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An introduction and organized list of our most popular stories

Hi there! My name is Michael Thomas, and I write the Distilled newsletter.

A couple times a month, I write a deeply researched and reported story about climate change. (I’ve included a bunch of examples of past stories below). One of these stories is generally sent to free subscribers; the rest of the stories go out to our paid subscribers.

To get all of Distilled’s stories in your inbox—including our in-depth explainers—you can sign up for a paid subscription below. I’m biased, but I think it’s a pretty great investment.

Our paid subscribers include leaders of the largest environmental non-profits, the founders of successful climate-tech companies, widely-cited climate researchers, and sitting members of Congress.

Gain deep knowledge about the problem of our time

Climate change can be overwhelming. Everyday there’s a new report, a new “breakthrough” solution, and new political battle. It’s easy to get lost in the noise of this dizzying array of information. I started Distilled to help readers cut through some of this noise.

Many media stories about climate change lack nuance, depth, and context. My goal in starting Distilled was to offer an alternative. Some of my stories offer hope and practical solutions. Others describe the problems that we must solve. All of them aim to provide the nuance and depth that this issue demands.

Here are some examples of the type of in-depth stories that you can expect to read each month:

On renewable energy

• The Remarkable Growth of Solar Power, in 7 Charts

• Why Don’t We All Use Solar Water Heaters?

• The Growth of Grid-Scale Battery Storage in America, Explained

• Why Rooftop Solar Is So Much Cheaper in Australia Than America

• Why Everyone’s So Excited About Enhanced Geothermal

• The Most Promising Long Duration Storage Technologies

• How Virtual Power Plants Can Accelerate Clean Energy Adoption

• The Rise of the Clean Energy Megaproject

• Why Texas Will Add More Clean Energy Than Any State This Year

• Why Wind Energy Is in a State of Crisis

On sustainable transportation

• How The Netherlands Built a Biking Utopia

• America Is Finally Building a Nationwide EV Charging Network

• Why American Cars Are So Big—And Why That’s a Problem

• The Problem With Big Electric Trucks and SUVs

• How Paris Is Taking Back Its Streets From Cars

• The Rise of the 'Bike Bus' Movement

• How CATL Became the Biggest EV Battery Producer in the World

On sustainable buildings

• Why Heat Pumps Are Such an Important Climate Solution

• America Needs To Install A Lot More Heat Pumps

• How LED Lights Became So Cheap

• Why Rooftop Solar Is So Much Cheaper in Australia Than America

• Heat pumps outsold gas furnaces in 2023—Here’s why

On fossil fuels

• Why Fossil Fuel Power is Less Reliable Than You Think

• The Decline of Coal Power in Every State, Visualized

• Fossil Fuel Power Plants Kill 35x More Birds Than Wind Turbines

On politics and policy

• What Americans Need to Hear About Biden's Climate Record

• The Climate Bill That Keeps On Giving

• Republicans Want to Kill One of Biden's Most Successful Climate Programs

• The Latest Methane Agreement at COP Is “A Smokescreen”

• Why Blocking LNG Terminals is a Good Idea

Support independent journalism

Many readers support Distilled because our work creates real impact in the world. It informs and inspires policy. It encourages people to get solar or swap their car for an e-bike. It helps activists combat misinformation.

Our stories have reached more than 25 million people—far more than I could have ever dreamed when I started this publication a few years ago. None of that would have been possible without supporters like yourself who believe in the value of independent journalism.

Regardless of whether or not you become a paid subscriber, I want to say thank you for taking the time to read my work and engage with these issues.

- Michael