Extreme Temperature Diary- Tuesday September 30th, 2025/Main Topic: ‘Mine, Baby, Mine’: Trump Officials Offer $625 Million to Rescue Coal – Guy On Climate
Dear Diary. Yesterday we noted that utilities were sliding backwards towards burning more fossil fuels for power generation led by awful stances from the United States. Today we will specifically look at Trump’s coal policies, which to be honest are beyond horrific. It’s almost as if some evil man was twitching his mustache while tying some damsel in distress to a railroad track. Only in this case that damsel is us and our climate.
Here is more from the New York Times:
Trump Officials Offer $625 Million to Rescue Coal – The New York Times
‘Mine, Baby, Mine’: Trump Officials Offer $625 Million to Rescue CoalThe new effort, which includes opening 13.1 million acres of federal land for mining and eliminating pollution limits, aims to save an industry that has been declining for decades. A coal mining operation in West Virginia.Credit…Adrees Latif/Reuters
  By Brad Plumer and Lisa Friedman
Reporting from Washington
Sept. 29, 2025
The Trump administration on Monday outlined a coordinated plan to revive the mining and burning of coal, the largest contributor to climate change worldwide.
Coal use has been declining sharply in the United States since 2005, displaced in many cases by cheaper and cleaner natural gas, wind and solar power.
But in a series of steps aimed at improving the economics of coal, the Interior Department said it would open 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal mining and reduce the royalty rates that companies would need to pay to extract coal. The Energy Department said it would offer $625 million to upgrade existing coal plants around the country, which have been closing at a fast clip, in order to extend their life spans.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it would repeal dozens of regulations set by the Biden administration to curb carbon dioxide, mercury and other pollutants from coal plants. The agency would also revise a regulation limiting wastewater pollution from power plants that the industry considers costly.
In what has become a familiar tableau, miners in hard hats stood as a backdrop as administration officials gathered at the Interior Department and repeated a phrase that President Trump said he now expects of any employee who discusses the black, combustible rock: “Clean, beautiful coal.”
The announcements came days after Mr. Trump told the United Nations General Assembly that the United States would “stand ready to provide any country with abundant, affordable energy supplies if you need them,” referring to liquefied natural gas, oil and coal. Mr. Trump has promoted the coal industry ever since campaigning frequently with coal miners 2016.
While coal plants once generated nearly half of America’s electricity, they produced just 16 percent last year. Hundreds of coal plants have retired since the mid-2000s as utilities switched to natural gas, wind and solar power. Stricter regulations on air and water pollution have also made burning coal more expensive. Coal mining, which has been linked to significant air pollution and water contamination as well as black lung disease in coal miners, has also faced increased federal restrictions.
“This is an industry that was under assault,” said Doug Burgum, the Interior secretary who along with Lee Zeldin, the E.P.A. administrator, blamed regulations on what they described as an ideological war on coal. Chris Wright, the Energy secretary, said Monday morning on Fox that coal was “out of fashion with the chardonnay set in San Francisco, Boulder, Colo., and New York City.”
The phrase “climate change” was not mentioned during the hourlong coal event. Instead, the officials described coal as an economic necessity. “In addition to to drill, baby drill, we need to mine, baby, mine,” Mr. Burgum said.
It is unclear how much the Trump administration can revitalize the industry. During Mr. Trump’s first term, roughly 100 coal plants shut down and the total number of miners employed in the United States continued to fall.
The outlook for coal power has become somewhat less bleak in recent years. Growing interest in artificial intelligence and data centers has fueled a surge in electricity demand, and utilities have decided to keep more than 50 coal-burning units open past their scheduled closure dates, according to America’s Power, an industry trade group. As the Trump administration moves to loosen pollution limits on coal power, more plants could stay open longer or run more frequently.
The Trump administration is also taking more drastic action to keep coal plants operating this time around. In June, the Energy Department issued an emergency order to prevent a coal plant in Michigan from closing as scheduled, although neither the grid operator nor the local utility had asked the agency to do so. The cost of that extension is expected to fall on consumers.
Mr. Wright has hinted that more such orders could be on the way. All told, more than 100 plants have announced plans to retire by the end of Mr. Trump’s term.
“I think this administration’s policy is going to be to stop the closure of coal plants, most of them cooperatively working with utilities,” Mr. Wright said during an onstage interview last week at The New York Times’s Climate Forward event.
At Monday’s announcement, Wells Griffith, the under secretary for energy, said that a recent Energy Department study found that America’s grid faced a higher risk of blackout if too many coal plants retire. That study has been criticized by a number of clean-energy groups and Democratic-led states for being overly pessimistic about the ability of other fast-growing sources like wind, solar, batteries and natural gas to help fortify the nation’s power system.
Holly Bender, the chief program officer at the Sierra Club, an environmental group, said the administration’s actions would increase air and water pollution and raise electricity bills. “The Trump administration’s reckless actions announced today will hurt the American people, all to prop up the aging and outdated coal industry,” she said.
