Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

Germany’s Climate Computing Center is preparing to store 5 petabytes of U.S. climate data. One petabyte is roughly equivalent to 200 million high-resolution images. The new storage will be added to the center’s existing 254-petabyte data repository to preserve copies of climate datasets from the U.S.

The move comes as questions grow about the availability and preservation of U.S. climate data. In April 2025, more than 300 datasets from NASA’s Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center were removed from storage by the Department of Government Efficiency. Some of these datasets took decades to compile.

The German storage effort is part of a broader conversation about how scientific data can be preserved and made available across institutions and countries. A recent YPCCC survey found that 70% of software developers believe governments, regulators, cloud and infrastructure providers, and technology companies should be doing more or much more to address environmental impacts. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25092026/germany-computing-center-hosts-us-climate-data/ , https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/github-survey/toc/2/

Gray whales came close to extinction in the 1970s, but conservation efforts helped the species recover, leading to their removal from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1994. Today, however, gray whale populations are once again declining, raising concerns about whether additional conservation measures may be needed.

One visible sign of this decline is the number of gray whales washing ashore. From 2006 to 2023, an average of about 43 gray whales stranded each year. In 2026, 149 carcasses have been documented, compared with 179 strandings in all of 2025. Many of the whales found stranded have also been notably thin, pointing to possible challenges with food availability.

A recent poll found that 68% of Americans believe climate change will harm plants and animals. Gray whales offer a clear example of why those concerns matter. Migrating between Baja California and Arctic feeding grounds, gray whales depend on productive marine ecosystems for food. Warming waters and changing sea-ice conditions can disrupt these ecosystems and make it more difficult for whales to find the resources they need.

Conservation groups are working to address these concerns, including efforts to reconsider protections for gray whales under the ESA. Their story shows how changing ocean conditions can affect species even after successful conservation efforts. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/10/pacific-gray-whales-population-climate-change , https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2026/toc/2/

Philadelphia has made measurable progress on its climate goals, but this year’s budget shows how competing priorities can shape what happens next.

The city’s 2022 Greenhouse Gas Inventory found that greenhouse gas emissions had declined 31% since 2006. The closure of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in 2019 contributed to that reduction, helping put the city ahead of its 2025 emissions target.

But Philadelphia’s longer-term target is more demanding. The city aims to reduce emissions 80% by 2050, and at the rate of decline seen since 2006, it would remain slightly off pace to reach that goal.

This year’s budget negotiations included several climate priorities, including ending the city’s use of a trash incinerator in Chester, advancing electrification at Philadelphia Gas Works, and increasing funding for energy efficiency and other energy-transition programs. Those proposals did not result in major new investments in the final budget. The Philadelphia Energy Authority, which supports the city’s energy transition, requested $4 million in funding but received $1.3 million in the final budget. Its work includes improving energy efficiency, expanding electrification and supporting renewable energy projects across Philadelphia.

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, or YPCCC, found in its spring 2026 survey that 57% of Americans viewed global warming as a political issue. Philadelphia offers an example of how that issue enters the policy process. The city’s climate targets are set over decades, while funding decisions are made through annual budget negotiations. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06082026/philadelphia-budget-climate-efforts/ , https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2026/toc/2/

July 2026 was the warmest month ever recorded for the contiguous United States. According to NOAA, the average temperature across the contiguous U.S. reached 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit, making it warmer than any previous month in the record dating back to 1895. Every state in the contiguous U.S. recorded a July temperature at least one degree above its 20th-century average. The record extended beyond daytime temperatures. Average overnight lows reached 64.2 degrees, the warmest monthly average minimum temperature on record.

Precipitation across the contiguous U.S. was below average overall, although conditions varied by region. Some areas experienced heavy rainfall and flooding. By early August, 48.5% of the contiguous U.S. was experiencing drought.

These observations also provide context for understanding how Americans view changes in weather. Research from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that 59% of Americans think global warming is affecting weather in the United States. The same YPCCC survey found that 68% of Americans think global warming is happening, while 46% say they have personally experienced its effects. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202607 , https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2026/toc/2/

Hawaii faced two tropical threats within a week in mid-August. Hurricane Lala struck first, bringing more than 3 feet of rain to some areas on the windward side of the Big Island and triggering landslides and flash flooding that cut off communities, destroyed homes and damaged critical infrastructure. At least three deaths were attributed to the storm. Tropical Storm Moke followed less than a week later, passing south of the islands but still bringing heavy rain to areas already saturated by Lala.

