Greg Dalton

Beyond the Obvious: What We’re Watching in 2026 We’re only about a month into 2026, and already so much has happened — from the Trump administration’s forcible removal

From the Trump administration’s forcible removal of Maduro to the US pulling out of the UNFCCC, it’s easy to get caught up in the big headlines. But what about the bigger picture? Hear from 3 top climate thinkers this week on what they have their eyes on in 2026.

Listen now:

Anyone looking for a good estimate, check out the Crowd Counting Consortium by @chenoweth.bsky.social and @djpressman.bsky.social—they’ve been doing this since Trump 1 and the data are sound!

U.S. swing toward #autocracy doesn’t have to be permanent, according to a political scientist who studies global trends. But swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and election. buff.ly/DM1YCth
@jenvictor.bsky.social @georgemasonu.bsky.social #polisky

The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.

The incompetence is absolutely chilling. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

YouTube video by Timothy Snyder LESSON 1: Do Not Obey In Advance

Here is Snyder on that point: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9toc...

Housing! The climate lever climate people should talk about more.

YouTube video by Climate Town How Oil Propaganda Sneaks Into TV Shows | Climate Town

Rollie Williams unpacks viral rant by Billy Bob Thornton on #Landman, an engaging show about oil in West Texas. The show is more textured than the clip. Both are worth a watch, especially for the true lifecycle impact of a wind turbine. @climatetown.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBC_...

EV expert Chelsea Sexton at #BNEFSummit: Automakers shifting from insisting on EV demand before building them to more traditional mode of making cars and convincing consumers to buy them. That’s how SUVs rolled out.

My friends and relatives who voted for Trump are not (always) racist. I learned from Ibram X. Kendi that people can be racist and anti-racist in the same day, same hour, same paragraph. We are complex and often contradictory creatures.

Listening to Luntz is hard and important. Shaming is easy.

Opinion | This Is Who Should Foot the Bill for the Los Angeles Fires It’s time to require oil and gas companies to compensate communities, homeowners, businesses and even insurers for the losses.

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/o...

The first electric minivan will change the way you think about EVs Trump wants to crack down on EVs, but the industry is stronger than ever.

The first minivan I've ever seen and said "I want one." I turn 61 this month so maybe that explains it. www.vox.com/technology/3...

10-Step Program Jan 2025 (Kristan C. & Ali H.) Please click the link to complete this form.

My life and career were enriched by doing a Good Grief Network program. The climate-focused support group helped me find joy amid darkness. I highly recommend it for any climate professional or advocate. New session starts soon: form.jotform.com/GoodGriefNet...

Damn amygdala.

Important win for Montana. California officials I've talked with are wary of adding similar language to the state constitution because of it possibly being weaponized and unintended consequences. Just look at CEQA.

Grid-scale batteries are coming soon for those gas peakers. CA and TX are leading the charge.

www.ecmweb.com/design/artic...

Covering Trump 2.0, now with less Trump "Every president claims a mandate and a decisive victory, but saying so doesn't make it so. Media coverage is crucial for determining the scope of that power."

“Every president claims a mandate and a decisive victory, but saying so doesn’t make it so. Media coverage is crucial for determining the scope of that power,” @joshuadarr.bsky.social writes.

Good to see two solid groups collaborating on busting myths about clean energy. I appreciate the citation of outlier studies that don't fit into neat and simple narrative. Lends cred. @sabincenter.bsky.social @skepticalscience.bsky.social

Clean energy and transportation investment in the United States continued its record-setting growth in Q3 of 2024, reaching a new high of $71 billion, continuing a nearly unbroken quarter-on-quarter growth trend over the past three years.

Read more: rhg.com/research/cle...

9 energy-climate starter packs:
1)Power go.bsky.app/RwCBCab
2)Media go.bsky.app/2TNd1Ya
3)Solutions go.bsky.app/Aa1sErQ
4)Science go.bsky.app/7Mbnoge
5)Legal go.bsky.app/R4ZUdPE
6)Women go.bsky.app/AGCURBf
7)Nuclear go.bsky.app/5EJY58V
8)EVs go.bsky.app/R4ZUdPE
9)Southeast go.bsky.app/AZ6Xw1U

How will China impact the future of climate change? You might be surprised As a new Trump administration signals a retreat on climate action, China is stepping up. China is the biggest producer of climate technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels.

China? "They've set up a situation where it's good for them to sell clean energy technologies to the world. It's very good economically, & it's good reputationally, & it's good environmentally." They're going all out to capture the market as the globe goes carbon neutral. www.npr.org/2024/11/22/g...

Florida’s Home Insurance Industry May Be Worse Than Anyone Realizes A rash of failures of A-rated insurers points to a hidden weakness in the market, researchers say.

Florida home insurers that went bankrupt were rated as high-quality, research finds, adding risk to an already shaky market