The hottest Climate & Environment Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Climate & Environment Topics

Six Things to Know About Your Electric Utility

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 3179 implied HN points • 30 Jan 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Policy Renewable Energy Infrastructure Environmental Impact
  1. Utilities have to serve everyone in their area, which limits how much risk they can take on new technologies. They often focus on proven ideas to avoid wasting customer money.
  2. Community opposition can make it really hard for utilities to expand infrastructure. This can slow down projects that are important for energy needs, as people often don’t want facilities near them.
  3. The push for renewable energy is complicated. While renewables can be cheaper, the technology for storing energy isn't perfect yet, leading utilities to still rely on fossil fuels during certain times.

Two Points on Climate Change

David Friedman’s Substack • 350 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Policy Global Warming Environmental Science Sustainability Technological solutions
  1. The cause of global warming doesn't matter as much as what we can do about it. Whether it's humans causing it or not, we still need to think about ways to prevent or adapt to climate change.
  2. There's a lot of uncertainty about the future effects of climate change. Many studies make assumptions that might not hold true over time, so we need to be careful about how we plan for the future.
  3. We might not need to act immediately on climate issues. Waiting can provide us with better information, which can help us make smarter decisions later on.

European power reserves: part 2 - aFRR (and how solar is impacting it)

GEM Energy Analytics • 279 implied HN points • 24 Jun 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Policy Renewable Energy Electricity Markets Solar Power
  1. The automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve (aFRR) is crucial for keeping the electricity system balanced in Europe, especially in countries like Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
  2. Solar power is increasingly affecting aFRR prices. When there is a lot of solar energy, traditional power plants are less relied upon, which can lead to higher prices for flexibility in power reserves.
  3. As renewable energy grows, power systems will constantly switch between having too much and too little flexibility. This means power reserve prices could go up significantly during sunny periods.

The Aenean Challenge

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 4004 implied HN points • 16 Nov 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy crisis Economic Impact
  1. Our current energy sources are running low. Most of the energy we use today comes from fossil fuels, and they will run out in a few decades if we don't find new sources.
  2. Rare earth metals are essential for modern technology, but we have limited supplies, and most come from only a few countries. This makes our reliance on them risky.
  3. Water is becoming scarcer, especially for agriculture, which uses most of it. Finding solutions like desalination will require a lot of energy, but we are already facing energy limitations.
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The Secret Behind Europe's Outsized Influence in Climate Science and Policy

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 3287 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Science Policy Influence Sustainability Energy Sources
  1. A study shows that most climate scenarios used in global reports come from Europe. This means European views and ideas shape how we think about climate change.
  2. Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) are important tools in climate science, but they can reflect the biases and values of their developers. This could lead to skewed perceptions of energy sources like renewables compared to nuclear.
  3. The global efforts in climate modeling may not consider the needs of developing countries as much. Scenarios are often influenced by wealthy nations and may overlook how different regions approach climate solutions.

The Most Major Hurricanes Ever

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 2973 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Weather Patterns Natural Disasters Data Analysis
  1. In 2024, there were a lot of major hurricanes, tying with 2015 for the highest since records began, which raises questions about climate patterns.
  2. Despite the increase in hurricane landfalls, there hasn't been a clear trend showing that hurricanes are becoming more intense or frequent over time.
  3. Experts believe that while human activity may influence hurricanes, detecting these changes amidst natural variability is very challenging.

Full Circle

Doomberg • 8635 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Policy Renewable Energy Fossil fuels Global impact Energy transition
  1. Germany's energy strategy has led to a self-induced mess with the dismantling of nuclear reactors and reliance on coal, showing the consequences of climate initiatives on a national scale.
  2. The destruction of Nord Stream pipelines has raised questions about the involvement of political leaders and the lack of clarity or accountability regarding the incidents.
  3. Germany's shift towards expanding gas-fired power plants to compensate for the exit from coal showcases the challenges and complexities of transitioning to sustainable energy sources.

100 Pages: Dew Harvesters, Water Generators, and Zeers

OK Doomer • 76 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Preparedness Resilience Water security Extreme Weather Adaptation Disaster Response
  1. The illustrated survival guide now adds practical pages on dew harvesting, water generators, zeers, and heatwave mitigation to help people in different living situations prepare for emergencies.
  2. The guide has been revised and expanded using reader feedback and is being prepared for a print edition, with a downloadable PDF available now.
  3. The project relies on reader support and subscriptions to keep producing updates as climate and social stresses increase, and asks for one-time or ongoing contributions.

