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The report finds that July 2024 temperatures were elevated in the eastern and western thirds of the United States, with the West Coast showing particularly high anomalies. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the analysis identifies the Southwest as having the strongest climate signal, with cities averaging at least 14 days where temperatures were at least three times more likely due to climate change. Specific cities like Spokane, Washington, and Reno, Nevada, showed significant temperature anomalies and long-term warming trends since 1970.

The authors contend that the boom in energy transition mineral (ETM) extraction threatens Indigenous Peoples and biodiversity, noting that 54% of known ETM projects are on Indigenous lands. They criticize U.S. mining laws from 1872 and the Biden administration's support for the Thacker Pass mine in Nevada as contradictory to Indigenous rights. To reduce reliance on extraction, the document advocates for a circular economy hierarchy prioritizing demand reduction, reuse, and high-standard recycling, specifically favoring direct recycling over pyrometallurgy.

The report finds that June 2024 was historically hot across the United States, with climate change making temperatures 2.3 times more likely on average. The Southwest experienced the most extreme anomalies, with Nevada's temperatures being 8.2 times more likely due to climate change and the region seeing an average of 4.2 additional days above 90°F. Analysis of 191 ACIS stations showed that 12 experienced their hottest Junes on record, and 168 stations had at least one day where temperatures were at least twice as likely due to climate change.

The report identifies significant vulnerabilities in American Securities' investment strategy, citing multiple bankruptcies and distressed exits such as Air Methods and Longview Power. It highlights 'headline risk' and legal challenges facing portfolio companies like ViaPath (prison telecommunications) and Amentum (defense contracting), including allegations of predatory pricing and human trafficking. Additionally, the document details regulatory risks, such as a $13 million antitrust settlement for General Chemical and multiple deceptive practice settlements for Aspen Dental. Finally, it notes ESG risks in healthcare and education, where companies like North American Partners in Anesthesia and FullBloom have faced lawsuits and investigations over understaffing and failure to provide credentialed teachers.

The Southwest United States experienced an extreme heat event from June 6 to June 13, 2024, with human-caused climate change making high temperatures at least five times more likely. The event caused record-setting temperatures in cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, led to numerous hospitalizations for heat exhaustion, and contributed to wildfires in California.

The document outlines the risks associated with private equity's expansion into various U.S. healthcare sectors, detailing financial strategies that prioritize short-term profit over patient safety and recommending stronger regulatory oversight.

An analysis of 476 weather stations from 1973 to 2023 shows that fire weather seasons are lengthening and intensifying across the contiguous United States, with the most significant increases occurring in the West. While the East has seen more modest increases, both regions are experiencing a notable rise in fire weather days during the spring. The Southwest has seen the most dramatic growth, with some areas experiencing fire weather twice as often as they did 50 years ago.

Since 1970, 98% of analyzed U.S. cities and all 50 states have warmed, with Reno, Nevada and Alaska experiencing the fastest increases. To combat this, U.S. clean technology investment reached a record $239 billion in 2023, more than tripling since 2018, with South Carolina and Nevada leading in investment as a percentage of GDP, primarily driven by battery manufacturing.

The report asserts that Western US states must collaborate on regional electricity transmission expansion to realize significant economic gains. It highlights that energy export states could see their market access grow from $3 billion to $40 billion per year by 2050 with increased capacity, while states with clean energy standards could reduce costs by over 30% through expansive regional planning.

The report argues that reconductoring existing transmission lines with advanced conductors can rapidly increase grid capacity and reduce costs, but is hindered by utility incentive structures, rigid equipment standards, and planning gaps. It recommends aligning utility incentives, updating regional planning horizons, establishing efficiency standards, and expanding federal funding and workforce training to overcome these hurdles.

The report details a decade of significant growth in U.S. solar and wind power, noting that solar generation increased more than eight-fold and wind more than doubled between 2014 and 2023. It highlights the leading roles of states like California and Texas, the emergence of small-scale solar, and the potential for these technologies to drive the U.S. toward its 2035 goal of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity, although current projections suggest the 2030 emissions target may be missed.

