America is not such a laggard on climate change as it seems

IS AMERICAN INACTION on climate change going to render bits of the planet uninhabitable by 2100? Or will American grit and ingenuity lower the risks? There is evidence for both views. While the White House was issuing an edict seeking to offer relief to coal-fired power stations last week, New York’s state legislature was passing a bill that called on the state to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. America’s political divide often creates split-screen moments. For the 7.3bn people who live beyond the country’s borders, this one matters more than most.