The Incredible Inefficiency of the Fossil Energy System

Renewable Revolution • 339 implied HN points • 04 Jun 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Efficiency Fossil fuels Renewable Energy Sustainability Environmental Policy
  1. Fossil fuel energy systems are really inefficient, wasting about two-thirds of energy before it even provides any benefit. This waste amounts to around $4.6 trillion every year.
  2. The main reason for this inefficiency is fossil fuels themselves, particularly in power plants and gas engines, which are responsible for almost half of the total energy waste globally.
  3. New technologies like renewables, local energy sources, and electric vehicles are becoming more efficient. They're replacing fossil fuels because they’re cost-effective and significantly reduce energy waste.

"To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, scientists say…"

The Liberal Patriot • 1316 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Global Warming Climate Impacts
  1. Climate discussions often mention limiting global warming to avoid the worst impacts, but there's no scientific consensus on specific limits.
  2. Focusing on the 1.5°C threshold as crucial is arbitrary, without solid scientific basis.
  3. Considering the costs of limiting warming is essential as it involves trade-offs and impacts on human well-being.

The Gordian Knot Group is a Flop

Gordian Knot News • 271 implied HN points • 29 Nov 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Policy Climate change Sustainable Development Nuclear Energy
  1. Extreme poverty has stagnated globally, with many people still living on less than $3 a day. This is a big concern as it prevents true progress in society.
  2. CO2 emissions are still rising, even with heavy investment in renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which has not significantly reduced greenhouse gases.
  3. Nuclear energy has great potential to solve energy poverty efficiently but is often rejected due to safety concerns. Countries with less existing nuclear infrastructure might benefit from starting fresh.

2023's unexpected and unexplained warming

The Climate Brink • 1257 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Global Warming Greenhouse Gases
  1. 2023 experienced unexpected and unexplained warming, breaking temperature records.
  2. Various factors such as El Niño, volcanic eruptions, and human greenhouse gas emissions influence global temperature fluctuations.
  3. Predicting 2024's temperatures is challenging due to uncertainties from the unique behavior of the current El Niño event.

To Assess or to Advocate?

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 3258 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Environmental advocacy
  1. The IPCC's main job is to provide clear and neutral scientific assessments about climate change, not to promote specific policies or technologies.
  2. Recently, the IPCC has started to lean more towards climate advocacy, which could hurt its credibility and the trust it has with policymakers and the public.
  3. To stay credible, the IPCC needs to focus on its original mission of assessing climate science accurately and include a variety of views instead of pushing for specific actions.

Everybody Freeze! It’s the Climate Police

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2415 implied HN points • 24 Feb 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Policy Environmental Law Public Health
  1. New rules in Ottawa limit how long you can warm up your car in winter, aiming to cut emissions. Many people think this is silly given the extreme cold.
  2. Bureaucratic efforts to fight climate change, like the car warming rule, often get a lot of attention but may not really help the environment.
  3. There's a growing debate over whether such regulations are practical or just inconvenience people without making a real difference.

Dirty Secret

Doomberg • 7905 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Sustainability Renewable Energy
  1. Global coal demand is smashing records, expected to reach an all-time high in 2023 due to strong demand in emerging economies like India and China.
  2. There seems to be a practical grand bargain between governments and the fossil fuel industry over climate change, with a focus on minimizing coal use in the West and leveraging coal in the developing world.
  3. Despite efforts in renewable energy, coal remains popular due to its cheap, reliable, and storable nature, with the International Energy Agency predicting a decline in demand by 2026 despite current high consumption.

Tricks of the Trade

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 3012 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Science Weather Events Environmental Policy Climate change
  1. Many claims about hurricanes becoming stronger due to climate change are inflated. For example, a recent study suggested a storm was 40% more likely, but a closer look shows it was actually a small increase from 7.2% to 10%.
  2. Some scientific methods assume that every storm is affected by climate change without considering other factors. This oversimplification can lead to misleading results, like claiming a storm was 7,000% more likely when it’s really about understanding many influencing factors.
  3. Recent research indicates that in some areas, tropical cyclones are not actually becoming more destructive and may even be decreasing in intensity. This contradicts the narrative that climate change always leads to worse storms.

