LINCOLN, Neb. – As court proceedings continue against ExxonMobil on claims the company misled investors about the risks of climate change, a recently discovered journal suggests the coal industry knew about the potentially catastrophic impacts of burning coal as early as 1966.

Christopher Cherry, a civil engineering professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville who found the industry journal, says he was surprised by how clearly executives understood how CO2 emissions were linked to climate change.

"Talking about changes in temperature causing polar ice caps, inundation of cities like New York and London,” he points out. “In one paragraph they basically summarized what we've been observing, and what scientists have been describing was going to happen, but they did it back in the '60s, 50 years ago."

Also in the journal, an engineer from Peabody Coal pointed out that the industry was "buying time" until federal air pollution protections were introduced, after the 1963 Clean Air Act.

The first federal regulations for CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants did not come until 2015, and were repealed in 2017.

Peabody has responded to the findings, acknowledging fossil fuels' role in climate change and promising to advance technologies to reach its goal of near-zero emissions.

Cherry notes that just a few years ago, Peabody's position on climate change was denial and obfuscation.

"At the end of the day I don't hold a lot of hope or trust in a company that has been denying evidence of climate change for the last few decades, obviously now almost half century," he states.

Cherry wasn't researching coal complicity in climate change. He says he stopped a colleague carrying old library volumes to the recycling bin when he saw the 1966 Mining Congress Journal, mainly as a gift for his wife, whose parents were in the mining industry.


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In the face of the severe effects of climate change across the country, new research offers a framework for how to measure Washington's climate resilience.

The research supports Washington's Climate Resilience Strategy, which was published last year.

Carlie Stowe, climate resilience specialist for the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington and the paper's lead author, said building resilience is critical in order to minimize effects from droughts, fires and other extreme weather events.

"As the government is investing in resilience, we want to make sure that we're spending that money wisely," Stowe urged. "And that the programs and activities we're investing in are resulting in increased resilience."

Stowe pointed out the research compares Washington's and South Carolina's approaches to climate preparedness to serve as a guide for other states. She added the research is one way to demonstrate Washington's leadership in this area, as taking such measurements is a new practice at the state level.

Stowe noted measuring climate resilience means incorporating data from dozens of sources, across communities, infrastructure, land and governance. It includes air quality levels, damage to infrastructure, and evacuations in extreme events like floods or wildfires.

She emphasized it was helpful to partner with South Carolina on this research, even though each state ended up with a different measurement framework.

"There's a lot more that we can learn together," Stowe stressed. "Continuing partnerships like this is really important for further building resilience across our country."

Stowe added the Washington State Department of Ecology will be implementing the plans and the public will start seeing initial results of the measurements in September.

Last year, filmmaker Michael Nash achieved the extraordinary when his documentary "Climate Refugees" was sent to the moon as part of a Lunar Museum project. Now, he's on a new mission: getting the faces of climate refugees featured on postage stamps to keep the conversation about climate migration alive.

"Climate Refugees," which premiered at Sundance and was later featured on Netflix, has been a powerful tool for raising awareness about the human impact of climate change. Nash and his team traveled to 48 countries, uncovering stories of forced migration driven by droughts, food shortages and environmental collapse.

"What we found was this intersection where overpopulation, overconsumption, lack of resources, and a changing climate were slamming into each other," Nash explained. "The outcome was forced migration: people running out of water and food in places they'd lived for hundreds, if not thousands, of years."

While the film's journey to the moon in 2024 was a historic milestone, Nash is now focused on a more down-to-earth goal: creating postage stamps featuring the faces of climate refugees, although gaining approval from the U.S. Postal Service's stamp committee will require demonstrating the issue's national relevance and historical significance.

Despite the progress in raising awareness, Nash emphasized the world has not done enough to address climate migration.

"There is not an international law accepted by all countries that gives asylum or protection to people forced to relocate due to climate change," Nash pointed out.

According to the United Nations, more than 20 million people
are displaced annually by climate-related events, making the need for action more pressing than ever.

Nash was a featured speaker at last week's Climate Correction Conference in Orlando. His next project, a film exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and climate change, is currently in production and set for release in 2026.


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What if your trash could be the key to a more sustainable wardrobe?

The group Keep Orlando Beautiful is proving it is possible with its annual "Trash 2 Trends" initiative, where discarded materials -- literal garbage -- are transformed into stunning, runway-worthy outfits.

It is not just about a flashy event, it is about inspiring everyone to rethink how they consume and dispose of clothing. The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters globally, responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater production. Fast fashion, which relies on synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon, contributes to microplastic pollution.

Madison Szathmary, coordinator for Keep Orlando Beautiful, said many people do not realize their clothes are made out of plastic.

"Every time you're washing something that's made out of spandex, nylon, polyester -- little plastic fiber from the clothing is getting into your washing machine and ending up in the water reclamation stream," Szathmary explained. "We want people to be able to buy used when they can."

You can also recycle what you already have at home, which is known as upcycling. Trash 2 Trends shows creativity can combat climate change by turning waste into wearable art. The creativity is on full display during Keep Orlando Beautiful's annual fundraiser but the real goal is to encourage everyone to embrace sustainable fashion in their daily lives.

You don't have to be a runway artist to make a difference. Szathmary encouraged everyone to embrace "slow fashion," a more intentional approach to clothing, prioritizing quality over quantity.

"Having an intentional closet," Szathmary added. "We call that slow fashion instead of fast fashion. And you can really, once you have a style and once you know what you like, there are opportunities to find that stuff not only at thrift stores but with your friends. You can swap clothing with your friends."

Szathmary noted the effect of small changes can be huge. By reusing and repairing clothing, we can reduce the demand for new textiles, which often rely on fossil fuels and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. The fashionable trends were on full display at last week's Climate Correction Conference in Orlando.


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