The Sierra Club in 2009 launched what would become a more than $150 million campaign called “Beyond Coal” that lobbies for the retirement of coal-fired power plants. Funded by Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, the campaign this year claimed its actions had contributed to the closure of two-thirds of coal-fired generators in the United States.
While it champions fossil fuels, the administration has taken steps to restrict the use of wind and solar power nationwide, criticizing those sources as unreliable and too dependent on the weather.
Coal power has been growing around the world in China and other countries. Last year, global coal demand reached a record high, according to the International Energy Agency, although the agency says it still expects coal demand to plateau in the coming years.
Mr. Burgum cited that trend as a reason for the United States to invest in coal. “China is absolutely the number one user of coal and they are aggressively adding more power,” he said. “Our nation can lead in technology but if we don’t lead in electrical production, we’re going to lose the A.I. arms race.”
Even as it burns more coal, China has also led the world in building wind and solar power. Last week the country announced for the first time plans to start reducing its planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
Brad Plumer is a Times reporter who covers technology and policy efforts to address global warming.
Lisa Friedman is a Times reporter who writes about how governments are addressing climate change and the effects of those policies on communities.
Here are more “ETs” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
While thousands of heat records will fall in North America,Caribbean,allover Asia,Oceania and Africa, October will also start with an
WINTRY COLD SPELL IN CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN
Balkans,Greece and Italy will see exceptional cold with snow falling locally near 500m asl!
Historic — Extreme Temperatures Around the World (@extremetemps.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T17:22:51.857Z
EXTRAORDINARY RECORD IN OMAN
44.7C yesterday at Diba right on the coast.
It broke its September record of highest temperature on the 29th ! (the coolest part of the month).
Imagine tomorrow...October records will be smashed in pieces allover Middle East,Pakistan and South Asia. — Extreme Temperatures Around the World (@extremetemps.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T10:31:06.760Z
In early October, eastern China will experience a rare heat wave, particularly along the northeastern and southeastern coasts. The probability of record-breaking temperatures is over 90% in China,Russia,Mongolia,Japan,Taiwan and Koreas.with hundreds of weather stations expected to break records — Extreme Temperatures Around the World (@extremetemps.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T12:24:31.446Z
HISTORIC HEAT IN AUSTRALIA 43 DEGREES
It's the 2nd hottest September day ever recorded anywhere in AUSTRALIA.
Records broken
42.9 Wyndham
41.0 Ngukurr
41.7 Victoria River Downs
It will get worse !
PS:>150 countries are breaking records,
expect MANY tweets later ! — Extreme Temperatures Around the World (@extremetemps.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T12:59:20.010Z
and SOUTHERN AFRICA couldn't miss the party of this insanity of heat records allover the world...
40.2C today at Alexander Baai on the coast
And guess who else ?
Yeah, JUAN DE NOVA ISLAND🇫🇷,'course
33.7C today smashed for the 5th time the September record of highest temperature — Extreme Temperatures Around the World (@extremetemps.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T15:59:11.803Z
RECORD HEAT ALLOVER THE TROPICS
From Polynesia to Madagascar,records everywhere!
Min 26.6 Bora Bora
🇫🇷 POLYNESIA HOTTEST SEPTEMBER NIGHT EVER
More Tmins records
25.0 Papeete
23.2 Ile Mare NEW CALEDONIA
28.2 Mannar SRI LANKA
25.0 Tanjungkarang INDONESIA
24.2 Beira MOZAMBIQUE — Extreme Temperatures Around the World (@extremetemps.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T12:15:19.370Z
HISTORIC HEAT IN SANTO DOMINGO
Hottest night in history
Tonight 28.3C Minimum temperature was the highest minimum Santo Domingo has ever had
Every single tropical country is pulverizing records like never before,often with extreme margins
There had never been anything like this in climatic history — Extreme Temperatures Around the World (@extremetemps.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T21:57:01.475Z
CANADA 2025: The summer which didn't want to end
Another ridiculously hot day in the Praires
31.9C/90F at Medicine Hat (717m asl/2352 feet) !
31.1C Leader
31.0C Esther
etc. Over a dozen stations >30C
That's just the beginning
Expect a deluge in October....of heat records I mean — Extreme Temperatures Around the World (@extremetemps.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T02:06:42.408Z
Just out
My latest @guardian piece on #climate pragmatism and the global rowback on climate action
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... — Prof Bill McGuire (@profbillmcguire.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T09:16:29.480Z
"Ocean stratification in a warming climate" | Our ( Lijing Cheng et al) new review article in @nature.com Reviews Earth & Environment: www.nature.com/articles/s43... — Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T12:38:32.553Z
Ice roads are a lifeline for First Nations. As Canada warms, they’re disappearing.