Elon Musk's climate censorship

HEATED • 2122 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Independent Journalism Climate Advocacy
  1. Elon Musk has blocked Twitter users from interacting with Substack posts, impacting independent climate publications like HEATED.
  2. This policy makes it difficult for climate writers to share their work on Twitter, a key platform for climate-focused content.
  3. Musk's actions highlight the challenges faced by independent writers and underscore the importance of alternative growth strategies for publications like HEATED.

All things go to eleven

Disaffected Newsletter • 2318 implied HN points • 02 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Environmental Issues Pollution Waste Management Sustainability
  1. We often can't talk about problems without turning them into a battle between good and evil. This makes it hard to have simple conversations about real issues.
  2. Many environmental discussions are charged with strong emotions, causing people to avoid or misinterpret the topic. We need to separate our concerns from political identities.
  3. Practical issues like plastic waste and poor urban planning are important but rarely talked about because they get caught up in political arguments. We should discuss these without taking sides.

Our modern-day Columbuses

HEATED • 2004 implied HN points • 09 Oct 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Billionaires Climate change
  1. Billionaires are not necessarily the smartest, but they excel at using the capitalist system for their benefit.
  2. The climate solutions proposed by billionaires often aim to preserve the status quo that keeps them in power.
  3. Indigenous activists advocate for reciprocal climate solutions that benefit both humans and the environment.

"Climate Change is Showing its Claws"

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 2718 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Natural Disasters Insurance Economics Global trends
  1. In 2024, global weather-related disaster losses reached $298 billion, with a significant portion occurring in the U.S., mainly due to hurricanes. This shows that while climate change impacts us, other factors like economic growth also play a big role.
  2. Today, disaster losses as a percentage of global GDP are less than they were 30 years ago. This suggests that despite increasing losses in dollars, extreme weather is not as devastating to the economy as it used to be.
  3. The rising insured losses are largely driven by construction in risky areas and inflation, rather than just climate change. It's important to consider these factors when looking at why disaster losses are increasing.

The North American Fire Deficit

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 2345 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Ecosystems Climate change Environmental Policy
  1. North America is experiencing a significant 'fire deficit', meaning that the amount of land burning now is much lower than in the past. Even with recent fire years, the area burned is still far less than historical averages.
  2. The study suggests that aggressive fire suppression and land changes caused by human activities are major reasons for this fire deficit. This has led to more severe fires when they do occur because there is more fuel buildup in the forests.
  3. To manage future fires better, the study recommends increasing prescribed burning and using fire as a natural part of forest ecosystems. This approach could help reduce the severity of wildfires and improve the health of the forests.

🌻 Climate politics hits the limits of 'no'

Faster, Please! • 182 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Policy Clean Energy Energy transition Environmentalism Sustainability Climate Politics
  1. Clean energy is making real progress, but an anti-growth movement that lives in veto mode is blocking projects and undermining that momentum.
  2. Focusing on saying "no" to development and technology slows climate solutions; policy should instead enable building and scaling clean innovations.
  3. People who back growth and abundance should promote a new, constructive environmentalism that prioritizes construction, climate tech, and practical solutions over obstruction.

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen again in 2025

Sustainability by numbers • 339 implied HN points • 04 Nov 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Deforestation Wildfires Biodiversity Climate Policy Environmental justice
  1. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has decreased, with 5,800 square kilometers cleared in 2025, which is an 11% drop from the previous year. This shows some progress in protecting the forest.
  2. While deforestation rates are falling, wildfires have caused significant damage to the forest, leading to degradation even when trees are not permanently lost. This makes the Amazon weaker and more vulnerable.
  3. Brazil's leadership change has had a direct impact on deforestation rates, with policies under President Lula da Silva leading to a rapid decline compared to the previous administration. However, the goal remains to eventually stop all deforestation.

Climate Science Whiplash

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 2424 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Weather Patterns Environmental Science Policy Analysis Media influence
  1. Climate science can seem confusing and contradictory, leading to what people call 'climate science whiplash.' Different studies can say opposite things, making it hard to know what to believe.
  2. When extreme weather happens, people easily find studies that support their views, often ignoring the bigger picture. This selective use of science is like picking only the pieces of a puzzle that fit into your view.
  3. It's important to trust rigorous assessments from credible sources like the IPCC. They provide a clearer picture of climate change effects, helping us understand what we should really worry about.

