Ford's unexpected embrace of Tesla's charging technology dramatically escalates the battle for the future of electric vehicle (EV) charging — the next great Lightning vs. USB-C or VHS vs. Betamax-style standardization war.
Why it matters: EVs won't go mainstream until refueling them is as simple as filling up a gas-powered car.
California's state senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a ban on fossil fuel investments by the pension funds representing state employees and state teachers.
Why it matters: CalPERS and CalSTRS are the country's two largest state pension systems, with around $768 billion in combined assets under management.
The outlookfor the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is more notable for its unusual level of uncertainty than for what it actually projects, Andrew writes.
The big picture: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's latest forecast, which aims to help governments and coastal residents prepare for the season, predicts a rare battle between two powerful climate forces — one of which has its roots in human activities.
Super typhoon Mawar strengthened into the equivalent of a powerful Category 5 hurricane as it pulled away from the Mariana Islands after pummeling Guam earlier this week.
State of play: That's according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, which recorded Mawar's maximum sustained winds at 185 mph on Friday morning local Guam time. President Biden approved a disaster declaration late Thursday for Guam — which Mawar slammed with heavy rains and powerful winds, knocking out power and downing trees across the U.S. territory.
While France made waves this week by officially banning some short-haul domestic flights, a similar policy is unlikely to take hold in the U.S. anytime soon.
Driving the news: The French government touted the enactment of the legislation, which bans flights between destinations that can be reached by train in less than two-and-a-half hours, as a first-of-its-kind achievement.
The Supreme Court limited the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to oversee certain bodies of water on Thursday, determining that the agency cannot regulate wetlands isolated from larger bodies of water.
Why it matters: It's the court's second major decision in recent years that dents the EPA's ability to control pollution after it imposed major constraints on the agency's authority to limit carbon emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act last year.
The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, which officially kicks off June 1, is set to feature a tug of war between a developing El Niño in the Pacific, and unusually warm waters throughout the Atlantic, NOAA forecasters say.
Why it matters: The seasonal outlook, released Thursday, helps inform storm planning for the federal, state and local governments.
Investment in climate-friendly energy is extending its lead over fossil fuels, yet spending trends in both buckets are out of step with Paris Agreement goals, a new report finds.
An influential climate panel tasked with guiding the creation of a new global carbon market has sparked widespread concern in the nascent carbon removal industry, after it cast doubt on whether it would be counted as a carbon offset.
The big picture: On Wednesday, More than 100 companies and organizations sent a letter to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCCC) secretariat objecting to the draft guidance.
Outdoor retailer Patagonia, which is steering profits into fighting climate change, has the top ranking in the 2023 Axios Harris Poll 100 brand reputation survey.
Why it matters: The outdoor apparel company appears to have successfully avoided polarizing battles that have ensnared other big brands, and alienated some consumers.
Mawar gained strength as it lashed Guam and became a super typhoon as it slowly pulled away from the theU.S. territory island in the Western Pacific on Thursday morning local time.
Threat level: The National Weather Service's Guam office warned typhoon warnings remained in effect for the island, which is home to three U.S. military bases.The NWS urged residents to keep safe shelter until the "damaging winds" subsided, as the storm packed maximum sustained winds of 150 mph.
