Environment
Trees Are Missing in Low-Income Neighborhoods
More tree cover would lower disproportionately high levels of heat and pollution
Stories by Daniel Cusick
Climate Change
You Can Taste Climate Change in this Awful Beer
New Belgium Brewing is selling a smoke-flavored brew as a sensory warning about agriculture’s troubles to come
Engineering
Mississippi River Rescue Plan Called Too Big to Fail
Controversy surrounds the plan to cut the river’s massive levee in an attempt to save disappearing wetlands
Environment
Mississippi Mud Might Stop Louisiana from Disappearing
Engineers will tap river sediment to try to create wetlands faster than they are disappearing
Natural Disasters
Climate-Fueled Disasters Killed 475,000 People over 20 Years
Puerto Rico was identified as suffering the greatest climate impacts over that time period
Climate Change
Could Floating Cities Be a Haven as Coastlines Submerge?
“Seasteader” housing built on platforms would rise and fall with the tides, but practical challenges are huge
Climate Change
Incoming EPA Chief Vows ‘Sense of Urgency on Climate’
Michael Regan has said the agency will work quickly on addressing climate change, water pollution and environmental inequities
Environment
Flood Risks to Low-Income Homes to Triple by 2050
Such housing is often already in poor repair, and residents are already struggling to make ends meet
Natural Disasters
Record-Breaking Tropical Storm Eta Drenches Florida
Torrential rains deluged the southern part of the state, with the storm set to hit the Gulf Coast this weekend
Climate Change
Climate Helped Turn These 5 Places into Ghost Towns
Sea level rise, river floods and wildfires have destroyed some settlements and forced others to relocate
Natural Disasters
Hurricane-Resistant Building Code Helped Protect Alabama from Sally’s Winds
Coastal areas of the state are national leaders in adopting a standard that protects roofs
Natural Disasters
Hurricane Sally Rumbles Onshore with Echoes of Harvey
The storm’s torrential rain and life-threatening storm surge are causing major flooding along the Gulf Coast
Climate Change
A Rebuilt Paradise Nervously Watches Wildfire on the Horizon
Communities in fire-prone areas are facing tough decisions on whether to stay and rebuild or move
Natural Disasters
A Proposed Storm Surge Barrier Could Protect Texas from Storms like Laura
There are concerns, though, about the time it will take to build the network of sea walls, surge gates and other infrastructure
Climate Change
The U.S. Needs to Address Its Climate Migration Problem
With rising seas threatening coastal communities, federal watchdog warns the government’s scattershot approach needs revising
Climate Change
Chicago Learned Climate Lessons from Its Deadly 1995 Heat Wave
The city was initially slow to change after the disaster killed 739 people, but is now a model for heat preparedness
Environment
Warming Could Lower One Barrier to Invasive Fish Reaching Great Lakes
Mussels in the lakes, themselves invasive species, may not be able to outcompete Asian carp for food, as previously thought
Climate Change
Wireless Technology Could Help Climate-Proof the Internet
Such a system could bypass the fiber-optic cables that can be severed when storms down utility poles
Environment
FEMA Flood Maps Miss Risk to Millions of Homes
The new analysis could help property owners, municipalities and financial institutions better prepare for future inundation
Engineering
Green Infrastructure Can Be Cheaper, More Effective than Dams
A new report advocates for governments to increase funding for projects like floodplain restoration
