Following on the heels of the IPCC special report and the National Climate Assessment, the news that the world’s carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels increased in 2018 can feel paralyzing. But this past week also brought some good news:

For the first time, a major US utility has committed to 100% clean energy

The energy world got some big news on Tuesday: Xcel Energy, one of the biggest utilities in the US, has committed to going completely carbon-free by 2050 (and 80 percent carbon-free by 2030).

 

Xcel, based in Minneapolis, serves 3.6 million customers across eight states — Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. Its CEO, Ben Fowke, is part of the leadership at the Edison Electric Institute, the main utility trade group.

 

It is the first major US utility to pledge to go completely carbon-free…

Rohrabacher’s climate denial helped swing conservative California district, survey shows

California’s historic wildfires, combined with the climate denial views of one Republican incumbent, appear to have helped sway voters in the state to elect a Democrat in a longtime conservative congressional district during the midterm elections, new analysis shows.

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In the lead-up to the elections, the League of Conservation Voters’ super PAC — LCV Victory Fund — and Independence USA PAC ran an advertisement in the district highlighting Rohrabacher’s opposition to efforts to fight climate change, while showing images of wildfires in California. And it turns out this messaging was successful.

 

“A majority of ideological moderates and nonpartisan voters rated this message as one of the most convincing arguments against Rohrabacher,” Pete Maysmith, LCV Victory Fund senior vice president for campaigns, wrote Tuesday in a blog post about the research.

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This Badass 15-Year-Old Just Stood in Front of a Bunch of World Leaders and Totally Called Them Out

Action to fight global warming is coming whether world leaders like it or not, school student Greta Thunberg has told the UN climate change summit, accusing them of behaving like irresponsible children.

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“For 25 years countless people have come to the UN climate conferences begging our world leaders to stop emissions and clearly that has not worked as emissions are continuing to rise. So I will not beg the world leaders to care for our future,” she said. “I will instead let them know change is coming whether they like it or not.”

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