Three Places Changing Quickly to Fight Climate Change

Glaciers , coral reefs are and last year was the . , the main greenhouse gas, have passed a dangerous new threshold as people continue to burn fossil fuels. Is anyplace making progress on climate change? The short answer is: Its complicated, but yes. In South America, one country has pivoted in less than a decade to generating almost all its electricity from a diverse mix of renewables. In China, an electric car that costs just $5,000 is suddenly one of the biggest sellers. Paris is transforming itself into a city of bikes. Steps like these, taken individually, arent enough to avoid the most serious consequences of climate change worsening droughts, intensified storms and human suffering. Still, they show how some places are pulling off significant local changes very quickly. Globally, were not moving as fast as we need to, said Thomas Spencer, an analyst at the International Energy Agency. But we definitely have the tools to go much faster. Climate solutions actually do exist. Theyre here now, said Jonathan Foley, the executive director of Project Drawdown, a nonprofit organization focused on climate action. To mark Earth Day (and to try to reach young, environmentally-minded voters) President Biden is to train and employ people in climate-related jobs, and reminding voters of the clean-energy investments underway following the Inflation Reduction Act. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and your Times account, or for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? . Want all of The Times? .