Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
@yaleclimatecomm
We conduct research on public climate change knowledge, attitudes, policy support & behavior. Posted events are not endorsements.
As global warming makes access to water less predictable, utilities will likely be forced to raise prices and invest in new systems. This could raise water bill prices for everyone and leave more households without access to affordable water. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Only about one-quarter of the 2,500 online articles about last month’s heatwave mention the words “climate” or “global warming.” Less than 5% of stories included information about the UK’s climate goals. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
At London Climate Action Week, Antonio Guterres warned that climate adaptation remains chronically underfunded, urging finance leaders to embed climate risk into economic policies using a broad mix of tools. www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Mato Grosso has committed to a phased reduction of native firewood use for boilers, reducing the maximum permitted share to 50% in 2030, 40% in 2031, 30% in 2032, 10% in 2033, and eliminating its use by 2034. www.reuters.com/business/env...
One of the core principles of the Endangered Species Act is the protection it gives to certain animals and the ecosystems they live in. Last week, the Interior Department said that such protections are no longer legally binding. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/c...
China’s latest blueprint for building a new energy system from 2026-2030 unveils its plans to encourage direct connections of green power to emerging industries such as data centers, energy-intensive industries, and export-oriented companies. www.reuters.com/business/ene...
A proposed bill in New Zealand is designed to limit who can sue for climate change-related damages and centralize oversight with the government. A similar bill in the U.S. has not seen widespread support but could be adopted by individual states. www.forbes.com/sites/jonmcg...
New Delhi, India, one of the most polluted cities in the world, has finalized a $1.59 billion policy which offers $1,060 to scrap old cars for electric vehicles and waives road tax and registration fees for vehicles worth more than $31,000. www.reuters.com/world/india/...
Air conditioning and building efficiency stocks rose this week as Europe faced its second major heat wave in two months. The U.K. set its all-time June heat record. More than 85% of EU buildings were built before 2001 and were not designed for today's climate.
As electricity demand from data centers grows, FERC's latest order highlights ongoing questions about grid costs, while YPCCC’s study finds that 40% of registered voters think a local data center would increase their electricity bills by "a lot."
Since the 1960s, the Federal government has required cars to reduce the emission of toxic chemicals from exhaust. Last week, the president pardoned several people who violated the law and asked the EPA to rewrite the statute altogether. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/03/u...
Adults ages 65 and older accounted for 85% of the nearly 1,000 excess deaths during France's record-breaking heat wave. The largest increases occurred in areas under the country's highest-level heat warnings, with the largest rise in deaths in private homes.
Florida's new law restricting state and local net-zero emission policies comes as YPCCC’s Spring 2026 study finds that 49% of registered voters think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.
In late June, the surface temperature of Earth’s oceans in the polar regions was the highest ever recorded, breaking records set in 2023. Warmer oceans can contribute to more intense tropical storms and heat waves in coastal areas. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
European and island nations are calling for a clearer process to advance the roadmap, while some countries have raised concerns about its economic implications. www.climatechangenews.com/2026/06/12/e...
Lake Mead is approaching a water level that could slash the Hoover Dam's hydropower output by 70%. Further drought on the Colorado River could put millions of Americans in the Southwest at risk of power outages. insideclimatenews.org/news/1206202...
Months after a jet fuel leak from Joint Base Andrews contaminated Maryland’s Piscataway Creek, local groups are testing the water and questioning oversight, echoing the 79% of Americans worried that climate-driven threats like water pollution could harm their communities.
A new WMO report projects a 75% likelihood that average global temperatures from 2026 to 2030 will exceed the 2.7°F (1.5°C) Paris Agreement threshold. There is a 91% probability that at least one of those years will surpass that level.
A report from the Environmental Defense Fund suggests that almost 80 GW of clean power may come onto the U.S. grid in 2026. Roughly 8 GW of renewable energy projects have been cancelled this year after legal challenges. insideclimatenews.org/news/1506202...
A North Carolina lawsuit over alleged PFAS contamination in groundwater highlights ongoing concerns about water pollution, as 78% of Americans support stronger enforcement of industrial pollution limits in communities disproportionately impacted by air and water pollution.
Indonesia has announced plans to restore 29.65 million acres of degraded land following a 66% spike in forest loss in 2025. The reforestation efforts will potentially be connected to carbon offset projects. www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Millions of people across Europe face extreme heat warnings as a record-breaking heat wave blankets the continent. The heat has left thousands in France without power and set a new record for the country’s hottest day. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Brazil plans to roll out its regulated carbon market in three phases beginning in 2027, with subsequent stages in 2029 and 2031. Initial implementation will focus on emissions-intensive sectors, including iron and steel. www.reuters.com/business/env...
Record high temperatures were reported across parts of the East Coast this month, while more than a dozen tornadoes touched down in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. June 12 was the third-most active severe weather day of 2026, with more than 500 storm reports nationwide.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which sets national environmental standards, will not create policy for data centers. 74% of U.S. voters “strongly” or “somewhat” support a proposal requiring new data centers to offset their electricity use. www.politico.com/news/2026/06...
Bowser, a rescued loggerhead sea turtle, is drawing attention to the threats facing marine life on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Santa Rosa County accounted for 56% of Florida’s reported sea turtle fishing pier entanglements from 2000-2022, while warming temperatures continue to affect sea turtle population
China’s biggest coal-producing region is building the country’s largest base to convert coal into oil, gas, and chemicals to reduce import reliance. While the move will improve energy security, the emissions from the process will threaten climate goals. www.reuters.com/business/ene...
As data center projects expand across the U.S., marginalized rural communities are weighing local impacts on land, water, and infrastructure. YPCCC has further found, in a recent study, that 58% of registered voters oppose building data centers in their local area, while only 15% support doing so.
Last month, solar accounted for 12.8% of the U.S. energy supply, while coal accounted for 12.2%. Solar generally increases in supply during the summer as longer days provide more sunlight. e360.yale.edu/digest/us-so...
With 72% of Americans saying global warming is affecting extreme weather impacts like droughts, rising pesticide use in California underscores how climate change can influence agricultural practices and environmental health. Sources: Inside Climate News, YPCCC Study