Environment

TEXAS FLOODSThe Texas Flash Flood Is a Preview of the Chaos to Come
By Abrahm Lustgarten
Climate change is making disasters more common, more deadly and far more costly, even as the federal government is running away from the policies that might begin to protect the nation.
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CLIMATE CHANGE & DISASTERS Climate Change Helped Fuel Heavy Rains That Caused Hill Country Floods, Experts Say
By Arcelia Martin, Inside Climate News
Warming ocean temperatures and warmer air mean there’s more water vapor in the atmosphere to fuel extreme downpours like those that struck Texas during the July 4 weekend.
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WATER SECURITYA Deadline Looms for a New Colorado River Plan. What Happens If There Isn’t One?
By Alex Hager, KUNC
It would likely be complicated, messy and involve big lawsuits, according to experts and former officials.
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TEXAS FLOODSHills, Rivers and Rocky Terrain: Why the Hill Country Keeps Flooding
By Alejandra Martinez
When storms roll in, water rushes downhill fast, gaining speed and force as it moves — often with deadly results.
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COASTAL CHALLENGESUneven Land Sinking Across New Orleans Increasing Flood Risk
Parts of New Orleans and its surrounding wetlands are gradually sinking, and while most of the city remains stable, a new study suggests that sections of the region’s $15 billion post-Katrina flood protection system may need regular upgrades to outpace long-term land subsidence.
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WATER SECURITYHuge Groundwater Losses Along Colorado River
By Alex Hager, KUNC
New research highlights the groundwater issues complicating the Colorado River’s already strained water supply.
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WATER SECURITYOvershadowed by Border Dispute, India-Pakistan Water Security Risks Grow
By Neeraj Singh Manhas
Glacial meltwater accounts for a significant portion of annual flows in the Indus River Basin, but as glaciers retreat due to climate change, this flow is decreasing, leading to water scarcity. Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to reduction in Indus River Basin flows: it relies on the Indus River for more than 90 percent of its water, and is already grappling with severe water shortages.
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CLIMATE CHALLENGESHow to Solve a Bottleneck for CO2 Capture and Conversion
By David L. Chandler
Today’s carbon capture systems suffer a tradeoff between efficient capture and release, but a new approach developed at MIT can boost overall efficiency.
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CLIMATE CHALLENGESThe Government Just Killed an Essential Way to Assess Climate Risk
By Katie Myers and Matt Simon
Cities, insurers, and the public used the Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database to plan for the future. Now what will they do?
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CLIMATE CHALLENGESAs U.S. Doubles Down on Fossil Fuels, Communities Will Have to Adapt to the Consequences − Yet Climate Adaptation Funding Is on the Chopping Block
By Bethany Bradley, Jia Hu, and Meade Krosby
It’s no secret that warming temperatures, wildfires and flash floods are increasingly affecting lives across the United States. With the U.S. government now planning to ramp up fossil fuel use, the risks of these events are likely to become even more pronounced. Yet, the White House is proposing to eliminate funding for climate adaptation science in the next federal budget: With climate extremes likely to increase in the coming years, losing adaptation science will leave the United States even more vulnerable to future climate hazards.
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DISASTERSComing This Summer: Record-Breaking Heat and Plenty of Hurricanes
By Matt Simon
Forecasters are predicting higher temperatures across the U.S. and up to 10 hurricanes. Cutting federal programs could leave people even more vulnerable.
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WATER SECURITYHow California’s Farmers Can Recharge the Aquifers They’ve Drained
By Frida Garza
Agriculture requires a lot of water. In the drought-stricken Central Valley, researchers have found a win-win for growers.
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CLIMATE CHALLENGESWhite House Proposal Could Gut Climate Modeling the World Depends On
By Abrahm Lustgarten
Potential funding cuts for NOAA and its research partners threaten irreparable harm not only to climate research but to American safety, competitiveness, and national security.
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COASTAL CHALLENGESCoastal Management Model Plays the Long Game Against the Rising Tides
By Tim Schley
To protect against rising sea levels in a warming world, coastal cities typically follow a standard playbook with various protective infrastructure options. The problem? Future climate conditions might differ substantially from the used projections.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RETREATEPA Plans Target Climate Change Initiatives
By Alvin Powell
A Harvard expert in environmental law said a recent set of Trump administration regulatory changes targeting initiatives in the climate change battle will reverse progress made over decades.
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