Using satellite observations, we find that current global inventories underestimate total CO2 emissions by about 30% for Africa and the Middle East. About 35% of this underestimation is related to newly identified CO2 emission sources, which are mainly attributable to oil and gas infrastructure. The analysis reveals that these underestimated emissions could lead to a delay of ∼5 years in achieving the 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution targets in Africa and the Middle East.
When Trump closed down Climate.gov, it became a non-profit called Climate US. Here you can find scientifically accurate dashboard measures for many climate trends, from CO2, to warming, to sea ice lost, to El Ninos, etc.
Knowing the days for which cooling (air conditioning) are projected to occur are important for utilities, energy planners and engineers. The current metric uses temperature alone. A new metric that includes humidity too has been developed by University of Hawaii researchers. “Our results show that the regions facing the steepest future increases in cooling demand are the northwest, Great Lakes, and mid-Atlantic, where some grid regions are projected to see cooling-related electricity demand more than double by mid-century in this high-emissions worst-case scenario,” said Christina Karamperidou, an atmospheric sciences professor.
GREENING
Base Power has raised $1B to get big batteries into more homes. Base Power installs unusually powerful batteries at customers’ homes for an up-front fee ($95 to $695, depending on location) plus an ongoing electricity supply subscription. This model lets more homes access emergency backup power when the grid goes down, and cheaper power on normal days. In exchange, Base Power uses those energy storage systems to provide power to the grid when it’s most stressed — a service that makes money for the company. — Julian Spector
$20B in federal climate grants unblocked by appeals court. A divided court rejected the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to reclaim Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants “based solely on a policy disagreement” with the Inflation Reduction Act.
Ford’s electric moonshot, the mid-size pickup truck that would get it back into the EV race, finally has a name: Fathom. The Detroit giant announced the name of its long-anticipated, highly mysterious vehicle on Thursday, alongside its price and some of its specs. The Ford Fathom will cost $28,350, not including delivery and destination fees that take its price right up to the 30-grand mark — $29,945, to be precise. Ford says it will start taking reservations early next year and deliver the first pickups later in 2027. Although range is unknown at this point Fathom will feature bi-directional power capability, enabling the battery to double as home energy storage. Also the Jeff Bezos-backed startup Slate will start delivering two-door, all-electric pickups starting at $25,000 at the end of this year. The automaker Stellantis, which owns the Dodge and Jeep brands, says it wants to bring another compact pickup — it’s almost more of a ute — called the Rampage to North America soon.
Slow but sure: Utah’s solar generation eclipsed all other electricity sources for the first time ever in May, the culmination of a slow but steady years-long shift away from coal. Energy experts are calling it a win for the environment and the state’s economy. Photovoltaic panels in Utah produced nearly 1 terawatt hour in May 2026. That represented nearly a third of all electricity generated in the state that month, according to data from Ember, a global energy think tank. Natural gas generated 32 percent, coal generated 28 percent, and wind 2 percent.
CLIMATE DESPOLIATION [While Democratic politicians debate “climate hushing” the climate itself is speaking ever more forcefully.]
Bill McKibben says: I try to force myself to be absolutely aware of climate changes consequences, large and small—check out this report, for instance, that the record drought in France has dried up 43 percent of the nation’s streams, an ecological catastrophe. And check out this new assessment from the UN that the El Niño is likely to push 50 million more of our brothers and sisters into “acute hunger.”
Investigators determine an idle Southern California Edison transmission tower sparked the 2025 Los Angeles-area Eaton fire that killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 structures. (Associated Press)
In-N-Out, a the beloved California fast food chain, recently found itself at the center of heated debate in Culver City. Are the restaurant’s popular burgers worth the added traffic and air pollution? L.A. Times business reporter Suhauna Husain writes that some residents are fiercely opposed to a proposed In-N-Out in Culver City, arguing the chain’s notoriously congested drive-throughs — filled with idling cars — could pose a health and safety risk. The Culver City Council responded by extending its moratorium on new drive-through restaurants.
The German energy developer RWE has signed a $1.2 billion deal with the Trump administration to give up its claims to develop offshore wind farms in New York, California, and Louisiana. The Trump administration has now bought out 12 offshore wind leases, paying energy developers $3.93 billion for the privilege of not developing renewable energy along the American coastline. RWE was one of the developers for the Humboldt offshore wind area. California has already said it plans to sue over the two previous deals killing wind projects off its coast.
Amazon is backing what could be the largest natural gas power plant ever built in the United States. The company confirmed to Cleanview that it has acquired a site in Pecos County, Texas, where it plans to build an AI data center campus powered by on-site natural gas generation. Permits for the gas plant reveal that it would use 35 turbines to generate 7.65 gigawatts of power. It would be entirely disconnected from the Texas electricity grid — at least initially.
DARK AGE CLIMATE POLITICS
The U.S. Interior Department proposes a rule that would weaken Obama-era exploratory oil and gas drilling regulations for the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf. (news release)
The Department of Defense halted reviews of onshore wind projects in May on national security grounds. Now the judiciary is getting involved. On Thursday, a federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump ordered the agency to resume its reviews — and put an end to that freeze on wind projects.
Trump did solar manufacturers a solid, Heatmap contributor Alexander Kaufman and Emily Pontecorvo write, applying a new set of tariffs and price floors to imported polysilicon. A month after President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act effectively eliminated a key incentive for solar developers to buy domestically-made panels, the White House has announced new tariffs on polysilicon and virtually every component in each step of the photovoltaic supply chain.
Take Action! (action alert from the Monterey Bay Aquarium)
The Trump administration is coming for California’s coast, and they’re using a rigged review process to do it. NOAA is soliciting feedback on California’s review of spaceport infrastructure, offshore oil production, pipeline maintenance, desalination projects, and undersea cables.
Submitting a written comment is important.
If you live, work, surf, fish, or simply love the California coast, NOAA needs to hear from you directly. Tell them what California’s coastal protections mean to your community. Point to the track record: a program that has concurred with the vast majority of federal projects it reviews, while still catching the rare ones that pose real harm. Remind them that this new review follows directly on the heels of a 2024 evaluation that found California’s program working exactly as intended. A sample template letter which you can just modify and send from the website is here: Monterey Bay Aquarium
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