Dr. Frances Colón

Nationally Determined Contributions: The Action Plans Behind Global Efforts To Fight the Climate Crisis Successive climate pledges have lowered projected warming, and NDCs 3.0 offer countries a chance to get even closer to achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals of combating climate change.

NDCs 3.0 aren’t just numbers—they are insights into how countries plan to cut emissions, phase out fossil fuels, and adapt to climate impacts. Ambitious NDCs = safer communities, cleaner air, and stronger economies. Read more from our intl climate team: ➡️ www.americanprogress.org/article/nati...

A map of the western United States. It shows large areas of land in green, orange, and purple, indicating areas where public land protections are being dismantled. The key indicates that green areas are National forest roadless areas, orange areas are Resource management plans, and purple areas are Lands withdrawn from mining or drilling. The title of the graphic reads, "The Trump administration is dismantling 88 million acres of public lands protections."

The Trump administration has taken actions that would eliminate existing protections from about 88 million acres of public lands. Including the removal of wildlife habitat protections, the total impact of the rollbacks stretches across more than 175 million acres of U.S. land.

The additional funding will magnify the horrific conditions that characterize immigrant detention under the second Trump administration and have already contributed to multiple deaths.

Congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act Creates an Unaccountable Slush Fund for the Trump Administration’s Deportation Force The OBBBA pumps $75 billion into ICE with no guardrails, supercharging the Trump administration’s massive, indiscriminate deportation agenda that is operating without accountability and threatening lo...

The OBBBA will nearly triple ICE’s budget with this infusion of additional funding while taking away valuable support for vulnerable populations. www.americanprogress.org/article/cong...

A graphic with a light blue background and a cityscape illustration featuring wind turbines and solar panels. The title is "Clean energy." Text describes fossil fuels' vulnerability to extreme temperatures and argues that clean energy improves reliability and helps consumers save money, protecting against extreme temperatures.

With the increased frequency and intensity of climate change-driven extreme heat and cold events, Americans can no longer rely on natural gas and coal. Learn more: www.americanprogress.org/article/clea...

A swirling, oily puddle with rainbow colors reflecting on the surface. White text is overlaid on the image. The text reads: "The same people who promised to “Make America Healthy Again” are making it easier to poison our air and water with cancer-causing toxins (Could it have anything to do with their Big Oil donors?). On top of this, they've cut funding for cancer prevention and treatment, ripped health care away from millions of people, and fired public health experts at the CDC. What could go wrong?"

Working people are being poisoned while billionaires are getting richer—make that make sense.

Residents in at Least 41 States and Washington, D.C., Are Facing Increased Electric and Natural Gas Bills Energy bill tracker documents rate increases and proposals that would go into effect in 2025 or 2026. The Trump administration’s actions to discourage clean energy projects could send rates even highe...

Have you noticed your electricity bill rate has gone up? 📈💡
If so, you're not alone–nearly half of the nation’s electricity customers may be impacted by increased rates going into effect this year and next. Find out if you’re affected: www.americanprogress.org/article/resi...

Congratulations to Community Neuroscience Initiative at @cornellbctr.bsky.social for publication of “Science Democratization for Rigor, Relevance and Resilience” and for allowing me to contribute to the workshops that shaped it alongside community members.
bctr.cornell.edu/projects/com...

Who is THIS keeping safe?

Clean Energy Is Essential To Preventing Blackouts During Dangerous Extreme Heat and Cold A wide variety of clean energy resources can strengthen the electric grid and help protect Americans from the increasing health threats and power outages fueled by climate change-driven extreme heat w...

Extreme temperatures continue to threaten grid reliability and the health and safety of families. Americans can't rely on fossil fuel-fired power plants vulnerable to temperature-induced power outages...
www.americanprogress.org/article/clea...

The National Weather Service is hiring. Here is part of the application.

Global Impact, Island Origins: STPF Alumni with Puerto Rican Roots in Science Diplomacy | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Thank you @aaas.org for profiling our story of boricuas 🇵🇷 in science diplomacy —
years dedicated to honoring our community through public service and advancing science to ensure the competitiveness of our country. www.aaas.org/news/global-...

I’m in New York for UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ special address on climate. He has a hopeful story amidst the chaos and loss of climate disaster. Stick with me to follow his speech, and check out the report his comments are based on!

www.un.org/en/climatech...

