harmful to the environment. There is a clear pathway to dramatically reduce their impact and transform them into engines of the energy transition away from fossil fuels.

Should society decide to continue developing artificial intelligence, the consequent environmental issues are completely solvable. Rather than bemoaning their existence and exaggerating their scale — we should simply employ our natural intelligence and solve them.

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

39

The Sanders–Ocasio-Cortez moratorium is — additionally — a suboptimal policy for mitigating any of the other risks of Artificial Intelligence. See Nat Purser’s Pausing isn’t policy:

Asterisk Magazine

Pausing isn't policy

You're receiving this from Dagger, Asterisk's new home for timelier takes, short essays, and the occasional provocation between our quarterly issues. If you’ve signed up for our Substack, you're already subscribed — we hope you'll stick around…

Read more

2 months ago · 37 likes · 5 comments · Nat Purser

40

BYONCE is most closely associated with Jesse Jenkins of the Princeton ZERO Lab and colleagues. See:

24/7 carbon-free electricity matching accelerates adoption of advanced clean energy technologies

Flexible Data Centers: A Faster, More Affordable Path to Power

And the following podcast:

Volts

For data centers, a little flexibility goes a long way

The explosive energy demand from data centers is breaking our grid, pushing desperate developers to build their own on-site gas plants just to get online. To figure out how we avoid locking in decades of new fossil fuels, I’m joined by Camus CEO Astrid Atkinson and Princeton’s Jesse Jenkins to break down their proposed alternative. We dig into how adopt…

Listen now

2 months ago · 26 likes · 2 comments · David Roberts

The United States generated more electricity from renewables in March than from fossil gas, heralds Canary Media. The record is partly due to seasonal factors, such as historically high hydro and wind generation. But it nevertheless represents the first time renewables have outpaced gas on a monthly basis and is a harbinger of larger milestones to come.

“…solar, batteries, and wind together will once again make up the overwhelming majority of new energy capacity added to the grid this year. The same was true last year. And the year before. And the year before that…”

Subscribe now

2. EV Sales Soar 42% in Australia

Sales of fully battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in Australia have soared 42% in a single month, reports ABC News. The jump from February to March is attributed to the War in Iran and its effect on gasoline prices.

“…petrol car sales are declining and are down more than 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to just four years ago.”

3. UK Approves Largest Solar Project

The United Kingdom has swatted aside NIMBY concerns and approved the largest solar project in the nation’s history, explains Electrek. The project – which opponents have likened to Chernobyl – will generate low-carbon, homegrown electricity.

“Once Springwell comes online in 2029, it’s expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 180,000 homes a year – roughly half the homes in Lincolnshire.”

4. New York Church Goes Geothermal

A New York City church has switched to geothermal for its heating needs, notes Inside Climate News. The installation at Christ Church Bronxville proves the low-carbon technology can be adopted even in the densest cities with crowded underground landscapes.

“…the installation drastically reduces the amount of greenhouse gases it releases. Buildings make up more than two-thirds of New York City’s emissions, and a significant amount of the state’s.”

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

Cui-ui Sucker (Chasmistes cujus)

In the high Nevada desert north of Reno lies Pyramid Lake, a tiny remnant of a much larger prehistoric inland sea that once covered an area the size of New Jersey. And within that remnant lies another: the Cui-ui Sucker, an ancient fish of a once phenomenally prosperous but now pauce genus. It is found only here.

The Cui-ui Sucker was a staple food of Native American tribes in pre-contact times. Indeed, the very name of the local tribe translates as “Cui-ui eaters.” After a diversion dam was built in 1905, the lake’s levels dropped by 80 feet and the fish became too scarce to eat.

Famously, between 1950 and 1968, the Cui-ui Sucker stopped breeding entirely, as reduced water flow cut them off from breeding grounds up the Truckee River. In 1969, a massive snowmelt generated enough flow to form a path from the breeding grounds to the lake. As the Cui-ui lifespan is upwards of 40 years, there were enough elderly individuals still living to repopulate the species.

The lake lies within the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation. The tribe has been instrumental in the Cui-ui Sucker’s conservation, asserting its water rights on the fish’s behalf. The focus now is on modifying existing dams to restore watershed connectivity via diversions and fish screens.

IUCN: Endangered (EN)

Sign up to get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

Reducing your home’s emissions can make a small but meaningful difference in the race to net-zero. And the proposed solutions typically come with additional co-benefits. Here are eight features of a low-carbon home:

8. Passive Solar Design

If you are designing your own home from scratch, integrating a passive solar design can significantly cut both emissions and your energy bill. Orienting a large room of your home towards the equator, for example, allows more heat from the sun into your home in winter. By placing the roof at just the right height, you can block the sun from doing the same thing in summer, when it is higher in the sky.

Subscribe now

7. Solar Hot Water

Solar hot water systems work differently than solar panels. Rather than generating electricity, they use the sun’s heat to directly heat water and then store this heated water in insulated tanks. Solar hot water systems are common in off-grid cabins, where they can provide a hot shower in a place with no electricity or gas connection. But increasingly they are being integrated into homes as a way to save energy and reduce emissions.

