Previous Climate Change News 2021
Arctic Report Card: Climate change transforming Arctic into ‘dramatically different state’ 12-14-21
NOAA’s 2021 Arctic Report Card documents the numerous ways that climate change continues to fundamentally alter this once reliably-frozen region, as increasing heat and the loss of ice drive its transformation into a warmer, less frozen and more uncertain future. Read more
A Future With Little to No Snow? What That Means for the West 12-06-21
A new study hopes to inspire water managers — and the rest of us — to begin planning for how climate change will dramatically reduce snowpack. Read more
How a Native American tribe on Long Island is losing its land to rising seas 12-05-21
The Shinnecock Indian Nation once had seasonal villages that stretched across the eastern end of Long Island. But after centuries of land loss and forced relocation, more than 600 tribe members now live on a shrinking 1.5 square mile peninsula. Read more
Toxic Tides: Climate Change Expected to Cause 400 Toxic California Sites to Flood by 2100 12-03-21
Communities of color are five times more likely than the general population to live within half a mile of a toxic site that could flood. Read more
Calling climate change a ‘crisis’ doesn’t do what you think 11-29-21
Getting people to act takes more than strong words, a new study says. Read more
How ‘Climate Migrants’ Are Roiling American Politics 11-27-21
Refugees fleeing weather-related disasters are changing the political equation in Florida, Virginia, California, Idaho and beyond. Read more
Saving History With Sandbags: Climate Change Threatens the Smithsonian 11-25-21
Beneath the National Museum of American History, floodwaters are intruding into collection rooms, a consequence of a warming planet. A fix remains years away. Read more
In defense of leftovers 11-22-21
Americans claim to idolize Thanksgiving leftovers. The piles of food waste say otherwise. Read more
More U.S. Residents Than Ever Before Understand Climate Crisis is Real and Dangerous 11-19-21
People in the U.S. are taking the climate crisis more seriously than ever before, a new survey indicates. Read more
Public schools are failing students on climate change 11-19-21
A new book exposes systemic shortcomings in the way global warming is taught in America. Read more
Banks pledged $130 trillion for climate action. Activists aren’t impressed. 11-04-21
Some activists believe financial institutions’ most recent climate promises are just more greenwashing. Read more
10 Facebook Publishers Responsible for Nearly 70% of Climate Change Denial Content 11-02-21
The publishers are largely products of the political right and have a combined 186 million followers on major social media networks. Read more
New budget deal marks the biggest climate investment in U.S. history 10-28-21
The $555 billion focused on cutting carbon emissions includes tax credits for businesses and consumers, but omits a key plan targeting the U.S. power sector. Read more
Why activism needs to be part of any meaningful climate education 10-20-21
Many students skipped school or staged class walkouts to participate in the Sept. 24 day of action, the latest surge of activity from the school strike movement that launched in late 2018. Read more
18 Weather Disasters in 2021 Cost US $1 Billion or More Each 10-12-21
According to a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there have been 18 billion-dollar weather disasters in 2021, surpassing 2020’s disaster costs with almost three months still left until 2022. Read more
Nobel Prize Awarded to Three Climate Science Pioneers 10-05-21
As climate change finally becomes central to global diplomacy and policy, three scientists have won the Nobel Prize in physics for their contributions to “the foundation of our knowledge of the earth’s climate and how humanity influences it.” Read more
FEMA’s new flood insurance plan is drawing the battle lines over climate adaptation 10-01-21
“The new system confirms what we knew about the National Flood Insurance Program — which was that it’s a deeply unfair system.” Read more
Earth to CNN: No, a nuclear-powered superyacht won’t save the world 09-28-21
Who knew that a sexy nuclear superyacht could save us from climate catastrophe? That was the awesome news from CNN’s travel desk yesterday. Read more
NASA Finds Arctic Ice Melt Forms Clouds that Fuel Warming 09-27-21
Scientists have discovered another vicious cycle that has taken root in our environment due to climate change — this time, between sea ice and clouds. New NASA research has found that melting arctic ice is exposing the surface of the Arctic ocean, in turn fueling cloud formations that blanket the Arctic and keep it too warm to refreeze. Read more
Newsom Sets Aside $15 Billion for Climate Change Prevention 09-24-21
Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed a $15 billion package to fund climate change and drought mitigation strategies. Read more
US north-east faces rapid warming amid global climate crisis 09-23-21
Coast has already heated up by 2C over the past century, thanks in part to warming Atlantic Ocean Read more
Dam Straight 09-21-21
The Biden administration has an opportunity to address an important but often overlooked aspect of the climate crisis: dams and hydropower. They contribute to climate change, send species to extinction, and displace communities. Read more
Reality Check: Climate Action and Commitments of the Fortune Global 500 09-21-21
There’s been a three-fold increase in climate targets by Fortune Global 500companies over the past three years, but more than 60% still don’t have any commitments on the books. Read more
‘We will have a really long, long memory’: Greens calling businesses’ bluff on climate change 09-13-21
Activists want the companies that have called for federal climate action to get behind the $3.5 trillion package: “We will have a really long, long memory.” Read more
‘No point in anything else’: Gen Z members flock to climate careers 09-06-21
Colleges offer support as young people aim to devote their lives to battling the crisis Read more
Ida turned into a disaster for the Northeast 09-02-21
The storm showed the region is not prepared for climate change. Read more
How sea-level rise is making hurricanes like Ida more destructive 09-01-21
The Gulf Coast has some of the highest sea-level rise in the country, in part due to climate change.
