“Future historians may well see the Iran war as the moment the US unwittingly ceded leadership to China” as the world’s pre-eminent superpower, writes Jonathan Watts in a reported essay in The Guardian published earlier this week. The piece came out on the heels of Donald Trump’s departure from Beijing after his summit with Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Analysts in Washington have argued for decades over what to do about China’s rise as a global power, but the debate has focused on issues of economic strength and military might. Watts, who spent years in China as a correspondent for The Guardian and is now the paper’s global environment writer, instead emphasizes energy: the lifeforce that animates those economies and militaries. “One of the cornerstones of geostrategic thinking since the start of the Industrial Revolution, 250 years ago, is that the country that controls energy supply controls the world,” he points out. “For most of the past century, that has centered on oil.”
But the era of oil is ending, Watts contends, as the global economy “shifts from molecules to electrons” — or from burning oil, gas, and coal to generating solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy. The implications are profound, not least for the chances of limiting global temperature rise to a survivable level.
Watts presents his argument across a broad intellectual canvas, ranging from Britain’s opium wars against China in the 1850s to the gargantuan short-term riches that oil companies are gobbling as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked to the plummeting costs of clean energy, all of which illustrate that the fight to preserve a livable planet cannot be understood outside its social contexts. For journalists, the essay is a reminder that the stories we report about, say, the Iran war or climate change–fueled extreme weather surges are not happening in isolation. They are part of a larger narrative, a narrative that makes them each all the more interesting as news stories.
The core of Watt’s argument is that history demonstrates that when “humankind taps new power supplies, new empires rise and old ones fall.” Today, “Beijing’s bet on renewable power and EVs over the past two decades is paying enormous dividends … buffer[ing] its economy from the gas price shocks caused by the conflict in the Middle East, while opening up huge new export markets for solar panels, wind turbines, smart grids and electric vehicles.” China’s clean energy sector is now worth a staggering $2.2 trillion, bigger than all but seven of the world’s economies.
Yes, Watts notes, China still burns more coal than any other country. But its embrace of renewables (China has more wind turbines than the next 18 countries combined) has meant its annual greenhouse gas emissions have been flat or falling the past two years. Equally important, he says, is the fact that “the scale of its renewable industry means Beijing has a growing stake in the success of global climate negotiations. Not just because it is good for the planet, but because it makes solid business sense.”
Meanwhile, Trump is determined to revive the fossil fuels that powered the US’s own rise to dominance in the 20th century. The US’s possession of vast oil reserves was a major reason it emerged from World War II not only victorious but incomparably more powerful than its rivals in Europe and Asia. That oil also enabled the post-war construction of suburbs, interstate highways, and car culture that fueled the greatest economic boom in history, strengthening US global supremacy.
But things have changed. Solar and wind technologies now generate “the cheapest electricity in history,” according to the International Energy Agency, and economies of scale and technological learning curves make it cheaper all the time. Watts is not alone in contending the Iran war has driven another nail in oil’s coffin. IEA executive director Fatih Birol recently said the price spikes and supply interruptions resulting from the war have forever changed countries’ risk calculations, permanently turning them away from oil and gas, and toward more secure, and cheaper, renewables.
China’s intentions are not necessarily “any more benign” than those of other empires, Watts cautions, and “the old petro-interests still have political, military and financial might on their side, and they are using that to try to turn back the energy clock.” On the other hand, the devastating impacts of climate change are ever more evident; clean energy is “the fastest growing, greatest job creating chunk of the global economy,” and “throughout the world, a huge majority of people want their governments to take stronger action on the climate crisis,” as CCNow’s 89 Percent Project has been reporting.
However it unfolds, it’s a tale of high drama, immense stakes, and abundant villains and heroes. In other words, a great story, both for journalists and the public we serve.
From Us
CCNow Basics: Reporting Solutions. Solutions reporting about climate change is critical for giving audiences the whole story. Join us Thursday, June 4, for a free training to learn how to find, question, and report on potential climate solutions. Learn more + RSVP.
Apply: Climate Social Media Lab. This June, join CCNow for a three-part series of free, hands-on online workshops designed for climate journalists looking to improve their social media content and grow their online audience. Space is limited for this summer training opportunity. Learn more + apply by Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
Radar Clima. En la última edición de Radar Clima, nuestro boletín en español para periodistas de todas las áreas, analizamos por qué las elecciones de Colombia del 31 de mayo son uno de los comicios con mayor carga climática de Latinoamérica: petróleo, fracking, deforestación, minerales críticos y liderazgo global están en juego. Datos verificados, recursos y expertos para cubrir la campaña más allá del resultado electoral. Mira aquí las ediciones anteriores y suscríbete para recibir el boletín los miércoles.
