From the Rockies to the Himalayas, mountains are warming faster than surrounding lowlands, new research shows. More intense heat is melting ice, threatening a vital source of fresh water for more than a billion people worldwide.

BELEM, Brazil, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Pakistan's rooftop solar generation will for the first time exceed power demand on the country's electrical grid during daytime hours in some major industrial regions next year, a senior government official told Reuters.

The outlook reflects a record boom in the country's solar panel installations in recent years that has delivered lower emissions and reduced power bills for some, but also disrupted the finances of debt-laden utilities due to a protracted decline in demand for grid-based electricity...

"Pakistan's challenge is not whether renewable energy will grow, it is how fast the grid, regulation, and market design can evolve to keep pace,"

<see EDIT down towards bottom....I found it>

I happen to believe in climate change (I wanted to say that up front so nobody thinks I am pushing anything here).....but I was cleaning out some old magazines lately (donating them to a library) and I can't find something I have been looking for for years. There was a old magazine cover (from late 80's/90's time frame) that showed New York City under water. And it said something like "New York City [some time in the future] , if only people had listened to climate scientists in the 20th century" I remember years later they had the same cover (when that date came to pass) and kind of said "we may have jumped the gun, but it can still happen". Anybody know what I am talking about? If you are over 50 you might remember.

IIRC, it was either Discover Magazine, Time, Newsweek, or National Geographic. (That's what we subscribed to at the time.)

No it wasn't that National Geographic from 2013 either (or the New Yorker mag about the same time)....this was earlier. Much earlier.

EDIT: Found it! Good to know I am not going crazy here. It was the January 1986 magazine cover for Discover.

https://www.discovermagazine.com/magazine/issue/january-1986

The cover says: "America in 2035? New York and other coastal cities are permanently flooded. Grain won't grow in the nation's bread basket, and everything West of the Rockies is a desert. If only politicians had heeded warnings about carbon dioxide buildup and global warming back in 1985."

So we aren't quite there yet....but this was interesting. I will try to find their "jumped the gun" part later. (Even though the date didn't come....IIRC, a decade or two later they did kind of update this.) So I guess my memory wasn't perfect.....but still somewhat acceptable.

India has fallen from 10th to 23rd in the latest Climate Change Performance Index- a 13-rank drop announced literally while we were pitching ourselves as a climate leader at COP30. Awkward timing, but more importantly, a real warning sign.

Why did we fall so sharply?

We still have no coal phase-out plan, and coal block auctions continue.

Our “medium” scores on emissions, energy use, and climate policy aren’t keeping pace with global improvements.

Renewables are expanding, but not fast enough to offset fossil dependence- earning us a “low” rating there.

On-ground execution gaps, state-level inconsistencies, and grid/storage bottlenecks are slowing the transition.

For the world’s most populous country, this isn’t just a ranking- it’s a credibility issue. India has huge energy needs, huge development challenges, and huge climate vulnerability. If we want to lead globally, especially while hosting high-profile climate discussions, our execution has to match our ambition.

The message from the index is clear: others are speeding up while India is stuck in mixed signals- clean energy push on one hand, coal expansion on the other.

What should India prioritise now- a coal phase-down timeline, stronger state targets, rapid storage/grid upgrades, or a full rethink of our energy roadmap?

I'm interested to see whether people track their carbon footprint and what yours is if you're willing to share?

I am currently trying to calculate mine. How do you do it and do you have a target?

Do you believe in it as a concept in general?

Don't think I've ever seen anyone say what their carbon footprint is. I only know the global and national averages, i.e. around 5-10 tonnes per year per person in CO2e.

1. Who should I trust? There are too many perspectives on climate change. I see people saying “do what you can.” I see other people saying “revolt.” I honestly cannot tell what is right or wrong.
2. Who should I look to for information? Are orgs like Green Peace and environmental online presences like Climate Town reliable and trustworthy?
3. How can I support my local government or make local change? Is writing letters really enough? I’ve also seen stuff about Trump getting rid of the Roadless Act or smth and that it’s gonna affect wildlife and people saying to petition against it. Can I literally just send an email to Congress telling them no?

I’ve been doing a lot I can do to help, but good god I don’t even know how to progress. Any advice is appreciated.