Hurricane Ida Batters Southeast Louisiana on 16th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina 08-29-21
Yesterday, on the 16th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 storm. Read more
These Maps Tell the Story of Two Americas: One Parched, One Soaked 08-24-21
The country, like most of the world, is becoming both drier and wetter in the era of climate change. It depends where you live. Read more
Denser cities could be a climate boon – but nimbyism stands in the way 08-22-21
Drawing people into cities could cut emissions and combat housing crises. But even progressives are hard to convince. Read more
Print Media Reports on Climate Change with 90% Accuracy, Study Finds 08-18-21
According to an international study from the University of Colorado Boulder and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), major print media in five countries have covered climate change with a 90% accuracy rate over the last 15 years. Read more
FEMA Will Take Climate Change Into Account In Flood Insurance Overhaul 08-17-21
As it stands, a property’s elevation and whether it has a 1% annual chance of flooding factor into the flood insurance risk rating. Read more
July 2021 Was the Hottest Month Ever Recorded 08-15-21
July 2021 was the hottest month in 142 years of record-keeping, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Read more
How Can I Convince Doomers That It’s Not Too Late to Fight Climate Change? 08-13-21
NRDC senior scientist Kim Knowlton explains how to stay in the fight—not throw up your hands. Read more
A Hotter Future Is Certain, Climate Panel Warns. But How Hot Is Up to Us. 08-09-21
Some devastating impacts of global warming are now unavoidable, a major new scientific report finds. But there is still a short window to stop things from getting even worse. Read more
Stuck in the Smoke as Billionaires Blast Off 07-23-21
Climate inaction was never really about denial. Rich countries just thought poorer countries would bear the brunt of the crisis. Read more
Lessons from the Fight for the Grand Canyon 07-20-21
We once saved natural landmarks for their beauty—now it’s for survival, too. Read more
RCC Joins more than 500 environmental groups to pan carbon capture plans 07-20-21
‘There are still no projects operating anywhere in the world that have delivered on time, on budget, or in the quantities promised.’ Read more
How many 500-year floods must Detroit endure in a decade? 07-13-21
Detroit’s flooding problem needs long-term climate solutions. Read more
Op-ed: Another road is possible 07-08-21
To tackle climate change and save lives, the Biden Administration needs to support bike- and pedestrian-friendly streets. Read more
The climate crisis will create two classes: those who can flee, and those who cannot 07-07-21
Nearly 700 million people worldwide live in low coastal zones vulnerable to sea-level rise and coastal storms. That number could reach a billion by 2050. Read more
I Moved to Portland Because It Seemed Like a Safe Bet in the Face of Climate Change. I Was Naïve 06-29-21
A dispatch from under the heat dome that shattered temperature records in the Pacific Northwest Read more
Is climate change amping up the Pacific Northwest heat wave? Yes — and it’s time to stop asking. 06-29-21
Scientists say the burden of proof has shifted for connecting heat waves and global warming. Read more
For Florida’s corals, no escape from climate change 06-28-21
Some corals will be able to migrate poleward to escape rising temperatures. But scientists say Florida’s reefs have nowhere to go. Read more
For flood-prone cities, seawalls raise as many questions as they answer 06-23-21
Everybody has heard the old cliché, “It’s the canary in a coal mine.” But how about the new and improved version? Be prepared to start using “Like a Veery in hurricane season.” Read more
‘The ocean is coming.’ A chieftess sees her islands sink 06-16-21
The Gullah/Geechee Nation of the south Atlantic coast is one of the most climate-threatened peoples in the world. Read more
Climate Change Has Central Americans Fleeing to the U.S. 06-08-21
José Mario Antonio Milla can remember a time when he could count on the rain. In La Laguna, a hamlet of about 60 families in western Honduras, showers used to start at the end of April and continue through November, ensuring a healthy harvest of corn to feed his family. Read more
Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere Hits Record High Despite Pandemic Dip 06-07-21
Global emissions dropped last year, but the decline wasn’t nearly enough to halt the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Read more
IEA Outline Roadmap for World to Reach Net-Zero by 2050 05-20-21
Yesterday, the International Energy Agency–an international energy forum comprised of 29 industrialized countries under the OEDC – issued a comprehensive roadmap of what it would take for the world to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 while keeping to the 1.5C goal. Read more
Paris climate agreement overlooks wood pellet loophole 04-26-21
“This rule that was designed to prevent you from counting carbon twice has effectively become a rule in which no carbon is counted at all.”—
Cameron Oglesby. Read more
Interstate water wars are heating up along with the climate 04-19-21
