Climate Change

The Washington Post reports: The Trump administration released a dire scientific report Friday detailing the growing threats of climate change. The report stands in stark contrast to the administration’s efforts to downplay humans’ role in global warming, withdraw from an international climate accord and reverse Obama-era policies aimed at curbing U.S. greenhouse-gas output. The White House did not seek to …

The New York Times reports: The Environmental Protection Agency has removed dozens of online resources dedicated to helping local governments address climate change, part of an apparent effort by the agency to play down the threat of global warming. A new analysis made public on Friday found that an E.P.A. website has been scrubbed of scores of links to materials …

The New York Times reports: With Tropical Storm Ophelia’s transition to Hurricane Ophelia on Thursday, 2017 became the first year in more than a century — and only the fourth on record — in which 10 Atlantic storms in a row reached hurricane strength. Franklin. Gert. Harvey. Irma. Jose. Katia. Lee. Maria. Nate. Ophelia. Ophelia, far out in the Atlantic, …

The New York Times reports: The Trump administration announced Monday that it would take formal steps to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature policy to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, setting up a bitter fight over the future of America’s efforts to tackle global warming. At an event in eastern Kentucky, Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection …

ABC News reports: In a Pew poll in early September 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, just a quarter of Americans thought climate change likely was responsible for its severity. Two-thirds said it was more likely “just the kind of severe weather that happens from time to time.” As the storm’s impact became clear, more, 39 percent, blamed climate change just …

The Associated Press reports: One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Puerto Rico pummeled the island Wednesday, tearing off roofs and sending doors flying from hinges as officials warned Hurricane Maria would decimate the power company’s crumbling infrastructure and force the government to rebuild dozens of communities. Maria, which has killed at least nine in the Caribbean, made landfall …

CNN reports: Hurricane Maria is forecast to rapidly strengthen over the next two days as it takes aim at Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Irma just days ago. “Significant strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Maria is expected to become a dangerous major hurricane before it moves through the Leeward Islands,” according to the National Hurricane Center’s …

“We’ve come together today to love on the people who have been devastated by the hurricanes. When love goes into action, it preferences no color of skin, no ethnicity, no religious beliefs, no sexual preferences, and no political persuasions. It just loves. As we should begin to love and value our planet. And anyone who believes that there’s no such …

ABC News reports: Cara Mund is not worried that she may begin her year-long reign as Miss America by starting a Twitter war with the nation’s Tweeter-In-Chief. The 23-year-old Miss North Dakota won the crown Sunday night in Atlantic City after saying in an onstage interview that President Donald Trump was wrong to pull the United States out of the …

The Daily Mail reports: Rush Limbaugh closed out his popular radio program on Thursday by announcing he would be off the air on Friday and broadcasting next week from ‘parts unknown’ as he and other residents of Palm Beach were ordered to evacuate before Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida. That announcement came just two days after Limbaugh delivered a …

Business Insider reports: Chocolate giant Mars is promising to spend close to $1 billion over the next few years fighting climate change. The $35 billion food giant behind brands like M&Ms, Skittles, and Twix on Wednesday launched its “Sustainability in a Generation” plan, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of its business and supply chain by more than 60% by …

The Washington Examiner reports: Kellyanne Conway didn’t take kindly to Chris Cuomo insistence on talking about climate change during an interview about Hurricane Harvey disaster relief on Wednesday night, prompting her to say the CNN host was playing “amateur climatologist.” Conway, who is counselor to President Trump, pushed back on Cuomo’s question, saying the focus should remain on helping “the …

The Washington Post reports: The Trump administration has decided to disband the federal advisory panel for the National Climate Assessment, a group aimed at helping policymakers and private-sector officials incorporate the government’s climate analysis into long-term planning. The charter for the 15-person Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment — which includes academics as well as local officials and …

Politico reports: Last year was Earth’s warmest on record, according to an international climate report issued Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that documents other record-breaking global warming trends of 2016. The report is the most comprehensive assessment of the effects of climate change released by the Trump administration, and it could make it easier to refute efforts …

The Guardian reports: Staff at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been told to avoid using the term climate change in their work, with the officials instructed to reference “weather extremes” instead. A series of emails obtained by the Guardian between staff at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a USDA unit that oversees farmers’ land conservation, show that …

The Independent reports: The world will almost certainly reach a tipping point and bring about unstoppable, destructive climate change, according to a new study. There is a 90 per cent chance that the world’s temperature will rise 2C, to 4.9C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, despite measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s at that point …

Talking Points Memo reports: Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), noted climate change denier and chair of the House Science Committee, on Monday penned an eyebrow-raising op-ed that argued there are “benefits” to a changing climate. “The benefits of a changing climate are often ignored and under-researched. Our climate is too complex and the consequences of misguided policies too harsh to discount …

The HuffPost reports: Former Vice President Al Gore says he’s given up hope that President Donald Trump will act on key climate issues. Gore recounted to “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert his optimism after his meeting with Trump to discuss climate change and the landmark Paris Accord. Trump had promised supporters during the campaign that he would pull out of …

ABC News reports: One of the biggest icebergs ever recorded, a trillion-ton behemoth more than seven times the size of New York City, has broken off of Antarctica, triggering disagreement among scientists over whether global warming is to blame. The event, captured by satellite, happened sometime in the past few days when the giant chunk snapped off an ice shelf. …

Via press release from the United Nations: The world population is now at least 7.6 billion, up from 7.4 billion last year, spurred by the relatively high levels of fertility in developing countries – despite an overall drop in the number of children people have around the globe – the United Nations today reported. The concentration of global population growth …