E&E News: State Department’s gutting of climate staff hamstrings US agenda, former diplomats say Friday's mass firing included climate and energy staff, potentially thwarting U.S. global engagement as China grabs the reins on clean energy development.

"The move to dismiss longtime public servants could also dissuade a new generation. I fear we will lose talent, now and in the future, and that this is a feature, not a bug, in the Trump White House plan,” said Colón, who leads international climate at @americanprogress.bsky.social.

The Lasting Threat of Trump’s Cuts to NOAA and NWS on American Communities The Trump administration’s cuts to NOAA and NWS staffing and research capabilities are hindering the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond effectively to extreme weather events—such as the recen...

NEW @americanprogress.bsky.social piece by me & my colleague @codyhankerson.bsky.social to highlight the dangers of cutting jobs, budgets, & research for NOAA and NWS, as climate disasters like the TX floods are getting more frequent, intense, & catastrophic: www.americanprogress.org/article/the-...

The Trump administration is threatening to sell off YOUR public lands to the highest bidder, putting special places, local economies, and vacation plans in jeopardy. Read more here: www.americanprogress.org/article/see-...

Excellent thread by @bobkopp.net documenting the dismantling of climate research in the US. We are less safe, the world is less safe.

THREAD 🧵Here’s what you need to know about the current state of Senate Republicans’ plan to sell off millions of acres of America’s public lands (1/6)

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act Is Crushing America’s Electricity System More than half of all new capacity added to the grid over the next 10 years will be lost if federal clean energy investment is terminated, threatening a failure to meet U.S. energy demands, to raise e...

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act is one big blow to the nation’s energy system. 📉 Hundreds of gigawatts of clean energy that could be added to the nation’s grid are at risk of being stripped to boost profits for corporate polluters. We explain here. ⬇️
www.americanprogress.org/article/the-...

STATEMENT: Sending Marines to Los Angeles Is Dangerous Escalation, CAP’s Neera Tanden Says

After reports that the Pentagon has deployed Marines to Los Angeles on Monday to respond to immigration protests, @neeratanden.bsky.social, president and CEO of CAP, issued the following statement: www.americanprogress.org/press/statem...

Why even bother with long-run economic change & industrial policy if you don't get the chance to see it through?

Biden went all in on economic change, giving other progressives confidence to back things like industrial policy. But after the Democrats loss many are questioning whether it's worth it?

The Trump Administration’s Assault on Environmental Protections Will Give Polluters a Free Pass While Causing Millions of Asthma Attacks The Trump administration’s plan to weaken clean air protections could cause more than 10,000 asthma attacks per day while cutting lifesaving asthma prevention programs and as House Republicans seek to...

🚨 Billionaire tax breaks at the expense of Americans’ health: The Trump administration’s plan to eviscerate clean air protections could cause 100 million asthma attacks just as House Republicans seek to slash clean energy and health care. www.americanprogress.org/article/the-...

Republicans are planning to blow up Senate rules this week in order to deliver in a win for the oil industry, but they could leave every other industry exposed in a big way.

Ready for your gas prices to go up?

House Republicans are proposing to end almost all federal clean energy investments, which will drive up the cost of gas and line the pockets of Big Oil execs.

A majority of registered voters (55%) said federal agencies should increase their efforts to protect people from health problems related to global warming. @yaleclimatecomm.bsky.social

climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications...

"The parallel is not only the administration’s effort to destroy and suppress knowledge, but also the institution’s willingness to accept the cultivated irrelevance of it—a challenge that undermines any effort to conduct research, inform policy, or guide public institutions." @alondra.bsky.social

Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF Efforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress

Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3
www.science.org/content/arti...

Dismantling NOAA Threatens the World’s Ability to Monitor Carbon Dioxide Levels The agency maintains the global backbone of measurements of CO2 and other gases, but these are at risk of being curtailed if the foreshadowed cuts to NOAA are realized.

“If successful, this loss will be a nightmare scenario for climate science, not just in the United States, but the world. It will also likely spell the end of our ability to continuously update the Keeling Curve.”

www.wired.com/story/how-th...

Trump tightens control of independent agency overseeing nuclear safety NPR has learned that rules must now be vetted by the White House and that the administration is drafting an executive order that could loosen radiation limits.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency that sets the standards for nuclear power plants, radioactive waste, medical isotopes, and more.

Now: "there are no independent agencies," says Russell Vought, director of OMB.

www.npr.org/2025/05/09/n...

Can’t manage what you can’t measure.