Impacts
Intensely red sunset over ocean

Humans are altering the seas. Here’s what the future ocean might look like

Some marine ecosystems could soon be unrecognizable, according to new research.

www.nytimes.com
A firetruck parked in front of a home destroyed by a tornado

Goodbye, FEMA. Hello, disaster consultants

Pushing more responsibility for disaster response onto the states will mean depending more on private contractors.
www.theatlantic.com
A farmer pointing towards his fields

Why some Illinois farmers are stuck raising crops that no longer thrive

Some farmers keep growing in flood- and drought-prone fields because subsidies soften the losses, while federal programs meant to help them change course have been underfunded and mired in bureaucracy. Under Trump, those programs may weaken further.
www.propublica.org
A view of an empty smoky street with street lights

Smoketember is rolling in. Here’s how to protect yourself

With wildfire smoke pushing air quality into the highest risk category, health experts warn there’s no safe level of exposure.

thetyee.ca
Large wildfire burning trees and brush at night

Weather that drove Iberian wildfires is 40 times more likely due to climate change, report says

The hot, dry and windy conditions this summer that fueled the worst wildfires in Spain for at least three decades are 40 times more likely to recur due to human-caused climate change, according to an analysis by World Weather Attribution.
www.reuters.com
a bunch of houses that have been destroyed by a tornado.

Inside Trump’s unorthodox climate attacks in courts nationwide

The administration is cranking up efforts to kill state laws and legal cases that would force fossil-fuel companies to pay for climate damage.
www.nytimes.com
a large fire burning in a field next to a forest.

Climate change made heat and dryness that fueled Spain and Portugal wildfires 40 times more likely, study finds

A new study says climate change has made extreme weather conditions, like those fueling wildfires in the Iberian Peninsula, 40 times more likely.
apnews.com
Front top of a yellow school bus.

How to protect US students from heat in schools – and is it time to rethink summer break?

US schools were built for a cooler climate that no longer exists. Now they face record-high temperatures.

www.theguardian.com
A hillside on fire with the moon in the background

Alaska’s million-acre wildfire season, typical in size, had some unusual features

The season started slowly but exploded after lightning strikes peppered the state around the summer solstice.
alaskabeacon.com
A view of a beach with a palm tree and aqua colored water in the background

American Samoa says no to deep-sea mining. The Trump administration might do it anyway

American Samoa’s leaders and residents have firmly opposed plans to mine the ocean floor surrounding the islands, citing cultural, economic, and environmental risks. Yet as a U.S. territory, the final decision rests with federal officials in Washington, D.C., not the local community.

grist.org
Plane spreading fire retardant over wildfire

Wildfire retardants help stop fires — but also impact ecosystems

In the rush to put out wildfires, hundreds of millions of litres of fire retardant are dropped on forests across North America. New research shows the effects they can have on water and ecosystems — especially when accidents happen

thenarwhal.ca
Grey and black utility tower viewed from below on a sunny day

Josh Hawley's 'huge win' will be a big loss for ratepayers

It's been only weeks since President Trump and Missouri Republicans killed the Grain Belt Express, but it's already clear rates will go up.
grist.org
A series of large blue water pipes in a desalination plant

Cyprus steps up desalination as worsening droughts parch the island

With reservoirs at less than 15% capacity and rainfall declining, Cyprus is ramping up desalination to secure drinking water. Officials see it as vital to ending reliance on rainfall, but critics warn of environmental risks and high costs.

www.reuters.com
city buildings under blue sky during daytime.

Shrinking post-Katrina levees need $1B in upgrades

Twenty years out from the New Orleans disaster, the city’s levee and flood wall system must be raised or the region could become ineligible for federal flood insurance.

www.eenews.net
A large body of water with a lighthouse in the distance.

In far northeastern Maine, a Native community fights to adapt to climate change

Sea level rise, dwindling fisheries and Trump budget cuts make the Passamaquoddy tribe’s resiliency quest a test of smart planning and stubborn will.
insideclimatenews.org
Researcher counting manatees in Florida spring

Florida’s once-pristine springs threatened by pollution, development and climate change

The underground Floridan Aquifer is the source of 90% of Florida’s drinking water. Because of the porous nature of the state’s bedrock, millions of gallons of water find their way to the surface in the form of clear, clean springs that, in turn, feed into rivers.

apnews.com
A flooded dirt road over a river with houses on the hillside beyond

War then water: Pakistan’s border villagers face back-to-back evacuations

Flooding has forced thousands of residents in Pakistan’s Kasur district to evacuate for the second time this year, following both cross-border conflict and a suspended water-sharing treaty with India.

www.reuters.com
Barber Shop located in Ninth Ward, New Orleans, Louisiana, damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Disaster aid cuts raise fears of post-Katrina failures as hurricane risks grow

A generation after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, survivors and experts warn that sweeping cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under President Trump could leave the U.S. dangerously unprepared for future climate-driven disasters.

Dharna Noor reports for The Guardian.

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www.theguardian.com
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