What science for solutions means in 2025
A special message of resolve from President and CEO Dr. R. Max Holmes
Wildfire raging in the San Gabriel Mountains, viewed from a suburb in Los Angeles County, California. / photo by Richard Par
2025 has opened with stark reminders of why we do the work we do, and its particular importance in this moment.
For weeks, we have watched the situation in Los Angeles with horror and heartbreak. Members of our Woodwell Climate community—staff, collaborators, supporters—are among the many who have been displaced, and lost their homes, schools, and entire neighborhoods.
This tragic event is the latest in a growing list of devastating disasters in recent months that, together, have killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands. Helene. Valencia. Now L.A.
What is most disturbing is the knowledge that none of them are natural—each of these unprecedented events was made possible by climate change which we, collectively, have failed to halt. These are the consequences.
Even as the news cycle moves on, we are well aware that the work of assessing the damage and beginning to recover is yet to come. And that these will not be the last such disasters. Woodwell Climate’s teams are working with partners around the globe to both curb unchecked warming and prepare communities to cope with the unique suite of risks they face.
This sobering reality steels our resolve to work ever harder and smarter. Even more so in the face of a federal political landscape in which we expect to face significant headwinds. We know that the true energy emergency is not one of limited fossil fuel production, but of unlimited carbon pollution; that the Paris Agreement is not an undue burden, but a critical template for international cooperation; and that science and innovation must be at the table as we confront the greatest challenge of our lifetimes.
We will not be distracted or deterred. We will continue to do the cutting-edge research we have always done. We will deepen our partnerships on both sides of the aisle, in the private sector, and in communities around the globe to develop the solutions this moment so urgently demands. We will forge even stronger connections to sustain this work.
Onward,
