Fresh Air Inside the U.S. reversal on climate change action
40 snips
Jan 28, 2026 
David Gelles, New York Times climate reporter who covers climate policy, business, and energy, gives a plainspoken tour of how U.S. climate policy is unraveling and why global leaders at Davos are alarmed. He chronicles corporate retreat from climate pledges, rapid rollbacks in clean-energy incentives and EPA priorities, and the international fallout from withdrawing from Paris.
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CEOs Once Spoke Up, Now They Keep Quiet
- After Charlottesville, CEOs publicly condemned racism and distanced from the White House.
- Today many CEOs keep quiet because they fear retaliation from President Trump and the administration.
Federal Policy Reversal Cripples Renewables
- The Trump administration has rapidly undone federal incentives and approvals for renewables.
- Actions include canceling offshore wind projects and halting transmission approvals vital for clean energy.
Administration Intervenes Directly In Projects
- The administration uses national-security claims and other interventions to halt near-complete private energy projects.
- That marks a shift toward a more interventionist, industry-favoring government despite Republican free-market rhetoric.
