The data in this graph show energy consumed, not installed capacity. The units are terawatt-hours: a measure of energy over time. Capacity is expressed in units of power w/o the time component. Read more about the data here: ourworldindata.org/grapher/prim...
Increasing share of renewables in the energy mix is progress, even if slow progress. It’s important to talk about that, while also being clear-eyed about how slower progress will affect the rate of warming, so that we can prepare for the impacts we will not be able to avoid. (3/3)
But that’s NOT the only way to way to define progress. CO2 emissions are still rising, but not as fast as they were a decade ago. Many countries have decoupled their economic growth from their emissions. Emissions per person are declining in the US and other industrialized countries. (2/3)
You’re right that in absolute terms, primary energy consumption of fossil fuels still far exceeds of renewables. So if our definition of “progress” toward decarbonization has to mean an absolute decline in fossil fuel energy consumption, we’d have to say we’re not making progress. (1/3)
The Sulphide Glacier on Mt. Shuksan receives the last ray of light, resembling a glimpse of hope for the glaciers in the North Cascades. As a landscape photographer, I am constantly searching for wilderness areas that provoke the juxtaposing themes of power and fragility, particularly in the context of climate change. I aim to draw my audience in with the beauty of the landscapes and inspire them to contemplate the intrinsic value of wild spaces. We cannot truly protect something we do not love, and we cannot love something that does not move us.
Art x Climate is an integral part of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), restored by Climate.us. #sciart
One of the featured artworks is “Glaciers, Last Call” by Christian Murillo.
Year and Medium: 2022, photographic print
Since the start of the 21st century the share of energy consumption from renewables has doubled globally, tripled in the United States, and more than tripled in China, which overtook the U.S. as the country with the largest annual carbon dioxide emissions back in 2006.
My minimal paintings reference sky and weather. I find inspiration at the edge of day. The quiet, liminal, and changing space is full of possibility. Most recently, my work has been infused with atmospheric data. This piece depicts a subset of air quality data from Hennepin County, Minnesota, where I live and work. Using data from the 2014 State and County Emissions Sources published by the EPA, this piece portrays sources of Carbon Monoxide emissions, which are roughly: Mobile 89% (blue); Miscellaneous 6% (white); Fuel Combustion 5% (ocher).
Art x Climate is an integral part of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), restored by Climate.us. #sciart
One of the featured artworks is “Sky Parameters: Carbon Monoxide” by Lindsy Halleckson.
Year and Medium: 2019, acrylic on canvas
For more information on past and future regional climate change in the U.S., see the Fifth National Climate Assessment. nca5.climate.us/regions
Southwest heat meets Southern freeze: March 17 saw parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona nearing 100°F while Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas barely hit the 40s-50s. Both regions share a trend though—March daytime highs are warming. Two weather extremes, one climate tend. 🌡️🌎🧪
I was inspired by crabs because they're always seen as aggressive creatures, when really they're simple creatures just trying to get by like everyone else in life. I hope that people will learn that these animals have lives too, they're so complex and I'm sure they have thought processes just like humans do but we'll never know. I learned that all life is beautiful and deserves to be protected because we all take granted of how animals and how much Earth provides for us.
Art x Climate is an integral part of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), restored by Climate.us. #sciart
One of the featured artworks is “Underwater Watercolor” by Carolina D.
Year and Medium: 2023, watercolor
We’re honored by your support, John and Glenda. #ClimateForUs
ICYMI: Exciting news for Climate.us!
Last week we shared we've been awarded a grant that will allow us to build the first full version of the site. If you didn’t see it, here’s the update. https://bsky.app/profile/climate.us/post/3mgvcvwby7f2o
#ClimateAction #ScienceMatters 🧪🌎
This street intersection mural in Pinecrest, Florida depicts the location’s elevation above sea level. Painted intersections, coupled with Underwater Markers (elevation yard signs) that residents place in their front yards, make the issue of climate change impossible to ignore. Mapping the topography of their community, neighbors reveal an alarming reality: declining property values, increased flood insurance costs, failing septic tanks, compromised infrastructure, climate gentrification, and collapsing ecosystems. The socially engaged art work is aimed at revealing the vulnerability of coastal communities to rising seas, sparking climate conversations, and catalyzing civic engagement.
Art x Climate is an integral part of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), restored by Climate.us. #sciart
One of the featured artworks is “Elevation Drive: 7 Feet Above Sea Level” by Xavier Cortada.
Year and Medium: 2018, water-based paint on asphalt
Good news from Climate.us: we've been awarded a one-time grant that will fund our core team full-time for the next 12 months. Combined with $250,000+ in crowdfunding, this gives us the resources to build the first full version of the site. Thank you to everyone supporting this work!