The report argues that next-generation geothermal technologies, specifically Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and closed-loop systems, can expand U.S. geothermal resource potential from 40 GW to over 5,000 GW by engineering reservoirs in ubiquitous hot rock. It outlines a two-phase pathway: reaching 'liftoff' by 2030 through 2-5 GW of deployment across 5-10 geologic settings, followed by scaling to 90-132 GW by 2050. Key barriers identified include high up-front capital costs, long federal permitting timelines (7-10 years), and the need for power purchase agreements (PPAs) that value clean firm and flexible power. The report highlights that the industry can leverage the existing oil and gas workforce and supply chain to accelerate deployment.

Since 1970, the coldest day of the year has warmed by an average of 7°F across 242 U.S. locations, with 97% of locations seeing a rise of at least 1°F. Winter cold snaps have also become shorter, decreasing by an average of six days in 97% of 244 analyzed locations. The most significant warming of coldest days occurred in the Ohio Valley (8.7°F) and Northwest (8.4°F) regions, with the highest individual increases recorded in Boise, Idaho (15.7°F) and Las Vegas, Nevada (14.3°F). These trends contribute to longer allergy and growing seasons, disrupted crop chill requirements, and altered water supplies.

In 2023, the contiguous U.S. experienced its 5th-hottest year on record, with an annual average temperature 2.4°F above the 20th century average. The year saw a record 28 billion-dollar disasters, resulting in an estimated 492 lives lost and over $93 billion in damages. Severe storms were the primary driver, accounting for 68% of these events. The frequency of such disasters has increased significantly, with the average time between events dropping to 12 days in 2023, compared to 82 days in the 1980s.

An analysis of 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey data reveals that extremely low-income US households—those earning less than 30% of the state median income—face a disproportionately high average energy burden of 14%, exceeding the 10% threshold for energy poverty. The report highlights that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act could save American families approximately $38 billion on electricity bills through technology upgrades and rebates. It identifies successful state-level interventions, such as California's percentage of income payment plans (PIPPs) and Colorado's low-income community solar programs, as models for alleviating energy poverty. The analysis further notes that extremely low-income households in southern states experience the highest energy burdens, often correlating with higher income inequality and diversity indices. The document concludes that states can simultaneously pursue decarbonization and energy affordability, citing Colorado and Washington as examples of states integrating specific energy affordability policies into their climate targets.

The Great Lakes region is well-positioned for the EV transition due to its automotive history and R&D capacity, but faces competition from the 'Battery Belt' in the Deep South. While the region has significant midstream and downstream capacity, it lacks comprehensive state-level industrial strategies, particularly regarding battery end-of-life mandates and recycling incentives. The document argues that states must coordinate on strategic roadmaps, workforce retraining, and clean energy infrastructure to avoid economic disruption in 'powertrain communities' specialized in internal combustion engine (ICE) components.

Analysis of 241 U.S. locations from 1970 to 2022 shows that fall temperatures have increased by an average of 2.4°F in 232 cities, with the most intense warming occurring in the Southwest. This trend is characterized by an increase in above-normal fall days, which prolongs risks related to heat-related illness, wildfires, and allergies, while increasing energy demand for cooling.

A coalition of experts and organizations calls on the U.S. Congress to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) before its June 2024 expiration. The letter argues that RECA must be strengthened to include comprehensive health care benefits and expand eligibility to previously excluded groups, including those affected by the Trinity site test, residents of Guam, and uranium workers employed after 1971.

A coalition of environmental organizations argues that mature and old-growth (MOG) forests are critical for carbon sequestration and biodiversity, and must be protected from logging via a national BLM rule. The document details the ecological value of MOG, identifies ongoing logging threats on BLM lands, and argues that such protections are consistent with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and Biden administration executive orders.

The document lists private equity firms and the specific companies they have acquired to profit from services provided to incarcerated populations, including communications, healthcare, and commissary services.