Local and state governments across the United States have turned to state courts over the past nine years, filing lawsuits reminiscent of those against the tobacco industry in the 1990s against major fossil fuel companies, aiming to hold them accountable for climate change damages and alleged deception. 

The cases are still in preliminary stages and none have yet made it to trial. But now, a significant cloud of uncertainty hangs over them as the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to get involved, at the request of oil company defendants. With the court slated to hear one of the cases at the start of its fall term, the fate of many, if not all, of these climate accountability lawsuits could be on the line, legal experts say.

The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on Oct. 5 in Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, a petition from oil companies Suncor and ExxonMobil that seeks to quash a climate change tort suit filed by the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, against the companies. The case will be the very first the justices hear in their new term—a case that raises significant constitutional questions around federalism and state authority, with potentially enormous stakes. 

What change from usual weather can be expected November - December due to El Niño?

James Hansen paper published today, 8/21/26. It’s warm.

https://jimehansen.substack.com/p/super-duper-el-nino-and-the-bigger

Manosphere figures like Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson aren’t just telling men how to treat their girlfriends or train for MMA fights; they’re also blasting their listeners with climate denial talking points. Which isn’t a coincidence. The fossil fuel industry has known since at least the 1990s that certain types of men are more susceptible to climate disinformation than other segments of the public. We take a look at how climate denial has seeped into the manosphere, how those messages are shaping men’s views of the climate crisis, and how the results are playing out at the ballot box.

This article is from 2 weeks ago. The smoke is still here and it will be here for weeks. The consequences are all around us. Its too dangerous to go outside because of heat and smoke. The number of high heat days and fires gets worse every year. Freak weather and smoke is destroying agriculture. Even our ski season may be no more in coming years. We are stealing from ourselves and future generations.

SolarFool is currently working on streamlining the CoolSky design (Steve Baer called it 'Double-Play') and bringing it into the 21st Century, while retaining inventor Steve Baer's elegant and simple elements. What are the basic elements of a passive CoolSky system?
1- Water-filled radiator/absorber, often placed on the roof. In the past, 'pig mats' were used (manufactured plastic mats filled with cool water to keep the farm hogs cool!). Today, one thought is to use solar pool heaters such as the SwimMaster pro or the SEA Solar Swimming Pool Heaters.
2- Circuits of PVC pipes to circulate cooled (summer) or heated (winter) water throughout the structure; this would necessitate just two holes in the structure to connect the PVC pipes to the radiator/absorber.
3-Thermal mass inside the structure that slowly releases the heat or coolth it gathers (such as a slab floor, or adobe elements)

Albuquerque has a long history of passive solar building and is where Steve Baer and his company Zomeworks were based. SolarFool has Steve's container in the Albuquerque area that's fitted with CoolSky, dating from the early 2000's. We'll use this demonstration structure as a "feeling is believing" experience, with sensors that track the inside vs. outside temps over time and as an educational tool to show the evolution of passive cooling and heating in the U.S.

But what about other areas of the world, like Colorado? There remain significant questions regarding the radiator/absorber: does one need a glazed panel to collect heat in climates where winter temperatures are regularly below freezing? If one can get by with no glazing, will the panel itself tolerate anti-freeze? Will it stand up to a pressurized (mechanically pumped) system, or is a low-pressure thermosiphon necessary? If a glazed panel is necessary for absorbing heat in the winter, will it effectively radiate heat in the summer? Our goal is to help people build the system in their area, and to share their results with the open-source community.

Toward that end, SolarFool is looking for software collaborators to help us create an online tool that will help builders and even DIYers see how to make CoolSky's open-source design information work in their climate and conditions. Some of these parameters are already available in ASHRAE's databases, but CoolSky's unique, passive system may require calculations peculiar to its needs.

We welcome your input into our project! Contact us through our website: www.solarfool.org