Indigenous peoples are navigating the slow collapse of winter roads — and an even slower pace of help.
grist.org/indigenous/i...
#Indigenous #Tribes #Canada #Climate #Trucking #Ice #Climate #Roads #Transportation — Grist (@grist.org) 2025-09-29T00:22:08.802Z
As #greenhousegases climb up the wazoo in #Canada the cons argue to eliminate regulations on emissions. What are we leaving our kids? It ain’t pretty it just looks that way. #environment #pollution #climate #StreetPhotography #UrbanGaze — Lou (@loumusac.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T22:14:41.612Z
Meat is a leading emissions source – but less than 4% of #climate news stories mention animal #agriculture as source of #carbon emissions. #Meat production alone is responsible for 60% of the food sector's climate #emissions. That's in part because ruminant… (1/2) www.theguardian.com/environment/... — Alexander J. Stein (@ajstein.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T18:27:48.858Z
The Fattening has begun
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
#Climate #CO2 — Bryan White, MS Bio, MPH 🧬 (@crvscience.com) 2025-09-28T06:19:15.018Z
Two great science communicators talking about climate ❤️
My favourite "Science Guy" (Bill Nye) clip
youtu.be/1-zSlhWk3-w
for balance
Favourite Michael Mann quote on the fossil fuel era:
"The stone age didn't end because of a lack of stones." — James Collis (@jamescollis.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T18:37:17.615Z
Thanks to #Humberto and the proximity of these two systems - just several hundred miles apart - #Imelda is being pulled out to sea by Humberto, avoiding landfall! #fujiwhara #hurricane — Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T02:11:16.873Z
A rare "radar" view of a category 5 hurricane - #Humberto
No, it's not traditional land based radar. This is super cool. Keeping reading if you want to learn.
This is called Synthetic Aperature Radar (SAR) taken from a NOAA satellite of the storm on Saturday night. 1/ — Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T00:39:31.155Z
Yep. The idea that city/state government is going to “maintain the large, complex infrastructure needed to effectively respond to rare catastrophic events is nonsensical. Having a robust FEMA enables the ongoing maintenance of the needed disaster response infrastructure at a federal level.” — Dr. Jeff Masters (@drjeffmasters.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T18:04:33.482Z
This is why two hurricanes can not merge into a monster.
Watch as #Imelda’s growing outflow and sinking air impinges on #Humberto’s core, likely soon leading to weakening. Systems are now under 600 miles apart. — Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T22:42:10.764Z
Did you know Monster hurricanes generate 1000s of times the energy of the World’s most powerful nuclear bomb?!?
It’s true. But that energy is not wasted. Turns out hurricanes fulfill a vital function helping keep Earth livable. Here’s more… #hurricane #imelda #humberto #science #stem #fyp — Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T12:53:17.418Z
Five missed upper air observations in Alaska Sunday afternoon, all in northern and western Alaska. This systematic loss data from already poorly sampled, active storm regions can only hurt weather and climate reanalysis models. Base graphic courtesy U. Wyoming. #weather #climate — Rick Thoman (@alaskawx.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T02:37:50.352Z
“A broad shift to electric vehicles -- which are quieter than traditional vehicles -- could yield noise reduction benefits of $77.3 billion, concentrated among low-income families in dense urban areas.” www.nber.org/papers/w34298 — David Wallace-Wells (@dwallacewells.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T13:27:55.125Z
Tragic how little we value our ancient First Nations cultural heritage, history & art, unique in all of the world. You are letting Australia & the global #climate down Murray Watt pandering to #fossilfuel vested interests! #auspol
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09... — Blair Palese (@blairpalese.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T22:44:27.793Z
#Renewables Are a Global Economic Engine, Not a Culture War Threat
Energy companies are learning this lesson fast.
#climate
www.desmog.com/2025/09/29/r... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T08:55:13.763Z
This battery can pump 50MW of power into the system in 8 hours. Might it solve our low lake level issue?
#nzpol #climate
www.theguardian.com/environment/... — CindyBax (@cindybax.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T03:22:14.299Z
Paris fighting pollution and improving public health.
-No diesel cars from 2024
-100% #cleanenergy buses by 2025
-No petrol cars from 2030
-improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
We have the solutions, implement them. #ActOnClimate
#climate #energy #GreenNewDeal — Mike Hudema (@mikehudema.bsky.social) 2025-09-29T18:07:07.959Z
Very much looking forward to this Penn #ClimateWeek keynote event with my friend Bill Nye (though it will be in my capacity as Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Science and Director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media @penncssm.bsky.social) — Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T17:17:10.244Z
#Agriculture: "Eighty percent of the water in the basin is consumed by agriculture" Farming methods hold the key to Colordo River Conservation Efforts.
phys.org/news/2025-09... — Silicon Valley North - Citizens Climate Lobby (@cclsvn.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T14:07:50.607Z
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