Interstate water disputes are as American as apple pie. States often think a neighboring state is using more than its fair share from a river, lake or aquifer that crosses borders. Read more
Despite Tensions, U.S. and China Agree to Work Together on Climate Change 04-17-21
The two countries said they would treat global warming “with the seriousness and urgency that it demands.” Read more
Companies Plan to Crush Climate Efforts 04-14-21
With the annual proxy season about to kick off, corporate executives are encountering increasing investor scrutiny about their environmental policies. Read more
Curb climate change the easy way: Don’t cut down big trees 04-07-21
Protecting forests is an essential strategy in the fight against climate change that has not received the attention it deserves. Read more
Cherry Blossoms Bloom Early Across The World 03-30-21
Both Kyoto, Japan, and Washington D.C. are known for their cherry blossom seasons in the first few weeks of warming spring weather. This year, cherry blossom season came early in both of these cities. Read more at Our Daily Planet
Corporate climate pledges earn failing grades from investors 03-22-21
Investors managing $54 trillion are turning up the pressure on top emitters. Read more at Grist
Hawaii’s rains, floods cited as examples of climate change 03-11-21
Heavy rains are part of the winter wet season in Hawaiian Islands. But the downpours triggering flooding that destroyed homes and bridges and set off mass evacuations on multiple islands this week are also an example of the more intense rainstorms officials and climate scientists say are occurring more frequently as the planet warms. Read more at AP News
Bankrolling Deforestation 03-08-21
Unsustainable and privatized agriculture and food production is responsible for approximately 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Read more at Our Daily Planet
Northeast US: Walking, Biking Could Save Billions, Lives 03-01-21
Investing in walking and biking, coupled with proposed emissions caps, could save hundreds of lives and billions of dollars each year in the Northeast United States. Read more at Futurity
The Climate Crisis and Wall Street 02-25-21
It was likely too much to hope that the Biden Administration, as it tries to get a handle on climate change, might find some help from Wall Street. Instead, last week, we saw financial heavyweights turn in a performance so rigid and so short-sighted that it makes one wonder whether capitalism in anything resembling its current form can, or should, survive. Read more at The New Yorker
What’s Really Behind Corporate Promises on Climate Change? 02-22-21
Many big businesses have not set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Others have weak goals. Read more at The New York Times
US rejoins Paris accord with warning: This year’s talks are ‘last, best hope’ 02-20-21
The U.S. has marked its return to the Paris Agreement by urging countries to do more to confront the climate crisis, with America’s climate envoy, John Kerry, warning that international talks this year are the “last, best hope” of avoiding catastrophic global heating. Read more at Grist
Keeping trees in the ground where they are already growing is an effective low-tech way to slow climate change 02-22-21
Protecting forests is an essential strategy in the fight against climate change that has not received the attention it deserves. Read more at The Conversation
500+ experts call on world’s nations to not burn forests to make energy 02-15-21
Contributing more to the U.S.economy and getting less in return. Read the full Ohio River Valley Institute Report. Read more at Mongabay
The avocado in your Super Bowl guacamole is bad for the environment. You can make it better. 02-04-21
This Super Bowl Sunday will be different. Instead of at a party, I’ll be at home alone with my husband. And we’ll be paying more than four times as much for our guacamole. Read more at The Washington Post
Climate crisis: world is at its hottest for at least 12,000 years – study 01-27-21
Scientists say temperatures globally at highest level since start of human civilisation. Read more at The Guardian
Schumer Supports Declaring Climate Change a National Emergency 01-27-21
Declaring a national emergency would give the president more powers to combat climate change and divert funding toward green policy without going through Congress. Read more at Our Daily Planet
The push for standing forest protections in US climate policy 01-19-21
Researchers say “proforestation” policies are the fastest and most effective way to draw excess CO2 out of the atmosphere. Read more at Environmental Health News
Biden Plans to Fight Climate Change in a New Way 01-12-21
Joe Biden is preparing to deal with climate change in a way no U.S. president has done before Read more at EcoWatch
As the Arctic melts, a regime shift is taking place 01-12-21
The Arctic is changing faster than any environment on Earth. The old order is being swept away, leaving scientists to ask: What’s coming in its place? Read more at ABC News
A Massachusetts city will post climate change warning stickers at gas stations 01-01-21
Cambridge, Massachusetts, has become the first U.S. city to mandate the placing of stickers on fuel pumps to warn drivers of the resulting dangers posed by the climate crisis. Read more at Grist