Do You Split Your Toilet Paper With Strangers?

Anima Mundi • 164 implied HN points • 12 Dec 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Sustainability Ecology Community Resilience Permaculture
  1. The world is going through not just a crisis, but a transition. We need to focus on how we can build better relationships with each other and the environment.
  2. We can learn from successful small-scale practices that prioritize care and regeneration. These practices show that working together and sharing resources can help us thrive.
  3. It's important to pay attention to what care looks like in our lives. Simple acts of kindness can create stronger communities and help us notice the connections we often overlook.

Homesteading: The Regenerative Farming Paradox

Who is Robert Malone • 15 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Agriculture Soil Health Food Systems Biodiversity Sustainability Carbon Sequestration
  1. Industrial farming has damaged soil biology so crops can be less nutritious, because tillage, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides break the fungal and microbial networks that make trace minerals plant-available.
  2. Regenerative practices—no-till, cover crops, diverse rotations, and adding organic matter—rebuild soil life, and you can see measurable improvements in soil function within a few years and in crop micronutrients within about 5–10 years.
  3. Expect a short-term yield dip and more year-to-year variability during the transition, but long-term benefits include better drought resilience, lower input costs, improved nutrition, and often comparable or better yields if you maintain diversity and patience.

Technically, that New York City flood was “mild”

HEATED • 1788 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Sea Level Rise Extreme Weather Climate Adaptation
  1. New York City's recent flood, although catastrophic, was considered 'mild' by coastal flooding standards
  2. The flood was a combination of heavy rainfall causing flash floods and coastal flooding from high tides
  3. Climate change is making extreme floods in NYC more frequent, highlighting the urgent need for better infrastructure and climate adaptation plans

Five Figures - July 2025

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 853 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Extreme Weather Hydrology
  1. A new feature called 'Five Figures' will share interesting data and figures every month. It aims to provide engaging content for paid subscribers.
  2. Recent studies suggest that even with increasing extreme precipitation, flooding events haven't necessarily increased. This challenges some common beliefs about climate change and water events.
  3. Understanding the relationship between heavy rain and flooding is complex. Many factors influence whether heavy rain leads to floods, so trends should be examined carefully.

The Farmer and the Algorithm

Who is Robert Malone • 11 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Agriculture Soil Health Biodiversity Carbon Markets Policy Data Governance
  1. AI is already changing farming by turning satellites, sensors, and models into practical tools that let farmers treat each part of a field differently and monitor crops and soil in real time.
  2. Regenerative agriculture focuses on rebuilding soil health, water retention, and biodiversity, and AI helps by managing local complexity, offering tailored advice and virtual simulations, and enabling cheaper continuous verification so farmers can get paid for real ecological outcomes.
  3. There are real risks — who owns and benefits from farm data, training bias toward wealthy farms, and high technology costs — so fair data governance, accessible financing, and smart policy are needed to prevent widening inequalities.

“Recycling” Makes Plastic Pollution Worse

Stark Realities with Brian McGlinchey • 2047 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Pollution Recycling Environmental Policy Sustainability
  1. Most plastic items that go into recycling bins don’t actually get recycled. Only a few types of plastic are from beverage bottles and jugs are commonly recycled.
  2. The recycling system often misleads people into believing they are helping the environment. In reality, many plastics end up in landfills or are even shipped to other countries, causing pollution.
  3. While plastic has many benefits, it’s important to rethink its use. Alternatives may not always be better, so focusing on reducing plastic waste is the best way forward.

How can we rewild the Earth at scale?

The Novelleist • 912 implied HN points • 30 Jun 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Conservation Biodiversity Sustainability Ecology Community
  1. Rewilding means restoring nature and biodiversity on a large scale. This can start at home, focusing on planting native species and fostering local wildlife.
  2. Humans can play a positive role in nature, rather than being a destructive force. By forming strong relationships with ecosystems and local communities, we can support a healthier planet.
  3. It's important to protect and empower Indigenous communities who have historically cared for the land. Their knowledge and connections can help in rewilding efforts, making conservation more effective.