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Scientists figured out how the greenhouse effect worked in the late-1800s and theorized that coal emissions could enhance the warming of the planet. By the late 1960s, some climatologists started sounding the alarm on the impact. Even the oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil knew about the dangers of climate change decades ago, although they worked to keep data that implicated their role in the burgeoning crisis from the public. Laws like the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act have attempted to address some of the issues, but they’re often mired in bureaucracy if not undercut altogether. |
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In the first week of July, the world recorded three back-to-back days of the highest temperatures in recorded history. Heat waves from Arizona to Texas to Georgia are causing surges in hospitalizations, straining the power grid and endangering the lives of people who have no choice but to be outdoors. So what are we going to do with this information? Who bears the responsibility? What can we do to help? These are all questions we'll be diving into in the weeks to come. |
Things are not great right now, but some change is still possible. It is unlikely that we will see a full scale reversal of the damage done to the climate in our lifetimes, but there are people and groups working toward a better future. We'll be digging into some of that work in the coming weeks. |
