Local Climate Action Amid Federal Rollbacks

Efforts to tackle climate change in the United States have faced significant challenges over the past year. The Trump administration reversed many rules designed to curb emissions contributing to global warming. Despite these federal changes, some cities and states are taking their own steps to address climate issues.

In this episode of The Sunday Story, NPR’s Julia Simon highlights local initiatives that confront this global challenge. One example is Denver’s innovative approach involving the use of warm wastewater. The city plans to extract thermal energy from treated wastewater, which could provide a sustainable energy source.

The episode was produced by Justine Yan and edited by Jenny Schmidt, Sadie Babits, Liana Simstrom, and Rachel Waldholz. Fact-checking was conducted by Ayda Pourasad, and Jimmy Keeley handled the mastering. Additional reporting was provided by Ishan Thakore from CPR, Bianca Garcia from WBUR, and Courtney Flatt and Lauren Gallup from Northwest Public Broadcasting.

NPR’s Climate Solutions week offers further insights into these and other environmental efforts. For more in-depth stories and discussions, you can visit npr.org/climateweek.

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