NC and Climate Change

Conservative politicians have generally not viewed climate change as their issue. Many have even outright denied its existence at times, including North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson. But this doesn't reflect the appetite some conservatives, especially younger ones, have to engage on climate matters.

It's been five years since the Charlotte City Council set a goal of eliminating the use of fossil fuels in city vehicles and buildings by the end of this decade. The city is inching toward that, by adding electric vehicles and rooftop solar panels, improving energy efficiency and planning two solar farms. But officials acknowledge they won't make it, and local climate activists are pushing back.

U.S. carbon emissions are falling and efforts to adapt are expanding. But it's not enough to avoid the intensifying impacts of climate change such as sea level rise and extreme weather, according to a new federal climate report card out Tuesday.

With a little over a month to go, it appears that 2023 will be the Earth's warmest year on record. The past 12-month period from last November to this October already ranks as the hottest, with global temperatures averaging more than 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, according to the science and news organization Climate Central.

Are carbon offsets worth the money? It's a question not only for corporate buyers but also for consumers, as we're being invited regularly now to purchase offsets to make up for the carbon emissions in our daily activities.

Advocates for changing the way electricity is managed and delivered in North Carolina are hoping that a bill filed in the state House of Representatives last week will give a boost to the idea. But don't hold your breath: The state's big utility, Duke Energy, opposes it and has a lot of influence at the General Assembly.

Charlotte hit a climate milestone with the start of spring Monday: For the first time since record-keeping began, not even a trace of snow fell on the city this winter.

About 30 miles from Charlotte, Piedmont Lithium is seeking to open a lithium mine. But some nearby landowners aren't so keen on the project. We sit down with an area resident as well as two energy reporters and analysts.

Gov. Roy Cooper issued another climate-related executive order Tuesday, this time pushing to increase the sale of electric trucks and buses in North Carolina. The governor said it would help the state meet its climate goals and create jobs.

A North Carolina Supreme Court ruling last week makes it easier for property owners who belong to homeowners associations to install rooftop solar panels.