The impacts of global climate change have been front and center this year: More destructive storms. Bigger wildfires. Record heat.

Climate scientists overwhelmingly agree that those changes and many more are being driven by human activities. That’s why USA TODAY is launching Climate Matters, a newsletter focused on climate change, energy and the environment. You can sign up here.

I’m Sammy Roth, a reporter for USA TODAY, and I’ll be writing Climate Matters. Every week, I’ll bring you important stories from across the country about the impacts and politics of climate change, the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources and environmental issues like water and public lands. I’ll tell you what the White House is up to and focus on the ways that climate change is a much bigger story than one government in one country — a story that affects people’s daily lives.

I’ll share my own insights on these topics from my perch in Palm Springs, Calif., where I write about energy and the environment.

California’s been acting like its own country lately, accelerating its shift to solar and wind power while President Trump promotes fossil fuels. But those changes, like the impacts of global warming, are being seen everywhere.

I’ll make sure you don’t miss anything important, from rising sea levels on the East Coast, to drought in the Southwest, to extreme storms in the Midwest.