Disaster

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2021’s biggest climate and weather disasters cost the U.S. $145 billion – here’s what climate science says about them in 5 essential reads

The disasters just kept coming in 2021, from Hurricane Ida’s destruction across Louisiana and the Northeast to devastating wildfires in the West and damaging storms, tornadoes and floods. Nearly half the U.S. was in drought, and extreme temperature spikes disrupted power supplies just when people needed cooling or heating most. Stacy Morford, The Conversation The […]

January 14th

NOAA report shows 310 climate-linked disasters cost US over $2 trillion… so far!

As new statistics published Monday by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration revealed the United States has sustained more than $2 trillion in damages wrought by over 300 weather and climate disasters since 1980, a leading economist specializing in equitable climate solutions reiterated the need for urgent action—starting with passing Democrats’ flagship Build Back Better […]

January 13th

Greenland ice sheet shrunk for 25th year straight in 2021

“2021 is the 25th year in a row in which Greenland’s ice sheet lost more mass during the course of the melting season than it gained during the winter.” That’s according to the latest report from Polar Portal, a website featuring observations from Danish research institutions that monitor the Greenland Ice Sheet and the sea ice […]

January 11th

NOAA science shows 2021 one of the deadliest, costliest years for US Extreme climate disasters

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its annual report tallying the toll of extreme weather and climate disasters in the United States for the previous year. According to the agency, 688 lives were lost in 20 separate disasters that each reported damages of $1 billion or more with a total economic cost of […]

January 11th

Climate chaos: Get ready for hurricanes striking NYC and Boston as oceans warm

Global heating caused by human activity could warm oceans enough to fuel hurricanes and tropical storms that strike cities as far north as Boston, a new study projects.   By Brett Wilkins Common Dreams “This represents an important, under-estimated risk of climate change,” Joshua Studholme of Yale University, the study’s lead author, said in a statement. “This research predicts […]

January 6th

Think Build Back Better is expensive? Top 10 climate disasters of 2021 cost insurers $170B

The ten worst extreme weather disasters in 2021 caused more than $170 billion in insured losses, according to a report from Christian Aid, a UK NGO. The full costs are certainly higher, however, because the $170.3 billion does not account for impacts not covered by insurance. By Nexus Media News The damages represent the rising […]

January 5th

This is NOT NORMAL: Driven by climate chaos, wildfires ravage Colorado in December

Tens of thousands of Coloradans were forced to flee their homes Thursday as two fast-moving wildfires—whipped up by wind gusts reaching 110 mph—tore through communities just outside of Denver, engulfing entire neighborhoods in flames and destroying hundreds of buildings. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency to help aid the disaster response as officials […]

January 1st

Rep Jayapal warns political disaster looms if Democrats fail to deliver in the new year

Rep. Pramila Jayapal warned her fellow Democratic lawmakers and President Joe Biden on Sunday that failure to deliver their promised social spending and climate agenda could have disastrous political consequences, feeding voter disillusionment and leaving millions of people without badly needed economic aid amid a deadly pandemic. By Jake Johnson Common Dreams .@USProgressives will keep working […]

December 31st

2021 year in review: Climate disasters revealed an east-west weather divide, with one side of the country too wet, the other dangerously dry

Alongside a lingering global pandemic, the year 2021 was filled with climate disasters, some so intense they surprised even the scientists who study them. Shuang-Ye Wu, University of Dayton The Conversation Extreme rainstorms turned to raging flash floods that swept through mountain towns in Europe, killing over 200 people. Across Asia, excessive rainfall inundated wide […]

December 29th

RedGREENandBlue’s top 10 stories of 2021: Calls for Texas Governor Abbott to resign as he falsely blames blackouts on wind and solar

RedGREENandBlue’s top 10 stories of 2021: Steven Donziger beat Chevron in court, so they crucified him. He just won his appeal Michael Mann on “Don’t Look Up”: DO see this film! Earth’s magnetic field broke down 42,000 years ago and caused massive sudden climate change Sharkfest: 10 solutions to overfishing that could save our oceans […]

December 29th

‘Our Atmosphere Is Broken’: US Tops Record for Hurricane-Force Winds in a Day

The United States on Wednesday had the most hurricane-force gusts ever recorded in a single day after an after an “off the charts” storm system tore through the central part of the country, bringing tornadoes and triggering widespread power outages, dust storms, and warnings of the climate emergency. By Andrea Germanos Common Dreams The National Weather […]

December 17th

Tornadoes and climate change: What a warming world means for deadly twisters and the type of storms that spawn them

The deadly tornado outbreak that tore through communities from Arkansas to Illinois on the night of Dec. 10-11, 2021, was so unusual in its duration and strength, particularly for December, that a lot of people including the U.S. president are asking what role climate change might have played – and whether tornadoes will become more […]

December 15th

‘Hunker down’ is not enough: 2021 hurricane season showed US isn’t prepared as climate-related disasters push people deeper into poverty

Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2021, 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city. This time the levees held. Billions of dollars invested in reinforcing them had paid off – at least for part of the population. A strong similarity between Ida and Katrina still emerged: Low-income communities and […]

December 2nd

Citizens’ Climate Radio: Hospitality in a time of climate change

We live in a world with stronger and more frequent extreme weather events. As a result, giving and receiving hospitality is becoming the new normal for humans. By Citizens’ Climate Lobby Citizens’ Climate Radio host Peterson Toscano speaks with public theologian Jayme R. Reaves and public health expert Dr. Natasha DeJarnett (pictured above). What are […]

November 30th

New study reveals Arctic ocean warming for over a century

New research published Wednesday revealed the Arctic Ocean has been warming for decades longer than scientists previously understood, raising fresh concerns as the polar region faces the growing threat of a total loss of the seasonal ice that is crucial to the survival of the imperiled marine ecosystem. By Brett Wilkins Common Dreams A study published in Science Advances found […]

November 27th