6. Effective Insulation

Properly insulating a home to increase the energy efficiency of its heating and cooling system has been the backbone of emissions reduction efforts for decades. Although it’s not as sexy as solar panels, batteries, or EV chargers - upgrading a residence’s insulation remains a vital first step on the path to net-zero, particularly in older homes.

5. Electric Appliances

Many large household appliances like stoves, ovens, and clothes dryers can run either on electricity or fossil gas. Gas versions are common in places with abundant gas supply, like North America, Australia, the U.K., and the Netherlands. Unfortunately, they directly contribute to climate change by combusting a fossil fuel.

Electric alternatives like induction stoves are cleaner and more efficient. Moreover, they are increasingly cheaper than their antiquated gas equivalents.

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

4. Low-Carbon Materials

Two primary inputs in new home construction - cement and steel - are significant contributors to climate change. In fact, in a modern, energy-efficient home these “embedded emissions” can make up to 50% or more of the total carbon footprint. It is possible to make these materials in more environmentally friendly ways. Finding “green” steel and concrete for use in residential construction is extremely challenging today. But both will become standard features in new homes as lower-carbon alternatives are rolled out.

3. EV Charging

No low-carbon home is complete without an electric vehicle (EV) charger. In the developed world, vehicle emissions make up about a quarter of a typical person’s carbon footprint. That footprint is drastically reduced by driving an EV, which most people choose to charge at home because it is cheaper and more convenient than visiting a charging station. Home EV chargers become even better for the environment when paired with a solar system, which fills your car with homegrown zero-carbon electrons.

2. Heat Pumps

Heat pumps are essentially air conditioners that can run in reverse and both heat and cool your home. They are far cleaner and more efficient than standard furnaces or boilers that run on fossil gas. Heat pumps are generally more expensive to purchase than gas-fired systems, but cheaper to run - paying you back over time. They also have the safety benefits of not being able to cause a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning.

1. Solar + Storage System

What’s better than generating your own carbon-free energy at home? A residential solar-plus-battery storage system can free you from a dirty, centralized electric grid. A large enough system can - in some places - generate all or nearly all the electricity your home requires. A smaller system can reduce your carbon impact while also shaving your electric bill and providing backup power in an emergency.

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

The United States is becoming a global powerhouse in grid battery manufacturing, heralds Canary Media. The country is expected to have 145 GWh of manufacturing capacity this year - enough to meet its own needs and begin competing with China in the export market.

“If you had told me that 10 years ago, that this is where we would be, I never would have believed it…”

Subscribe now

2. World Adds 693 GW of Wind and Solar in 2025

A combined 693 GW of wind and solar capacity was added globally last year, reports PV Magazine. This figure represents 86% of all new electricity generation power capacity added to the global energy system.

“Asia continued to lead renewables deployment in 2025 with a 74.2% contribution to all new renewable capacity, while both Africa and the Middle East recorded their largest annual growth…”

3. Asia Embraces EVs to Counter Iran Oil Shock

The Asia-Pacific region is hastening the adoption of electric vehicles, explains Reuters. Consumers in major markets like Japan, Australia, Malaysia, and Thailand are flocking to EVs to avoid soaring fuel costs.

“South Korea also reported an acceleration in EV adoption, with registrations more than doubling in March from a year earlier…”

4. Solar Saving Europe €3 Billion a Month

Solar energy is saving Europe €3 billion a month in extra fuel costs related to the Iran War, notes Euronews. If gas prices remain high, that number could explode to a cumulative €67.5 billion by year’s end.

“…it shows why we need to continue to build out an ambitious pipeline of new clean energy projects now and in the years ahead.”

5. Induction Stoves Taking Off in US

Electrically powered induction stoves are finally being adopted in the United States, relays The Guardian. The nation has historically relied on gas stoves - which contribute to both climate change and indoor air pollution - but new state regulations and incentives are encouraging the switch.

“Just 3% of US homes currently have induction stoves – which use magnetic fields to heat cookware directly… efforts to expand their use have been fought by the gas industry.”

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis)

The Welwitschia is undoubtedly one of the oddest-looking plants on Earth. In the extreme deserts of Namibia and Angola, it sprawls prostrate on the sands like a weeping mass of surplus plant material left over from the dawn of creation.

It is indeed one of the longest-living of all plant species, with some individuals dated to nearly 2,000 years old. Uniquely, while most plants grow new leaves either every season or every few years - Welwitschia only grows two leaves over the course of its entire life. Each grows extremely slowly over centuries and coils over the other.

Welwitschia is listed as Near-Threatened locally, as its long reproductive cycle makes it vulnerable to human threats like overgrazing and vehicle strikes. It is better conserved on the Angolan side of the border, where stray landmines leftover from the civil war keep humans away.

Be sure to sign up to get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!

The Sahel is an ecoregion in Africa directly south of the Sahara Desert with a hot, semi-arid climate supporting a wide array of diverse wildlife.

Here are nine awesome animals of the African Sahel:

9. Barbary Sheep

Barbary Sheep are native to the arid, rocky mountains of the Sahel. Well adapted to the terrain, they are capable of obtaining all the water they need from food alone and can jump over 2 m (7 ft). This ability to move quickly up a mountainside helps to evade predators like leopards, lions, and caracals. Introduced populations exist in Spain and the Southwestern United States.

