Disasters

"From popstar Taylor Swift's jetsetting on tour to billionaire Elon Musk's fleet of planes, the use of private jets by the rich and famous has drawn increasing criticism as concern grows over air travel's role in global warming."

"“Astounding” ocean temperatures in 2023 supercharged “freak” weather around the world as the climate crisis continued to intensify, new data has revealed."

"A toxic mix of dust, ash, and other material from 15 million tons of rubble now blankets the territory and all who live there."

"River basins around the world that were once regularly snowbound are increasingly seeing their snowpack shrink and climate change is to blame, a new study found."

"Figures show that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which covers millions of homeowners across the nation, now has on its books at least 44,000 structures where damage has been covered again and again by taxpayers, in some cases with cumulative payouts that exceed a property’s worth."

"Winter weather conditions and frigid temperatures may force some GOP presidential hopefuls to cancel campaign events in the final stretch leading up to the Iowa caucuses. Plus, a looming polar vortex could cause low voter turnout."

"Led by a record-costly swarm of severe weather episodes, the contiguous United States suffered 28 billion-dollar weather disasters in 2023,  the highest number in inflation-adjusted data going back to 1980, according to NOAA. The former record was 22, set in 2020."

"Europe experienced stark weather contrasts on Wednesday, with extreme cold and snowstorms disrupting transportation and closing schools in Scandinavia while strong winds and heavy rain in western Europe caused flooding and at least one death."

"California’s statewide Sierra Nevada snowpack — the source of nearly one-third of the state’s water supply — is at its lowest level in a decade, a major turnaround from last year when huge storms ended a three-year drought and buried ski resorts in massive amounts of snow."

"As a girl growing up near refineries and chemical factories in this part of the Gulf Coast, 77-year-old Lois Malvo thought nothing of the way her eyes burned when she played outside. Now she sees dangers all around her."