Green Lights Feb. 7: Top stories this week
Don't miss a single story from the best of Callaway Climate Insights.
. . . . Welcome back to Green Lights. Here’s our roundup of the best of Callaway Climate Insights this week. David Callaway tries to keep up with the tornado that is the incoming Trump administration. Mark Hulbert unearths research on how investors use climate stocks as a hedge against dire expectations for environmental damage. And Bill Sternberg explains why Donald Trump hates wind power. It’s whales personal and political. Have a good weekend and please subscribe.
. . . . Climate stocks have been on a on wild ride with the Trump tornado in its third week, writes David Callaway. For market investors, the new administration is proving every bit the whirlwind it was promised to be, with one of the best rallies in months crushed last week by the reckless tariffs and threats to green energy funding.
. . . . It’s not a secret that green, renewable energy stocks have lagged the market for the past few years, but few investors have agreed on why. Now comes a new theory, summed up by Mark Hulbert, that explains the phenomena is caused by the fact that investors use climate stocks as a hedge against dire expectations for environmental damage.
. . . . President Donald Trump has disdain for renewable energy in general. And he really, really dislikes wind power in particular. Why? Bill Sternberg says the answer is both personal and political.
. . . . With all the chaos and anti-climate attacks in Washington right now, who would want to buy a solar company? Texas buyout giant TPG said this week its climate investment arm will purchase commercial solar developer Altus Power. David Callaway says the deal underscores that America’s thirst for more power for infrastructure, particularly new data centers for AI systems, is likely to transcend petty politics and lift many boats in the renewable sector.
. . . . Two more European oil giants backtracked on renewable energy strategies this week, citing headwinds against the sector, including Trump’s distaste for offshore wind. How investment managers and the oil industry adjust to a new pro-oil era under Trump vs. the desires of their climate-friendly constituents will be one of the more interesting international investment stories of 2025.
. . . . It could be that global warming is good. For the rats, at least. A study looking at rat populations in large cities found that rising temperatures may be helping rat populations grow. Researchers say it is possible that warmer periods heading into and out of winter could allow rats to forage longer and breed more frequently.
More greenery . . . .
Don’t drop the ball: How Climate Change Is Affecting the NFL (Time magazine)
22 states sue New York: They say environmental fund is unconstitutional (The Associated Press)
Scientists never kid: How a ‘cow fart’ vaccine could help tackle climate change (CNN)
Flying into danger: How climate change threatens migratory birds (BirdLife International)
From the ‘Good News’ file: Key Atlantic Ocean current might be more stable than we thought (WBUR Boston)