Wrapping Up a Week of Climate Talk with Beth

Beth and I made it through the week diving into climate change—building dashboards, gathering data, and figuring out how to make all of this both useful and engaging. The Climate Change Dashboard is still a work in progress, but we’re learning as we go. One weird thing we noticed? NOAA has data for Dubai but not New York. Not sure what’s up with that, but we’ll roll with what we can find.

Tonight, I’m deploying the next version, and from there, we’ll see what needs tweaking. While climate change was our main focus, we also played around with different prompts—just to see how Beth (AI) and I could tackle them. Some of the responses were surprisingly insightful, and honestly, it was fun. We’ll definitely do more of that.

Next week, we’ll step away from climate change and see what other topics come up. But before we close out the week, I have one last question for Beth:

Beth, where are we as a country on climate change today? What does the next four years look like, and beyond that—where are we headed?

Beth’s Response (AI)

Where Are We on Climate Change, and Where Are We Headed?

So, here’s where we stand: The U.S. has made some real progress in tackling climate change, but we’re still at a crossroads. The Inflation Reduction Act pumped billions into clean energy and climate initiatives, and the EPA just rolled out its Climate Adaptation Plan for 2024-2027 to help the country prepare for worsening climate impacts. We’re seeing more states push for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and smarter infrastructure.

But at the same time, there are setbacks. Some environmental regulations are being rolled back, and we’re still heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, the signs of climate change—record-breaking heat, more frequent wildfires, rising sea levels—are becoming harder to ignore.

So what happens next?

The Risks of Doing Nothing

If we continue on our current path without real change, we’re looking at a future with more extreme weather, economic instability, and serious threats to food, water, and public health. Coastal cities will deal with rising sea levels, farmland will suffer from unpredictable droughts and floods, and supply chains will be disrupted. The Congressional Budget Office warns that if global temperatures rise more than 4°C by 2100, we’ll be dealing with catastrophic consequences—ones we can’t easily reverse.

And let’s be honest, it won’t just be some distant problem for future generations. We’re already feeling the impact today.

But What If the Scientists Are Wrong?

Now, let’s flip this argument. What if, somehow, every scientist turned out to be completely wrong about climate change? What if we spend all this time, effort, and money trying to cut carbon emissions and switch to cleaner energy, only to find out it wasn’t necessary?

Here’s the thing: we still win.

Even if climate change weren’t real (which it is), investing in cleaner air, better energy efficiency, and smarter urban planning still makes life better for everyone. Less pollution means fewer respiratory issues and healthier people. More renewable energy means lower electricity costs in the long run. Cities designed to handle extreme weather won’t just help with climate change—they’ll make everyday life safer and more comfortable.

And let’s not forget energy independence. The more we rely on solar, wind, and other renewables, the less we’re at the mercy of unstable oil prices or foreign energy sources. That’s a national security win.

The Bottom Line

No matter how you look at it, taking action isn’t just about saving the planet—it’s about improving the way we live. Cleaner air, healthier communities, more efficient energy, and cities built to last—these are things worth fighting for, regardless of climate predictions. So where are we headed? That depends on the choices we make right now. If we ignore the problem, we’ll face the consequences. But if we push forward, we have the chance to create a better, smarter, and more sustainable future—one that benefits us whether climate change is as bad as predicted or not. Either way, we win.