Sea Level Stakes for the Caribbean, in Pictures
Long-term sea level rise set in motion by near-term carbon emissions threatens major coastal cities across the world. Science-based imagery helps show the stakes for the Caribbean. The first image in each pair below shows projections of post-2100 sea level rise that could be locked in following 4°C (7.2°F) of warming from carbon pollution. This … Read More
The 10 Most Important U.S. Climate Stories in 2017
Following a year of weather extremes, disasters and policy clashes, we asked our readers to help us pick out the most important climate stories from the U.S. in 2017. This was a brutal year for hurricanes in the U.S. A trifecta of storms (Harvey, Irma and Maria) battered Florida, the Gulf Coast and Puerto Rico, causing deaths and widespread … Read More
Antarctic Modeling Pushes Up Sea-Level Rise Projections
Antarctic ice sheet models double the sea-level rise expected this century if global emissions of heat-trapping pollution remain high, according to a new study led by Dr. Robert Kopp of Rutgers University and co-authored by scientists at Climate Central. Global average sea level is expected to rise by one foot between 2000 and 2050 and by several… Read More
How Smoke From California’s Fires is Harming the Most Vulnerable
David Ewing wore a bright white dust mask, his face behind it puffy and red, as he sat on a stone bench in downtown Santa Barbara, California. A fine layer of ash covered the pavement at his feet, dirty residue from wildfires ravaging the region. “When I woke up yesterday I couldn't breathe,” said Ewing, who is homeless and has been diagnosed with… Read More
Breathing Fire
As the deadliest fires in California history swept through leafy neighborhoods here, Kathleen Sarmento fled her home in the dark, drove to an evacuation center and began setting up a medical triage unit. Patients with burns and other severe injuries were dispatched to hospitals. She set about treating many people whose symptoms resulted from… Read More
Western Wildfires Undermining Progress on Air Pollution
Smoke pollution is leading to serious public health impacts as large wildfires across the American West become more frequent and destructive. These fires are undermining progress made during recent decades in reducing pollution from tailpipes, power plants, and other industrial sources. The increasing frequency and area burned by large fires is … Read More
These U.S. Cities Are Most Vulnerable to Major Coastal Flooding and Sea Level Rise
Here's how rising seas could grow FEMA floodplains.… Read More
Brazil’s Worst Month Ever for Forest Fires Blamed on Human Activity
Brazil has seen more forest fires in September than in any single month since records began, and authorities have warned that 2017 could surpass the worst year on record if action is not taken soon. Experts say that the blazes are almost exclusively due to human activity, and they attribute the uptick to the expansion of agriculture and a … Read More