To Encourage Climate Action, Talk Up the Benefits of Adaptation
Rather than emphasizing the harm climate change will cause, promoting the economic benefits of mitigation does more to spur public action
Stories by Thomas Frank
It’s Lights Out in California to Deal with Climate Risks
An intentional blackout was aimed at keeping power equipment from sparking a wildfire
Cell Phone Service Must Be Restored Quicker after Hurricanes
Officials pressure wireless companies so first responders and residents can communicate and save lives
Conundrum: Why People Do Not Listen to Evacuation Orders
Researchers try to fathom why half the residents who drowned in Superstorm Sandy were in homes where evacuations were mandatory
Immediate Climate Action Is Needed to Avoid “Grim” Future, Scientists Warn
Global warming is already taking a higher toll than researchers projected, a new study says
Floodwaters Diverted from New Orleans Killed Off Marine Life
Water from the swollen Mississippi River fueled algae blooms and reduced salinity in the Gulf of Mexico
Trump Administration Releases Billions in Disaster Resilience Funding
Rather than simply rebuilding, the $7.65 billion is intended to reduce communities’ vulnerabilities to storms, floods and fires
Dorian Drives Home Warnings of Climate Influence on Hurricanes
After pummeling the Bahamas, the storm is expected to skirt the East Coast of the U.S.
Why the U.S. Disaster Agency Is Not Ready for Catastrophes
Responding unnecessarily to smaller events has left FEMA understaffed and short of funds for major disasters
Southern U.S. Lags North on Disaster Resilience
Though one of the least resilient counties is New York County, or Manhattan
Flood Insurance Program Increasingly Underwater as Payouts Shatter Records
Louisiana and Texas accounted for half the money paid out by the National Flood Insurance Program since 1973
What Long-Awaited Disaster Funding Does—and Does Not—Include
The Department of Defense was the biggest benefactor, with money going to rebuild bases
Levees Won’t Save Louisiana from a Climate “Existential Crisis”
A stark new report lays out the ways the state will need to adapt, beyond traditional engineering approaches
Hurricane Maria Prompts Rare Investigation into Building Damage
The National Institute of Standards and Technology inquiry will also examine communications failures and the storms’ death toll
Congress Is Likely to Delay Flood Insurance Overhaul, Again
The National Flood Insurance Program, scheduled to expire on May 31, will likely be temporarily renewed unchanged
After a $14-Billion Upgrade, New Orleans' Levees Are Sinking
Sea-level rise and ground subsidence will render the flood barriers inadequate in just four years
Coastal Conservation Plan Sparks Fight Over Sand
Beach communities that rely on dredging to replenish protective dunes object to expanded federal protections
The Private Sector Is Returning to the Flood Insurance Game
New technology and increased investment could help expand paltry flood coverage
Tornado Activity Is Shifting, but Is It Due to Warming?
The timing and frequency of tornadoes has changed, and events are becoming costlier
Rising Seas Soaked Home Owners for $16 Billion over 12 Years
The threat of flooding has driven some buyers away and caused losses in property values
