The archive
Environment
At a recent climate conference in Brazil, the Governor of California Gavin Newsom insisted that “The United States of America is as dumb as we want to be on this topic [of climate change], but the state of California is not,” Newsom said. “We are going to assert ourselves, we’re going to lean in, and we are going to compete in this space.” Let’s review the facts and see who is really doubling down on dumb.
Environment
The Clean Air Act (CAA) is now 55 years old—and shows its age. That’s not a critique of its legacy. The law, in conjunction with innovation and private investment in environmental improvement, has contributed to significant improvements in air quality, public health, and environmental protection. But its regulatory framework still operates like it’s 1970, often resulting in costly, inefficient regulations that stifle economic growth for little environmental gain.
Energy
Democrats are desperate to make the 2026 midterm elections about affordability, buoyed by their November victories, enthusiasm for their so-called Abundance Agenda, and polling showing President Donald Trump losing support on the economy.
Policy
The Trump administration’s stop-work orders on renewable energy projects add an under-discussed layer of friction in the United States’ bid for energy dominance. While the effects of halting near-finished offshore wind projects are immediately apparent, the downstream political consequences could hobble the administration’s hopes for progress on both bipartisan permitting reform and their “build baby build” energy posture.
Culture
A new climate change lawsuit filed last week in Washington State takes a novel approach by arguing that the fossil-fuel industry is responsible for rising homeowners’ insurance premiums. The plaintiffs, two Washington residents, claim their costs have increased because of a growing number of climate-related natural disasters.
Conservation
Nevertheless, a mild season doesn’t mean our forests are healthy or that the risk has disappeared. It simply means we were lucky. And luck is not a forest management plan.
Conservation
The ocean is the largest and most consequential ecosystem on Earth. It regulates the climate, absorbs 30 percent of annual carbon emissions, supports millions of species, and drives economic activity through fisheries, trade, shipping, and tourism. Modern life depends on a functioning, healthy ocean.
Energy
The Trump administration is making it a mission to restore the manufacturing might of the United States of America. That will have both civilian and military benefits. It’s a challenge, but we know American companies are up to it. Consider just one, NanoGraf Corporation.
Conservation
Most Americans only think about turkeys once a year, when Thanksgiving rolls around. We often take for granted that there will be a bird at the grocery store in exactly the size and weight we want. But what many don’t know is that wild turkeys, the domestic turkey’s ancestor, were once nearly wiped out across much of the United States due to overhunting and habitat loss.
Science & Tech
The future of clean energy may be out of this world—literally. Researchers around the globe are racing to turn space-based solar power, an idea once dismissed as science fiction, into a practical tool for delivering constant, carbon-free electricity back to Earth.
