[Jordon Brown](/meet-our-writers#400) 2 minute read # This month’s good climate news Fighting for the planet isn’t easy. These wins prove it’s worth it. Published: August 14, 2026 ## Plug it in, plug it in ![Solar panels attached to a fence](/sites/default/files/styles/1440px_width_scale/public/2026-07/Unknown-1.jpg?itok=ZMeZ4WPO) Going solar can be as simple as hanging a panel on your back fence, like this one in Florida. (*Courtesy of Eric Henley*) Want solar panels, but worried about the potential heavy lift involved? Meet [plug-in solar](/story/order-solar-panels-online-plug-save "Order solar panels online. Plug in. Save. "), the DIY answer to your solar dreams. With plug-in solar (also called balcony solar), even renters can get solar power at home. Basically, you buy a few solar panels online for a fraction of the cost of rooftop panels, mount them to a balcony or backyard fence, and plug them into an outdoor outlet. It's that simple. And while you won't get as much juice as you'd get from rooftop solar, you will still save on your electric bill — for some people, as much as $600 a year. Eight states have now fully authorized plug-in solar, and 26 more have legislation in the works. (Technically, plug-in solar is not illegal anywhere in the U.S.) ## Amazon rainforest deforestation down ![A person standing and looking up at a massive tree in the Amazon rainforest](/sites/default/files/styles/1440px_width_scale/public/2026-08/GettyImages-2282212609%20%281%29.jpg?itok=sgFx79Fj) The Amazon rainforest stores vast amounts of carbon dioxide, helping limit global warming. (*Getty*) Deforestation in the Amazon is [down to its lowest level in a decade](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/10/under-lula-amazon-deforestation-falls-to-lowest-level-in-a-decade), according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research. The DETER system, which uses satellites to measure rainforest loss in real-time, reported 1,295 square kilometers (500 square miles) of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from January through June this year, which is 38% lower than during the same period in 2025. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who campaigned on protecting Brazil's natural resources, has pledged to end illegal deforestation by 2030. ## Two court wins for clean air ![A residential neighborhood with an oil refinery directly behind it](/sites/default/files/styles/1440px_width_scale/public/2026-08/GettyImages-129370063%20%281%29.jpg?itok=SJ8-WeMB) Burning fossil fuels releases soot, tiny particles that damage the lungs. (*Getty*) Soot pollution, released from burning fossil fuels, can cause serious and fatal health problems. The EPA’s soot standards were strengthened under the Biden administration, but the Trump EPA has attempted to reverse those limits and then refused to enforce them. Federal courts struck down both those actions. In late June, a D.C. Circuit Court upheld federal soot pollution standards established by the Biden EPA, and on July 20, a federal judge in Oakland ruled that the Trump EPA [must enforce those clean air standards](https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/trump-administration-loses-another-air-pollution-22352650.php) by next February. Sarah Vogel, the senior vice president for Healthy Communities at the global nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, [called it](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dad-UtvEVU_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==), "Good news for the air that we breathe every second of every moment of our lives." > [](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dad-UtvEVU_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading) > > [View this post on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dad-UtvEVU_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [A post shared by Environmental Defense Fund (@environmental\_defense\_fund)](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dad-UtvEVU_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading) Topics - [ Climate and energy ](/all-stories?topic=21&subcategory=21) - [ Good climate news ](/all-stories?topic=21&subcategory=76) Share - [ LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://vitalsigns.edf.org/story/months-good-climate-news-2026-08-14 "Share this on LinkedIn") - [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://vitalsigns.edf.org/story/months-good-climate-news-2026-08-14&text=From a deforestation win in the Amazon to court victories for clean air, here are the stories to help fortify you in the climate change fight. 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