At the start of this new year, the landscape of climate litigation is one of both promise and frustration. Here are four things UCS’s Delta Merner expects to see:

We joined hundreds of stakeholders to address community preparedness for extreme weather. The Environmental Collaboratory released the action plan! It’s time for decisionmakers to ensure communities get their fair share of resources for emergency preparedness & disaster recovery. Join us:

January 14 marked an unnoticed milestone in world history: The world has now gone the longest period of time since 1945 without an explosive nuclear test. UCS’s @dkspaulding.bsky.social explains the meaning of this achievement in the context of today’s fragile stability.

The EcoFarm Conference is one of the biggest gatherings of sustainable & organic farmers, ranchers, and food system advocates in the US. We’re excited to share that UCS’s Angel Santiago Fernandez Bou will be a key panelist in a conversation on agrivoltaics. Learn more: www.eco-farm.org/ecofarm-2026

CNN wrote a story today based on my recent musings on nuclear testing. We passed a fragile milestone this week, setting a record for the longest period without a nuclear test since Trinity. Will it hold? The blog: blog.ucs.org/dylan-spauld... CNN's take on all of this:

Para muchas familias que viven en Estados Unidos, la crisis de la asequibilidad energética es más que un tema de debate político: es una experiencia que tienen que enfrentar a diario. ¿Cuáles son sus principales causas en Massachusetts? Paula García de UCS nos lo explica en este blog:

“Asking scientists to spy on and report on their fellow co-authors” is a “classic hallmark of authoritarianism," said Dr Jennifer Jones, Director of the Center for Science & Democracy at UCS.

The Trump Admin's illegal, spurious strike against offshore wind faces yet another setback. Today's ruling is vital to securing an affordable, clean energy resource to help families weather blistering cold winters without being subject to volatile oil and gas prices.

ASK A SCIENTIST: What are the dangers of unlimited US and Russian nuclear arsenals? UCS's Jennifer Knox responds.

🚍🌍 UCS is keeping an eye on the Surface Transportation Reauthorization(STR) because it shapes how the US moves—and who benefits. For decades, highway projects have divided and polluted communities. It’s time for a better approach. Learn more in our recent blog: act.ucsusa.org/45fndps

"President Trump’s addiction to fossil fuels will not make people in the United States safer or richer. In fact, it will do the opposite by dragging us into a 19th-century-style imperial adventure that will impose high costs for everyone on the planet."

The fact that air pollution protections save lives (and thus dollars) has long been an inconvenient fact for those who want polluting industries unfettered. This move is indefensible and dangerous. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...

📣: Make sure you listen to the newest Evidence Based Birth® podcast episode! UCS Climate Policy Advocate Alicia Race talked about the impact of extreme weather on pregnancy with Dr. Dekker. Listen to episode 383 here: bit.ly/4pF2V00 #EvidenceBasedBirth #EBBirth #EBBPodcast #DangerSeason

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"...President Trump and his political appointees are chipping away at democracy, piece by piece, and moving the country closer to authoritarian rule. You are less safe because political leaders in this administration do not trust science," writes UCS's Jennifer Jones in her new blog:

Statement from @carlonimbus.bsky.social as 2025 is confirmed as the third hottest year on record: "Trying to force even more burning of coal, oil and gas will cost lives and make the Earth a harder place to live in the years to come."

January 27 is Help America Vote Day. By signing up to be a poll worker you help to ensure that midterm elections this November are accurate, secure, and accessible. Learn more at HelpAmericaVote.gov #HelpAmericaVote

Here's my latest piece for the @ucs.org blog. Today marks the longest period without a nuclear explosion since Trinity. I explore why as well as the reasons that it would be so counterproductive for the US to shatter this moratorium.

"Congress must hold the administration accountable for its illegal use of US military and law enforcement forces in Venezuela and the US must reassert its commitment to international and domestic law and the pursuit of common security based on sovereignty and respect for justice and human rights."

"Peace and Climate Circle: Regional Perspectives on the Interconnection between Militarization and Climate Justice in the Caribbean" event in San José, Costa Rica on January 14th, 2026. Register for Livestream: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

For those who work on equity issues in transportation, this was a disruptive year, but researchers and advocates aren't going anywhere. Tomorrow theyll prove it. My new @usa.streetsblog.org piece reflecting on #TRBAM week and the present political moment. usa.streetsblog.org/2026/01/14/o...

Four scientific leaders at NIH have resigned & denounced the Trump admin’s political interference: “Not only is our health at stake, but this attack on science is an attack on freedom of speech and thought. What we have seen at NIH is a threat to the fundamental freedoms that all of us cherish.” (🧵)

When Office of Science & Technology Policy asked for input on “Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise,” I had some thoughts. The Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health and @ucs.org submitted a comment with two recommendations: (1/3) jiwh.publichealth.gwu.edu/sites/g/file...

Last week, UCS released a new backgrounder highlighting how grid-integrated electric vehicles can help support a clean, reliable, and more affordable electricity system in California. Read it here: act.ucsusa.org/3NoUWXh

Check out my latest blog, coauthored with my @ucs.org colleague Laura Peterson, on US imperialism and #BigOil in Venezuela. The Trump administration’s all-in position on oil is a losing bet, and this illegal imperial oil grab is yet another reason we must all rise up. blog.ucs.org/kathy-mulvey...

