Thoughts on the warmest year in history

By now you’ve seen the headlines: 2023 was the hottest year ever measured.

What you may not have seen is even more stressful: 2024 is on track to be even hotter — likely the first year in history that’s unequivocally warmer than the global temperature goal set in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

I write this from a snowless Minneapolis, where we’ve had just six cold days all winter. Today, it’s 55°F here — more than 30 degrees warmer than normal for the end of January. Our lakes have started to melt again, and birds are already heading back north.

Earlier this week, parts of Canada were warmer than Key West, Florida. Last week, it was 80 degrees in DC.

This isn’t just a January thaw — this is climate change. And it’s an emergency.

Huge news: Currently is back in February

I am so excited to announce that Currently will resume publishing in February, with a few changes including:

• New membership tiers

• New cities

• Way more perks than ever before

During January I also made the long-overdue decision to leave Twitter (or whatever the hell it is now) for good — and I’m working on personally inviting and onboarding all of my followers there to continue following my work at Currently with some free gifts, so look out for that, too.

But mostly, I’ve just been nervous about the weather, and working on new ways to make a difference — like usual. A recent study found that it was climate voters who decided the 2020 election in favor of Biden, so this is going to be a hugely important year and I’m super excited to continue bringing you timely weather and climate news to help us all change the world for the better.

I’ll be continuing to focus on:

• Continuing to onboard subscribers from Twitter

• Seeking out new publication partners for Currently newsletters to massively expand our reach

• Growing our new distribution partnership with Blue Raven Solar

In case you missed the announcement in my last email, Blue Raven Solar is now partnering with Currently to provide discounted rooftop solar just for Currently readers. We’ve had several signups already, and it’s been really exciting to help families save money and save the Earth at the same time.

If you’re a homeowner — do me a favor and please fill out this two-minute survey to see if your home qualifies for the extra discounts. I will personally run the numbers for you and set aside dedicated time with you answer any questions one-on-one. This process is completely free, and all Blue Raven Solar projects require zero money down, so there’s really nothing to lose by just checking to see if your home qualifies.

I strongly urge anyone reading this who has considered solar to take the survey and book some time with me. This is a super great opportunity and I’m so excited to help bring solar to more families through Currently.

May you have good weather,

— Eric Holthaus

In February, we’ll be rolling out a new membership structure, but right now there is no difference in member benefits between our free and paid plans — other than paid members help keep our service running and receive ownership shares.