In a typical year, Pacific hurricanes approaching Hawaii encounter cooler ocean waters and hostile upper-level winds that help weaken storms before they reach the islands. El Niño warmed ocean waters to the east, southeast and south of Hawaii, giving approaching storms more heat and moisture to draw from. This allowed the storms to maintain their strength longer rather than weakening as they moved toward the islands. The current El Niño also dramatically increased the number of storms forming in the Eastern and Central Tropical Pacific. Hawaii typically sees one tropical cyclone come within 300 nautical miles of the state each season. By late August, it had already seen two.

YPCCC research finds that the share of Americans who expect bodily harm from severe storms and hurricanes to increase over the coming decade grew from 34% in 2014 to 57% by 2020, an increase of 23 percentage points. As of Fall 2025, 68% of Americans think global warming is affecting hurricanes. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/understanding-the-health-harms-of-climate-change-a-six-americas-analysis/

Global financing for clean energy technologies fell by 17% to $770 billion in early 2026, according to recent findings by the Rhodium Group. The slowdown brought worldwide investment in clean tech to roughly the same level seen in the first half of 2024.

The decline was driven largely by a slowdown in China, the world’s largest clean tech investor. A shift to market-based pricing, combined with frontloading in the first half of 2025, caused China’s share of global clean tech manufacturing investment to fall to a record quarterly low of 33% in the second quarter, down from a peak of 71% in the first quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, investment in solar and wind remained stable or increased in the US, Europe and India. India’s share of new investment rose from 2% to 7% between the first quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2026, while Europe’s share increased from 6% to 16% over the same period.

By industry, the largest decline came in solar manufacturing, where investment fell 62% between January and June amid overcapacity. Investment in solar power generation also declined 33% over the six-month period.

However, manufacturing investment could begin to recover in the second half of the year. Analysts noted that announcements of manufacturing and industrial investment increased quarter over quarter from January through March 2026.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/global-cleantech-investment-fell-first-half-slowing-china-momentum-2026-09-10/

Most software developers are concerned about AI's environmental impact. Learn more in our new report, out today:

Software Developers on Climate Change, AI, and Sustainable Software: A survey of GitHub users, Summer 2026 This report is based on findings from a survey of GitHub users conducted jointly by GitHub, Inc. and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC). Interview dates: June 30 – August 9, 2026. Interviews: 1,039 GitHub users (18+) in …

Every day, the Amazon sends billions of tons of moisture into the air. Carried by winds across South America, this moisture forms atmospheric flows known as “flying rivers.” They bring rainfall that supports forests, cities, agriculture and power generation far beyond the rainforest itself. According to the Gaia Amazonas Foundation, around 670 million people in Latin America depend directly or indirectly on the water cycle sustained by the Amazon.

The Amazon’s roughly 400 billion trees release an estimated 20 billion tons of water into the air each day, according to an analysis by the World Economic Forum. That moisture eventually falls as rainfall, helping sustain water supplies, agriculture and climate stability across the continent. Cities such as Quito, Lima and La Paz receive water carried by winds from the Amazon.

Scientists warn that the system is approaching a tipping point. Around 20% of the Amazon has already been deforested, and research suggests the forest could collapse if deforestation exceeds 25% while global temperatures rise to 2.7°F above pre-industrial levels. “We are very close to that point of no return,” said hydrologist Germán Poveda of the National University of Colombia.

YPCCC research finds that 96% of Brazilians say climate change is happening, and 77% say protecting the environment is more important than economic growth, even if it means lower economic growth and job creation. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-brazilian-mind/

Regulations drafted by India’s Central Electricity Authority have proposed a requirement of two hours of battery storage equivalent to ​at least 10% of capacity for all new ​solar and wind projects commissioned after July 1, 2027. Starting in July 2029, the requirement is expected to double to four hours of storage while maintaining the 10% capacity metric.

This plan seeks to absorb surplus electricity and use it later in an effort to reduce power curbs. Despite ranking as the world’s third largest solar power generator, transmission bottlenecks due to limited infrastructure and daytime surpluses forced India to curb almost 14% of its solar power.

Furthermore, the draft policy is considering mandating grid-forming inverter capabilities for new clean energy projects built after July 2027. These grid-forming technologies will be useful in stabilizing ​voltage and frequency.

This proposal has come at a time when India is investing in renewable energy and rapidly expanding its network of green projects, a move supported by 77% of Indian residents who believe that climate change should be a priority for the government.

https://www.reuters.com/business/india-proposes-mandatory-battery-storage-new-renewable-projects-july-2027-2026-09-04/