Susceptibility to landslides is more on the minds of environmental reporters, especially in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which caused hundreds of them. To get a better read on local landslide risk for local stories, Reporter’s Toolbox recommends an enhanced resource from the U.S. Geological Survey, which layers the risk data into easily readable map form.
"Coal has powered the world's factories, heated homes and fuelled economies for more than a century - and usage driven by the power sector continues to rise despite global promises to kick the habit and save the climate."
"The federal pesticide regulator collaborated with an agrochemical giant to undermine research by a prominent Canadian scientist to stave off an impending ban of a class of pesticides harmful to human brains and sperm and deadly to bees, insects and birds, Canada's National Observer has found."
"World leaders, environmental activists and prominent researchers have begun to arrive in Cali, Colombia, for a biodiversity summit that experts say will be decisive for the fate of the world’s rapidly declining wildlife populations."
When Hurricane Helene ravaged a swath of the Southeast in September, leaving at least 230 people dead, it also temporarily took out a critical repository of climate data in Asheville, North Carolina. That got Reporter’s Toolbox thinking about the risks to some of the nation’s other important storehouses of environmental information, whether from extreme weather, hackers or politics. Here’s a shortlist.
"A fossil fuel giant with deep ties to Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, along with other powerful pro-business groups, are explicitly pressuring Gorsuch and his fellow justices to rule in favor of oil and gas interests in an upcoming Supreme Court case."
"Wildlife populations around the world continue dropping precipitously, according to an important but limited and often misinterpreted assessment that’s issued every two years."
"128 “Grazer” made Fat Bear Week history Tuesday night by becoming the first competitor to win the tournament while caring for a cub. Her victory over 32 “Chunk” also felt deeply personal for legions of her online fans; earlier this summer, Grazer’s enormous rival attacked the second of her offspring, who later died of the injuries."
"Despite decades of donations and research footed by the industry, we’re just now beginning to understand how much fossil fuel money has shaped academia."
"Among the many pieces of critical infrastructure that Hurricane Helene knocked offline in Asheville, N.C., was a key federal office for monitoring the global climate. Work is underway to get the facility running again, but the outage is likely to delay some agencies’ monthly updates on global warming and other climate indicators."
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