04/24/2026
Happy Earth Week, fellow Earthlings! In case the paywall doesn't allow you to read this NY Times article, here are a couple of key take-aways:
1.
The Earth is a miracle
As astronaut Victor Glover made his way to the moon earlier this month on NASA’s Artemis II mission, he reflected on the incredible miracle that is planet Earth.
“You have this oasis,” he said, “this beautiful place that we get to exist together.”
Glover is right. The only planet in the universe known to be capable of supporting life, our common home is one lonely speck of extraordinary abundance in a cold, infinite vacuum.
2.
The energy transition is happening
Curbing climate change will require replacing substantially all of the energy produced by fossil fuels with energy produced by clean sources, like solar and wind power. And on this front, there’s much to celebrate.
While the growth of clean power has slowed in the United States as a result of the Trump administration’s policies, the adoption of renewable and low-carbon energy sources is booming around the world.
For the first time, a renewable source — solar — was the biggest single contributor to new energy supply worldwide, accounting for more than 25 percent of energy growth last year, according to data released this week by the International Energy Agency.
Globally, electric car sales jumped 20 percent last year, to more than 20 million vehicles. And installations of new wind energy jumped 40 percent over last year with more than 160 gigawatts installed in 2025.
“The economics of clean energy are now on our side,” said Manish Bapna, chief executive of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Today, clean energy is the cheapest and quickest way to meet our growing energy demand. As a result, we’re seeing bright spots of hope all over the world.”
3.
Corporate action continues
Even though Wall Street turned its back on climate change. That dynamic hasn’t changed. But elsewhere in the corporate world, many businesses continue to take action.
A record $2.3 trillion was allocated to clean energy projects last year, according to BloombergNEF, and more than 10,000 companies now have goals to reduce their emissions.
Lubber added that while some Wall Street firms have gone quiet on climate issues, many institutional investors continue to assess climate risk and publicly held companies are required to track the issue. “Fiduciary duty hasn’t changed, and neither has their focus,” she said.
In a year of grim climate and environment news, we’ve compiled several hopeful signs about our planet’s future.
