Disasters

"America’s New Wildfire Risk Goes Beyond Forests"

"Forest fires may get more attention, but a new study reveals that grassland fires are more widespread and destructive across the United States. Almost every year since 1990, the study found, grass and shrub fires burned more land than forest fires did, and they destroyed more homes, too."

Source: NYTimes, 11/10/2023

"Nation At Risk Of Winter Blackouts As Power Grid Remains Under Strain"

"The nation’s power grid faces a sharp risk of buckling in the event of major storms or prolonged cold snaps this coming winter, according to the regulator that monitors the electricity system, with much of the country threatened with outages triggered by severe weather."

Source: Washington Post, 11/10/2023

"US Faces Almost Daily Hazardous Chemical Accidents, Research Suggests"

"Hazardous chemical accidents are occurring almost daily, on average, in the United States, exposing people to dangerous toxins through fires, explosions, leaks, spills and other releases, according to a new analysis by non-profit researchers."

Source: Guardian/New Lede, 11/10/2023

As Paradise, California, Rebuilds, Nobody Can Afford Home Insurance

"The soaring cost of home insurance has consumed the town of Paradise, residents and officials say, as it prepares to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the Nov. 8, 2018, Camp Fire. Residents have received annual premiums that near or exceed $10,000 — leaving many to wonder how they’re supposed to rebuild their hard-hit community when insurance is so shockingly high for houses in an area that is supposed to be among the most affordable in California."

Source: AP, 11/08/2023

"Greenland’s Ice Shelves Hold Back Sea Level Rise. There Are Just 5 Left."

"The vast floating ice platforms of northern Greenland, unrivaled features of the Northern Hemisphere that keep our seas lower by holding back many trillion tons of ice, are in stark decline, according to new scientific research published Tuesday."

Source: Washington Post, 11/08/2023

Some Houses Being Built To Stand Up To Hurricanes And Cut Emissions, Too

"When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle five years ago, it left boats, cars and trucks piled up to the windows of Bonny Paulson’s home in the tiny coastal community of Mexico Beach, Florida, even though the house rests on pillars 14 feet above the ground. But Paulson’s home, with a rounded shape that looks something like a ship, shrugged off Category 5 winds that might otherwise have collapsed it."

Source: AP, 11/07/2023
November 30, 2023

Navigating the Polycrisis: From Understanding to Action

The Post Carbon Institute's two-part online event series aims to create a better understanding and response to the polycrisis. Registrants to this free event can participate in either or both sessions and will receive recordings of both. Nov 16 and 30, at 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET).

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