Record high temperatures, torrential rain, unlikely tornados and devastating wildfires led to record news coverage of climate change in October and November, according to data compiled by a researcher at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Max Boykoff, lead project investigator for the Media and Climate Change Observatory in the university's Department of Environmental Studies, said the language being used to describe the phenomenon is also changing. It's moved from terms like "greenhouse effect" and "climate change," to "climate catastrophe" and "climate emergency."

"We've been finding there's an expanded vocabulary to describe what we're seeing and what we're finding though our research, and what we're discussing in terms of politics and policy," Boykoff outlined.

To gather the latest data, Boykoff's team monitored 127 sources across radio, television and newspapers in 13 languages from 59 countries around the world. Colorado has been the latest site of intensifying climate change, when a fire fueled by drought and extreme winds swept through suburbs north of Denver, destroying nearly 1,000 homes.

While news coverage on the topic of climate change dropped off when the pandemic hit, Boykoff expects to see a sustained increase in news about the issue.

"You know, there really isn't one, pivotal event that we found over time that changes the amount or the content itself," Boykoff observed. "But it is a lot of those different stories coming together that create these moments where climate change is on the agenda."

Boykoff pointed out depending on where you live, climate stories are related to agriculture, sea-level rise, drought-related fires or other extreme weather events. He also worries if communities lose local information resources and become "news deserts," they won't be part of the solution.

"And so, if you don't have local reporters talking about these local issues, some of these communities then have a hard time understanding what's going on around them," Boykoff noted.

He added use of the term "climate catastrophe" by U.S. news outlets increased 50% between 2020 and 2021, and tripled in the United Kingdom.

Military veterans and lawmakers say investing in the clean-energy economy with Inflation Reduction Act funds is the way forward to combat climate change and bolster national security.

Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, attended the Elected Officials to Protect America's annual Climate Emergency and Energy Security Summit in Washington D.C. last week and said Illinois has a strong agricultural economy that is jeopardized by a number of environmental threats. Kifowit says she is honored to have participated in the summit where she was able to collaborate on strategies to address climate change and promote energy independence.

"What we are looking at here is reducing energy costs, good-paying jobs and small-business support. And in Illinois we are focusing on electric vehicles to make sure that we have the charging stations, the battery storage that we need and the partnership between the state and the functional federal government," she said.

Kifowit says in 2021, the state of Illinois passed the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles Act that strives to make Illinois a hub for electric vehicles and battery production. She says the state is also looking at what she calls "all types of renewable energy," including wind, solar and nuclear, to ensure a better tomorrow for future generations.

Alex Cornell du Houx, president and co-founder of Elected Officials to Protect America, is a also former Maine state representative and Marine combat veteran. He said people in the military realize that the climate crisis is what he considers a "threat multiplier," driving instability and increasing climate-fueled issues in the U.S. He said by leveraging IRA funds to invest in the clean-energy economy, he United States will be more self-reliant.

"We can get to 48% to 43% reduction in carbon pollution by 2030 with the Inflation Reduction Act as long as we implement it well. And the next 10% or so can be done through rulemaking, so ensuring clean-car standards and EPA standards. It's actually an extremely attainable goal that we can do this."

du Houx added it is vital to also make sure marginalized and disadvantaged communities, which are often disproportionately impacted by climate change, are informed about the federal investments available through the Justice40 Initiative.

Community groups across Maine are helping small towns with fewer resources better prepare for the growing threat of climate change.

They are conducting energy audits to help towns save money and implement renewable energy projects, including off-grid emergency shelters.

Scott Vlaun, executive director of the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy, said his group is working with the town of Norway to assess infrastructure potentially vulnerable to extreme weather events like the devastating floods last spring.

"This work will help us share what one town learned with other towns," Vlaun explained. "And help the towns get their own plans in place."

Vlaun pointed out stream crossings and road culverts are especially vulnerable to flood damage, resulting in costly repairs. He emphasized the goal is to create templates for climate resilience, which can be shared statewide.

Maine, like the rest of New England, is warming faster than the rest of the country while also experiencing a higher rate of extreme downpours.

Vlaun said building the climate resiliency of Maine's rural towns may seem like a small step but it is part of a growing nationwide movement to prepare for climate change, and the federal government's efforts to fund it.

"Our goal out here is, we have so many under-resourced communities in western Maine that we want to make sure that our communities get the fair share of these energy dollars and other climate resilience money that's coming," Vlaun outlined.

Vlaun added some of the funds should go toward repairing and reinforcing outdated electrical infrastructure in rural areas highly susceptible to power outages. The state is also kicking in funding to address those needs through its Community Resilience Partnership, which is part of the state's four-year climate plan.


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New research found natural disasters and pollution linked to climate change are contributing factors to high rates of anxiety and depression among young people.

Researchers from San Francisco-based Hopelab consulted experts and interviewed youth climate activists to determine how climate effects like wildfire, extreme heat, drought, flooding, and air pollution are affecting young people's mental health.

Emma Bruehlman-Senecal, research lead for Hopelab, is the author of the group's Climate Generation blog.

"We are focusing on climate change because Hopelab's mission is to support the mental well-being of young people, particularly those from communities that have been underinvested in," Bruehlman-Senecal explained. "It's clear that climate change is deeply impacting youth mental health, particularly the well-being of youth of color."

Hopelab's findings recommended more funding for youth-led activism but also to make mental health services more accessible by locating them in places where young people spend time, such as schools and community centers.

Another Bay Area nonprofit, YouthTruth, paired up with the Sonoma County Office of Education to survey students over the past eight years.

Jessica Progulske, YouthTruth lead for the county, said after 2017, when thousands of homes burned down in a series of wildfires, reports of depression and anxiety shot up.

"Some of the early research around resiliency indicates that the ability to do something about it, as a student, has the potential to offset some of the later health risks associated with childhood adversity," Progulske noted. "In spite of climate change and climate anxiety and dread that comes with it."

The Sonoma County Office of Education launched the

Environmental Justice Coalition, which partners groups of students with a mentor to work on local environmental issues.

Jimmy Simpson Jr., director of partnerships for YouthTruth, said the disruption of the wildfires, followed by COVID, took a toll early on.

"There was a definite correlation between students significantly impacted, relating to less positive perceptions around engagement in school," Simpson reported. "As well as their sense of belonging, and academics."

More recent surveys showed while the immediate effects of the firestorm have lessened, episodes of anxiety and depression continue to affect school performance.