“God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that he created, for the benefit of all and for future generations, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters. What will be our answer?” Pope Leo has given his first speech on the climate. He also “noted that some have chosen to deride the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming.”
Meanwhile, the US Energy Department sent an email instructing staff to avoid “terminology that you know to be misaligned with the Administration’s perspectives and priorities”, with a list of banned words that includes climate change, green, carbon and sustainability.
Britain has a target to run on 100% clean energy by 2030, and the grid continues to set new records on the way to that. So far clean energy supply has exceeded demand for 87 hours this year.
Hannah Ritchie points out some positive news that hasn’t made any headlines: record breaking harvests are expected in most parts of the world this year.
Some book news: my online bookshop, Earthbound Books, now has ebooks. I’ve been waiting for this for a while. Fill your eboots.
Latest articles
Some favourite posts from 2025
It’s time to wrap things up for the season, and I will do so with a selection of highlights. Having looked back over this year’s articles, here are some that I’m pleased with. The landscaper of the climate age – The Chinese architect and landscaper Kongjian Yu died in a plane crash this year, and…
What we learned this week
Featuring China’s climate targets, a marine treaty, a bonus book review, and solar panels from Aldi.
Wattswatt: A fairer energy comparison website
When I was a child, there was one national supplier for electricity and gas in the UK. Since privatisation in the late 80s and early 90s, households get to choose who their energy provider will be. It doesn’t change the electrons coming into the house, which is all delivered through the same grid. But in…
The Earthbound Report 
Am looking at data for Virginia’s crops. We had, between 2023 and 2024, 40 and 47% declines for corn and winter wheat yields, respectively. 12% decrease for tobacco. Increases for soybean yields by 22% and cotton, too. Need references for the past 60 months in order to see a pattern.