USA Today’s Doyle Rice wrote on March 29, 2026, “Double danger? Climate change, El Niño push Earth ‘beyond its limits'”:
A freakish March heat wave has already pushed temperatures to summertime levels throughout much of the western and central United States, but a new report comes with a dire warning: This is just the beginning.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced on March 23 that the planet’s climate is now “more out of balance than at any time in observed history.”
The MIT Climate Portal shares scientific insights:
“Greenhouse gases prevent some heat from escaping the Earth out into space, and while this is a natural phenomenon, human behavior has now added so much greenhouse gas that our atmosphere is keeping in too much heat. In fact, ice core data shows us that there is now more CO2 in our atmosphere than at any point in at least the past 800,000 years. Because of this, our planet is almost 1.8°F hotter than it was in the 1880s.”
The website of the Austin Climate Action and Resilience office shares simple to understand information about how individuals and families can help reduce their own “carbon footprint.” Among the initial suggestions:
- Ditch the plastic water bottles.
- Use cold water for laundry.
- Drive efficiently.
- Incorporate walking or biking into your daily routine.
- Adjust your thermostat.
- Recycle and reuse.
- Keep tires properly inflated.
We urge our readers to visit the City of Austin website for more helpful suggestions along these lines!
Another thing we hope you will do, is join the secure Citizens’ Climate Lobby platform, and then join the Austin Chapter (TX Austin). Then you will receive notifications of actions you can take, like writing to your elected representatives in Washington, D.C. about key issues under review at the national level, showing them that you care. CCL staff conduct detailed research prior to announcing actions requesting your engagement, so you can rest assured that you are not “stepping out” without proper preparation.
Earth Day Austin is coming up on April 11, 2026 at Huston-Tillotson University.
Historically, Earth Day ATX has been the largest sustainability event in Central Texas. Thousands of people from the Austin Area and beyond come to the Huston-Tillotson University campus to learn about conservation and sustainable solutions, celebrate our love for the environment, and get connected to the best and most innovative green businesses and organizations. With family and friends, festival attendees explore rich, in-depth programming, exciting new activities, and engaging exhibitions that allow them to discover new connections to the environment and environmental issues.
Follow the link above for more information about the event, and if you attend, please come see us at our Austin Chapter table. If you would like to volunteer, visit our Austin Chapter webpage on the CCL national website. We would love to have your help.
Longtime Austin Chapter member Carolyn M. Appleton would like to thank United States Senator John Cornyn for responding to her email request regarding permitting reform. “Permitting reform has emerged as the biggest and most important clean energy and climate policy area in the current session of Congress.” To learn about the importance of permitting reform, follow this link to the CCL website.
Voices of Austin @CCLATX 