[Apr 28-May 4'25] 🕳️ Blackouts, Bankruptcies & 145 Rollbacks

When Big Oil's Promises Short-Circuit

Welcome to this week's edition of The Weekly Climate 🎉

References: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] and [6].

‼️News you can't miss

Here's one important scary/bad (🙀), good (😻), interesting (😼) and fossil (💩) news item.

🙀 [#trumpactions] Trump initiated 145 environmental rollbacks in just 100 days, surpassing his entire first term's attacks on clean air, water, and wildlife protections

😻 [#agrivoltaics] Farmers are earning significant income by installing solar panels on their land while still growing crops underneath, creating a win-win for agriculture and clean energy

😼 [#tariffs] Trump's tariffs may accidentally reduce carbon emissions by slowing economic activity, though the long-term impact could harm clean energy progress

💩 [#bigoil] Major oil companies like Exxon and Chevron saw revenues plummet despite Trump's promises to boost the industry, with falling prices and rising tariff costs hurting profits

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👩‍⚕️ Status: Climate & Science

Let's look at how we're doing this week!

[#weatherservice]: Five former National Weather Service directors warn that staffing cuts could jeopardize lives, compromising severe weather forecasting and response capabilities, particularly during critical storm prediction periods. The proposed budget cuts may further hinder the agency's effectiveness and accuracy.

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📰 The 7 Grand Challenges

⚡️Decarbonize Electricity

Clean electricity is the one do-or-die challenge we must solve.

[#emissions]: Greenhouse gas emissions from US oil and gas fields are projected to rise under Trump's administration due to increased drilling ambitions, despite previous declines during Biden's term. Economic chaos from tariffs and uncertainty in the fossil fuel market complicate these efforts, while clean energy investments continue their growth trajectory.

[#blackout]: A massive blackout on April 28 affected Spain and Portugal, cutting power to millions. The cause remains unclear, with initial theories dismissed, while media speculation linked it to renewable energy reliance. Investigations are underway to determine the root cause and improve grid stability.

🌳 Protect and grow nature

Nature is our ally, we must protect it and help it help us.