Disasters

"Nuclear Rules in Japan Relied on Old Science"

"In the country that gave the world the word tsunami, the Japanese nuclear establishment largely disregarded the potentially destructive force of the walls of water. The word did not even appear in government guidelines until 2006, decades after plants — including the Fukushima Daiichi facility that firefighters are still struggling to get under control — began dotting the Japanese coastline."

Source: NY Times, 03/28/2011

EPA Faulted for Wasting Millions, Spread of Superfund Site Contamination

"The Environmental Protection Agency may have wasted or risked millions of dollars by failing to prevent the spread of contamination hazardous to human health at a Superfund site in Pensacola, Florida, an agency watchdog report found."

Source: Inside Climate News, 04/25/2024

"New Government Heat Risk Tool Sets Magenta As Most Dangerous Level"

"The National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday — Earth Day — presented a new online heat risk system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors with a seven-day forecast that’s simplified and color-coded for a warming world of worsening heat waves."

Source: AP, 04/24/2024

"Unstable Nuclear-Waste Dams Threaten Fertile Central Asia Heartland"

"Dams holding vast amounts of uranium mine tailings above the fertile Fergana valley in Central Asia are unstable, threatening a possible Chernobyl-scale nuclear disaster if they collapse that would make the region uninhabitable, studies have revealed."

Source: Reuters, 04/24/2024

"Biden Admin Vows To Restore 8M Acres Of Wetlands"

"The Biden administration announced a goal Tuesday to protect and restore 8 million acres of wetlands over the next six years in an effort to counter development pressures and recently weakened federal regulations."

Source: E&E News, 04/24/2024

"Drought Pushes Millions Into ‘Acute Hunger’ in Southern Africa"

"An estimated 20 million people in southern Africa are facing what the United Nations calls “acute hunger” as one of the worst droughts in more than four decades shrivels crops, decimates livestock and, after years of rising food prices brought on by pandemic and war, spikes the price of corn, the region’s staple crop."

Source: NYTimes, 04/19/2024

Explosive Levels Of Methane Detected Near Berkeley Landfill-Turned-Park

"Brimming with wildlife and offering panoramic views of San Francisco Bay, César Chávez Park welcomes visitors who might never suspect this stretch of shoreline was built atop a municipal landfill. But beneath the sprawling grasslands and charming hiking trails, decomposing waste continues to generate methane gas."

Source: LA Times, 04/18/2024

Climate Change Damage Could Cost $38 Trillion Per Year By 2050: Study

"Damage to farming, infrastructure, productivity, and health from climate change will cost an estimated $38 trillion per year by 2050, German government-backed research finds, a figure almost certain to rise as human activity emits more greenhouse gases."

Source: Reuters, 04/18/2024

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