China is the largest producer and exporter of cars in the world, but you won’t find its vehicles on U.S. streets, due to tariffs that have made them virtually impossible to import. Travel to places like Mexico, Argentina, and many European countries and you’ll quickly notice the prevalence of Chinese cars, especially electric vehicles. Now, Canada is the next destination: The country has significantly decreased tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles amid a souring relationship with the United States.

As America continues to engage in trade wars with allies, Beijing has been ramping up overseas investments to their highest levels ever. For years, China has been looking to partner with other countries to develop its “Belt and Road Initiative.” This economic strategy aims to fund and build massive overseas infrastructure projects like roads, railways and ports, opening up new markets for the country’s domestic industries. Even though some of these projects involve green technology, there have been environmental consequences. For example, a hydroelectric dam in Indonesia built and financed in part by Chinese state-owned corporations, threatens to eradicate one of the world’s most endangered species of orangutan in the Sumatra forest.

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As Climate Week NYC kicks off on Sept. 20, Inside Climate host Jake Bolster speaks to U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and asks why so many Democrats are leaning away from climate messaging at a time when the fossil fuel industry’s influence is dramatically reshaping federal policy. If Democrats regain control of the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections, Whitehouse could take a leadership role on the Judiciary Committee and has strong opinions on how the Supreme Court should be reshaped. Finally, the senator shares his thoughts about the recent actions in Venezuela and whether bipartisan permitting reform can be achieved with this Congress.

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Environmental regulations, particularly pertaining to the oil and gas industry, have undergone a dramatic overhaul during President Donald Trump’s second administration. To understand how the rollbacks are impacting people, Inside Climate News investigated a jet fuel pipeline spill that has tainted the drinking water source for more than 200 homes in Pennsylvania. Nearly two years since the spill was discovered, homeowners continue to struggle with the cleanup, while the fossil fuel company responsible has donated millions to the president and so far have avoided any significant penalties.

Elsewhere, a different type of pollution is wrecking havoc as Guatemala is inundated with cheap plastic imports and no infrastructure to manage the waste. As a result, many people have resorted to burning it, causing significant air pollution and health impacts.

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This summer’s punishing heat waves have forced many people to run their air conditioners more frequently, causing utility bills to climb. U.S. residential energy costs have risen by 30 percent in the last five years as energy-hungry technology like AI and aging infrastructure add stress to an over-worked electric grid. The problem is particularly bad in Alabama, a state with high poverty rates and a utility with the highest average residential bills in the country.

Lawmakers were determined to address the consumer impacts by overhauling the state’s public utility commission, but last-minute changes to the legislation handed more power to the governor to control how rates are set. It’s all happening at a time when data centers are coming to the state, with promises but little clarity about who will pay the bill for their enormous energy use.

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Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, commonly referred to as CAFOs, are the backbone of America’s livestock industry. The majority of the beef, pork and chicken products Americans buy are raised and fattened at these facilities. Billions of animals are housed at these operations, which generate well over a billion tons of manure each year. These factory farms foul water, wreck the lives of neighbors and are a significant source of planet-warming emissions. Despite these challenges, CAFOs are loosely regulated, meaning people have few tools to reign in a powerful industry that continues to expand.

Inside Climate co-host Jake Bolster talks to agriculture reporter Georgina Gustin, who recently traveled to Nebraska to investigate the largest cattle CAFO in the country, which will house as many as 200,000 livestock once completed. He also speaks to North Carolina reporter Lisa Sorg about hog CAFOs and the legal effort some have brought against the industry in that state.

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Sloth World imported more than 60 wild sloths from the tropical forests of South America and was due to open in Orlando, Florida, sometime in 2026. The company billed itself as the world’s “only slotharium” that was “dedicated to sloth education.” It had already begun selling tickets, but before it opened, Inside Climate News discovered dozens of sloths were dying under its care. The reaction was swift: The public was outraged and authorities stepped in to investigate, eventually opening a criminal probe. The surviving sloths were transferred to a local zoo. Sloth World closed before it ever opened, but many are asking why it was able to legally import wild sloths at all.

Out West, a different animal story is playing out as ranchers worry newly released gray wolves could prey on their livestock. The reintroduction of gray wolves is a conservation success story, but ranchers are struggling to accept the apex predator at a time when it’s already economically challenging to raise cattle. A new technique aims to help ranchers protect their herd and improve their business, but its effectiveness and wider adoption remain unsettled.

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No city in the United States has ever run out of water, but Corpus Christi, Texas, came dangerously close earlier this year, due to severe drought and water-intensive industrial activity. Could the city have been more prepared if it had included appropriate climate forecasting into future water planning? Why hasn’t more been done to provide viable solutions, like a desalination facility? Texas-based ICN reporters Dylan Baddour and Arcelia Martin join co-host Jake Bolster to discuss why Corpus Christi is on the brink of a water emergency.

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Welcome to Inside Climate, a new podcast from the staff of Inside Climate News. As the ICN newsroom grows and expands, so is its reporting. For the show’s debut episode, co-host Kiley Price sits down with ICN founder and publisher David Sassoon to talk about how ICN has changed since it first launched in 2007. Sassoon gives the inside scoop on what it was like winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2013, and how the newsroom aims to adapt moving forward. Finally, co-hosts Kiley Price and Jake Bolster talk about launching the new show and what to expect in the episodes to come.

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