Ammotragus lervia | IUCN - Vulnerable (VU)

8. Saharan Silver Ant

The Saharan Silver Ant is the fastest ant species in the world, travelling at a speed of 108 times its own body length per second. The same rate in a human would equal 720 km/h (447 mph). This extreme speed is needed in the blisteringly hot Sahel, where being outside the nest for longer than a few minutes can prove lethal.

Cataglyphis bombycina | IUCN - Not Evaluated (NE)

7. Secretarybird

The Secretarybird is a large bird of prey found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Unusually, it is mostly terrestrial - stalking and hunting its prey on foot. It uses its powerful legs to stomp prey - such as lizards and snakes - to death, usually targeting the head for a knockout blow.

Sagittarius serpentarius | IUCN - Endangered (EN)

6. Black Mamba

The Black Mamba is a highly venomous snake. Exceeding 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length, it is the second-longest such snake after the famed King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). The Black Mamba is both terrestrial and arboreal, and feeds on small mammals like rodents and birds. Bites to humans can be fatal within hours unless the appropriate antivenom is administered.

Dendroaspis polylepis | IUCN - Least Concern (LC)

5. Deathstalker Scorpion

The Deathstalker Scorpion is one of the most dangerous species of scorpion in the world. Its potent venom contains a powerful mixture of neurotoxins which produce an extremely painful response in humans. A bite is not typically fatal in healthy people, but can be in children, the elderly, or those with underlying conditions.

Leiurus quinquestriatus | IUCN - Not Evaluated (NE)

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

4. Desert Monitor

The Desert Monitor is a type of monitor lizard native to Africa, including the Sahel. They are large lizards, averaging around 1 m (3.3 ft) in length and reaching up to 2 m (6.6 ft). Unable to tolerate cold temperatures, they hibernate from September to April. Upon awakening, they gorge on mice, eggs, and fish.

Varanus griseus | IUCN - Least Concern (LC)

3. Dama Gazelle

The gorgeous Dama Gazelle is endemic to the Sahel. The largest gazelle species in the world, it can weigh up to 75 kg (165 lbs). As herbivores, they graze on shrubs, herbs, grasses and the tender leaves of acacia trees. They are bred in captivity in foreign zoos and are popular with the zoo-going public.

Nanger dama | IUCN - Critically Endangered (CR)

2. Honey Badger

The Honey Badger is a mustelid native to most of Africa. A vicious predator, it is known to never back down from a fight - even repelling much larger animals like lions and hyenas. It does indeed raid beehives, devouring both honey and larvae. But it will eat almost anything - berries, roots, frogs, tortoises, lizards, rodents, birds, eggs, domestic animals like sheep or chickens, and even black mambas.

Mellivora capensis | IUCN - Least Concern (LC)

1. Patas Monkey

The Patas Monkey is a ground-dwelling monkey native to the Sahel and surrounding regions. They live in groups of up to 60 individuals containing just one adult male - until breeding season, when single males arrive to mate. They prefer dry, open woodland and travel the longest daily distances relative to their body size among primates.

Erythrocebus patas | IUCN - Near Threatened (NT)

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to access premium content and support the work we do!

The UK will require all new homes have heat pumps and rooftop solar installed, heralds CNBC. These measures - along with the legalization of balcony solar - will help the nation meet its climate targets and reduce consumers’ exposure to volatile natural gas prices.

“The Iran War has once again shown our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don’t control…”

Subscribe now

2. Largest US Wind Farm Starts Delivering Power

The largest wind farm in the United States has begun delivering electricity to the grid, reports Electrek. Despite attempts from the Trump administration to kill it, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind is now 70% complete and will be fully online soon.

“When…fully online, it will produce enough electricity to power 660,000 homes, and it is anticipated to save customers $3 billion during its first decade of operations.”

3. India’s CO2 Emissions Slowing

India’s emissions growth is at its slowest pace in decades, explains Carbon Brief. Power sector emissions actually fell in 2025 as more clean energy like wind and solar came online.

“This is a sharp slowdown from the growth of 4-11% in the preceding four years and marks the lowest rate of increase since 2001…”

4. Inside California’s Gigantic 21 GW Solar Project

The third-largest solar project in the world is taking shape in California’s Central Valley, and it is poised to remake the region, according to an illuminating profile in Canary Media. As local land dries up and becomes less suitable for agriculture, farmers are eyeing a pivot to energy.

“The way we look at it is as a new crop…we’re harvesting the sun and producing electricity.”

5. Geothermal Startup Secures Bank Financing

American geothermal startup Fervo Energy has secured bank financing for its flagship Cape Station project in Utah, relays ESG Dive. The deal signals enhanced geothermal (EGS) is finally going mainstream and could hit GW-scale in the next few years.

“Fervo expects the Cape Station project to be fully online by 2028 and also has other projects in the pipeline.”

Get Earthview in your inbox:

Subscribe now

And consider a paid subscription to get premium analysis and support the work we do!