Watch: 2026 Hurricane Season. Ahead of today’s announcement by NOAA about the 2026 hurricane outlook, CCNow and Climate Central talked with meteorologists and reporters to examine climate change’s “fingerprint” on warm ocean waters, explore what 2025’s hurricanes might tell us about this season, and share tips for making the climate connection when reporting on this year’s forecast. Watch the recording.
Noteworthy Stories
Local US climate action. It’s Climate Solutions Week at National Public Radio, and they’re stories about how cities, towns, and states are lowering emissions with renewable communities in Utah, Indigenous knowledge in Montana, and sewage as a heating and cooling solution (for real!) in Denver.
Red card. Current and former World Cup athletes have signed an open letter to FIFA officials demanding measures to protect players’ health from extreme heat, including longer cooling breaks, and climate action from the association, including dropping all fossil fuel sponsors. This year’s event is on track to be the “most polluting” ever. By Chris Walker for Truthout…
Heat in India and Pakistan. A new World Weather Attribution study finds that extreme heat events in India and Pakistan — like the late April/early May heatwave that saw temperatures above 46 degrees Celsius in some cities — are now expected to occur every five years, making them “regular” events. By Martina Igini for Earth.org…
Solar energy future. Electricity demand will make solar power the most dominant source of energy by 2032, according to new analysis from BloombergNEF. Researchers observed that the three energy shocks of the past decade — the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the Iran War — have motivated countries “to decouple from imported fossil fuels and bolster their energy security.” By Akshat Rathi for Bloomberg Green…
Efficient living. Perhaps one of the only things that US Democratic and Republican politicians can agree on is that the country is suffering an affordable housing crisis. Apartment buildings — especially ones relying on electricity for heat — are one solution with great payoff for the climate. By Matt Simon for Grist…
Quote of the Week
“Its final demise could happen suddenly, and to avoid being caught on the hop, we have already prepared an ‘obituary’ press release.”
– Rob Larter at the British Antarctic Survey, regarding the possible collapse of the Thwaites “Doomsday” glacier in Antarctica
Resources & Events
Underestimating heat. Extreme heat is more dangerous than many Americans think, according to a new study by the Yale Program on Climate Communication published in Nature Communications. For people who are already vulnerable to heat, in communities with fewer resources for protecting against it, the public’s misperception of extreme heat is especially dangerous.
EV momentum. The International Energy Agency’s new report, “Global EV Outlook 2026,” projects that electric vehicles will be close to 30% of all car sales worldwide this year, building on 2025 growth and consumer reaction to the Iran War.
Rising demand, lower costs. Rewiring America’s “Homegrown Energy: A policy blueprint for energy affordability” blueprint offers analysis and recommendations for state-level electrification policies that would lower the energy costs of 96% of American households.
AI in the newsroom. Join San Francisco State University professor Yumi Wilson for “Covering the Planet with the Tools That Tax It: AI for Climate, Science and Environmental Journalists,” TODAY, May 21, at 12pm US Eastern Time. Sponsored by the Metcalf Institute and the Solutions Journalism Network.
2026 Visualising Climate conference. Communicating climate challenges effectively requires an interdisciplinary approach, melding science, storytelling, data, and design. Bringing together scientists, artists, communicators, and journalists, this global conference from November 4–6 in Bologna, Italy, aims to bring everyone in the room together. Learn more.
On the Beat
The Center for Climate Integrity’s excellent ExxonKnews has been reporting on the fight to hold fossil fuel corporations accountable for climate change for seven years. This week, the publication’s founder and editor, Emily Sanders, announced she’d be shutting it down and launching “a new and expanded climate accountability reporting project… later this year.” Looking forward to listening!
Jobs, Etc.
Jobs. The New York Times is seeking a National Correspondent, Science (remote, extensive travel). Climate Central is hiring a Writer and Associate Editor (remote, apply by June 8). The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists is looking for a new Editor in Chief (remote, apply by June 5). ProPublica is seeking a Senior Editor “devoted to journalism with moral force” to lead a new investigative unit in California. Mongabay is looking for a Philanthropy Associate (remote). CBC News is looking for a Senior Producer to lead the health, science, and climate teams (Toronto). Lighthouse Reports is hiring a Climate and Environment Editor (remote; apply by May 29). Politico is looking for a Deputy Editor to help edit their energy and environment cover of Congress (Arlington, Va.).
Internship. CarbonBrief is offering a three-week journalism internship this summer (London).
Fellowships. Retraction Watch and The Open Notebook are thrilled to announce a new fellowship program, The Retraction Watch Research Accountability Reporting Fellowship, for up to six local reporters funded by The Center for Scientific Integrity to hone their scientific integrity reporting skills.
Free Drinks!
If you’re a journalist in, near, or coming through New York this summer, you’re invited.
Starting June 3, CCNow’s always popular, journalists-only Happy Hours will take place on the first and third Wednesdays of June, July, and August, from 6–8pm. Locations will switch between Manhattan and Brooklyn. CCNow buys your first drink. Stay tuned for details, and see you soon!