Thanks for your support, Glenn! #ClimateForUs
This piece combines rigid, measured definitions of space with the lush organic movements of nature. The Reflections Series speaks to issues such as ocean awareness, threatened species, and water temperatures. Ultimately, the piece seeks to amplify today's contemporary landscapes in crisis.
Art x Climate is an integral part of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), restored by Climate.us. #sciart
One of the featured artworks is “Reflections Series Blue Current” by Dodd Holsapple.
Year and Medium: 2022, mixed medium acrylic paint on canvas
It isn’t just “gross.” It’s a climate-driven public health threat. Warmer waters and heavier rains favor toxic algae — like the red tide pictured here. Harmful algal blooms are linked to many illnesses in humans. As temperatures rise, so do the public health impacts. Photo by Scripps.
Our fundraising goal for February 2026 was $10K, an amount matched by energy transition expert Pavel Molchanov. Instead, we received over $28K! We’re overwhelmed by your generosity. #ClimateForUs
Thanks, Shauna and Jim, for your support. We share your hope for a better future. #ClimateForUs
Wildfire smoke is projected to increase across the western U.S. by mid-century. Warming-driven increases in fine smoke particles could make smoke one of the most costly health impacts of climate change in the US. Wildfire smoke isn’t just a seasonal nuisance — it’s a growing public health hazard.
This painting shows the beauty of the huge built environment and the colors and forms of nature. It also shows the stark problem of drought and overuse of water as populations grow, particularly in areas that are not predisposed to large human cities and agriculture. The bone-like wall of the shrinking lake should be a wakeup call to us all.
Art x Climate is an integral part of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), restored by Climate.us. #sciart
One of the featured artworks is “Droughts Edge Illuminated” by Jon Bradham.
Year and Medium: 2021, oil on linen
Thanks, Barbara and David! #ClimateForUs
Text: Key Message 1. Climate Change Is Harming Human Health. Image: Vile, disease-carrying arthropods on human skin.
Text: Regional examples of climate-sensitive infectious diseases. Image: US map with disease vectors and environmental pathogens. (See legend image for more.)
Text: Some climate-sensitive infectious diseases are expected to see expanded geographic range and extended seasonality. Image: Legend for regional map describing disease vectors and hosts, environmental pathogens, and associated diseases.
Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases account for approximately 80% of all reported cases of vector-borne diseases in the US, and have steadily increased over the last 20 years due to multiple factors, including climate change. Image: Photo of warning sign for a tick-infested area.
Climate.us restored the Fifth National Climate Assessment. NCA5 Chapter 15 describes climate change’s health hazards. Find the restored NCA5 via our home page. #NCA5 #ClimateForUs
Yearly global temps compared to the pre-industrial average. Despite some differences, all data sources show more red bars than blue ones—evidence of long-term global warming. #ShowYourStripes #ClimateForUs
Glaciers sing. Blueberries listen. Informed by the work of Julie Cruikshank and Dr. Janelle Marie Baker, this piece considers how place and beings are defined, and seeks collective action towards equitable, livable futures. Embedded underneath the images are translations of “glacier” and “blueberry” from English to Lingít Yoo X̲ʼatángi, the language of my home in Lingít Aaní, also known as Southeast Alaska. As a non-Native living within these lands, learning the Lingít language is a step towards decolonizing. Definitions come from the Tlingit Dictionary, edited by X̲ʼunei Lance Twitchell.
Art x Climate is an integral part of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), restored by Climate.us. #sciart
One of the featured artworks is “sít’ // kanat’a” by Katie Ione Craney.
Year and Medium: 2023, silver foil, photo transparencies
If you like this content, pop over to our website to see what else we've been up to and consider donating to help us build the Climate(.)gov replacement website that we've got in the works! All donations in February are being matched, up to $10k.
www.climate.us
It’s uncertain whether this spike will be short-lived, or whether these temperatures—hovering near 2.7˚ Fahrenheit (1.5˚ Celsius) warmer than the planet’s pre-industrial temperature—will be a new launching-off point for accelerated warming. [8/8]
Some analysis points a finger at a second “unmasking” of the global warming trend due to reduced pollution from shipping fuels following new regulations. Another part of it could be the transition from a multi-year La Niña (often cools global temps) to an El Niño (often boosts global temps.) [7/8]
Even compared to this accelerated trend, however, the temperatures at the end of the series—2023, 2024, and 2025—are unusual. Experts are exploring the possible causes of this exceptional warmth. [6/8]