“Instead of protecting people’s health, however, [EPA’s] new gas turbine standards make clear Trump’s EPA is only here to boost the profits of Big Tech and the fossil fuel interests that serve them.” Read the statement by UCS's Julie McNamara:

The Trump admin continued its dangerous assault on evidence-based decision making yesterday with a dubious DOJ investigation of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. His response highlights what’s really going on – and showcases the values & courage we need to uphold our democracy & constitutional order.

NEW: A UCS analysis shows extreme weather events were the cause of the top 10 worst power outages in the central US over the last decade. Failure to adapt to this climate reality of more frequent and intense storms will mean more outages for more customers.

Yesterday, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act was signed into law 🎉. UCS’s James Gignac and other members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition joined @govpritzker.illinois.gov to celebrate Illinois’ clean energy leadership.

The authoritarian, violent, and anti-science actions of the Trump admin over the past week show clear contempt for democracy and the public good, endangering people in the US and around the world. Congress must uphold its constitutional responsibility and hold the administration accountable.

CRGA is law!🎉 Today, @govpritzker.illinois.gov signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act into law, officially cementing Illinois as the state with the STRONGEST response yet to the rollback of federal climate protections.

“The events of the past week have shown with disturbing clarity the Trump administration’s contempt for the democratic process and the public good with the intention to use fear and force both at home and abroad to achieve their aims." Statement by UCS President @gretchentg.bsky.social:

“President Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the bedrock global treaty to tackle climate change is a new low and yet another a sign that this authoritarian, anti-science administration is determined to sacrifice people’s well-being and destabilize global cooperation." Read UCS Statement:

As the Trump admin intensifies efforts to dismantle NCAR, one of the United States’ leading weather and climate research institutions, UCS’s @carlonimbus.bsky.social explains why it matters and how its work benefits the American public as a key achievement of the National Science Foundation.

"It’s critical for public health and safety that [vaccines]continue to be accessible and safe to the public. But political interference in federal research studies, programs, and messaging, based on fabrications and conspiracy theories, will only continue to undermine public health."

The Trump admin & DHS Sec #Noem are continuing their ongoing assault on #FEMA with reports of major cuts to FEMA staff, which will put people’s lives and well-being at risk when disasters strike. Congress — we have a problem & oversight is needed ASAP. www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026...

ICYMI: Last month, a Swiss court ruled that a climate lawsuit brought against cement company Holcim by four Indonesian fishers can proceed. The plaintiffs demand compensation for climate damage they've suffered, financial participation in flood protection measures, and reduction in CO2 emissions.

Parents everywhere want to do everything possible to protect their kids and help them thrive. Secretary Kennedy just robbed us of one of the easiest ways to keep our kids safe, through routine science-based vaccine schedules. I'm angry about the kids that will suffer because of this cruel decision.

The US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology will hear from only chemical industry representatives this Thursday about the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), the primary federal law safeguarding the public from exposures to toxic chemicals.

When science is sidelined, children get hurt. In his latest anti-science move, RFK Jr. ignored overwhelming scientific evidence, bypassed the established review process for vaccine recommendations, and all but guaranteed that more children will get sick.

Five years ago today, a violent mob invaded the US Capitol, at President Trump’s urging, to disrupt certification of an election he lost. This attack on the US government was a clear and disturbing sign of the authoritarian path he took then—and continues to advance today. (🧵)

This roundup from @theguardian.com covers developments in US lawsuits seeking to hold #BigOil accountable for climate deception & damages. This includes new & novel litigation, such as the first-ever wrongful-death lawsuit against Big Oil for a relative's death during an extreme heatwave in WA.

Funding cuts to critical research, staff reductions at agencies, political interference & disinformation are eroding public trust in decades of peer-reviewed science. How can we respond to this challenging moment? Here's some inspiration by Allie Cashel from @protectdemocracy.org.

¿Recuerdas la primera vez vez que escuchaste que el planeta se está calentando por la acción humana? ¿O recién te estás enterando? Las compañías de combustibles fósiles lo supieron hace 70 años… e hicieron lo posible para evitar que tú lo supieras. Conoce más en la 2da parte de nuestro podcast:

UCS is a US-based nonprofit organization founded more than 50 years ago. Our team of scientists and everyday people work together to make change on the biggest issues of our time, including climate change, nuclear weapons, transportation, food, and democracy. Join us: www.ucs.org

We’re closing out a year filled with unprecedented attacks on science, but the pushback is growing. Hear from UCS President @gretchentg.bsky.social on how UCS and the scientific community are standing up for science:

We are proud to celebrate our 2025 Science Defenders! Meet Neighbors for Environmental Justice (N4EJ), a group that has been working since 2018 to educate, advocate, and organize with the community to advance environmental justice on the southwest side of Chicago.

¿Te has preguntado cuánta energía se necesita para generar una simple respuesta ChatGPT? ¿O cuánta agua utilizan los centros de datos para enfriar todo ese poder de cálculo? Lee el blog de José Pablo Ortiz, de UCS, para comprender el impacto medioambiental de la Inteligencia Artificial:

2025 saw some big moments in climate litigation. As politics hit roadblocks, courts stepped up—protecting rights, restoring funding, and keeping climate accountability moving forward. UCS’s Delta Merner looks back at the year’s major wins.

It’s December, and we’re honoring UCS’s 2025 Science Defenders! Meet Dr. Yanelli Nunez, a senior scientist at PSE Healthy Energy, who provides data and analysis to help empower communities, amplify their voices, and work toward a healthier energy future.