This past year is expected to be the second hottest year on record, following three years of record-breaking high temperatures. Greenhouse gas emissions are again rising, and new research shows that, due to human disruptions, both Arctic permafrost and tropical forests are releasing more carbon than they’re storing. Nonetheless, the Trump administration is dismantling federal climate policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite all this, Phil Duffy, president of the top-ranked climate change think tank Woods Hole Research Center, sees reason for hope in the actions of cities, states, and businesses.