

Brothers in the battle to save fossil fuels
The relationship between the presidents of the U.S and Russia may bring down Donald Trump’s administration.
Vladimir Putin has been caught spying on Trump’s political opponents, alerting the world to just how nefarious he can be.
Why are these two risking so much to cozy up to each other?
The answer may well be climate change. Russia and the U.S. rank respectively number five and two in total carbon emissions. The economy of Putin’s Russia, a petro-state, could collapse if the word finally lost its taste for fossil fuels. Trump campaigned fiercely against climate change action, promising to return thousands of jobs to coal states, and he’s counting heavily on natural gas for so-called energy independence.
And, obviously, two powerful countries are better than one when you’re going against a worldwide scientific consensus. Below are three articles that make the case for this unholy alliance:
The Chicago Tribune explains why fighting climate change is a political problem for Trump.
Bloomberg News explains how much Russia stands to gain from climate change inaction.
And Inside Climate News, a Pulitzer Prize winner, explores Russian climate politics in detail.