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IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Relentless rains trigger widespread floods in Houston and southern Brazil; April 2024 was the hottest April on record, on land and sea; Man-made global warming is supercharging heavy rains across the U.S.; PLUS: President Biden unveils billions in new funding for rural clean energy, and to remove and replace toxic lead water pipes... All that and more in today's Green News Report!
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IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): Summer heat hits Asia early, killing dozens as one expert calls it the "most extreme event" in climate history; Kenya and Tanzania face 'humanitarian crisis' amid disastrous floods; EPA finally takes on abandoned coal ash ponds, but it might be too late; Climate change-driven insurance crisis threatens new US states; The GOP mega-donor who collued with OPEC; Big winner in Biden’s EV charging revolution: Gas stations... PLUS: Oil companies contaminated a family farm. Regulators let them walk away... and much, MUCH more! ...
STORIES DISCUSSED ON TODAY'S 'GREEN NEWS REPORT'...
- April 2024 was the hottest April ever recorded:
- Globe records its hottest April on record, with subtle signs of a shift (Axios):
Due mainly to a combination of an El Niño event and human-caused climate change, plus an unknown X-factor, this global heat streak has raised fears of breaching the Paris targets earlier than expected. It has also sparked uncomfortable questions about the scientific understanding of warming rates. - A streak of record global heat nears one-year mark (Washington Post):
April marked an 11th consecutive month of record global heat, the latest sign that humans are in uncharted climate territory. But there is reason to predict planetary temperatures could moderate soon, though they would remain far above old normals because of human-caused global warming. - Extreme storms, floods hit southern Brazil:
- Historic floods kill 83, leaving Brazil and its president angry, shaken (Washington Post):
"We have to stop just running after disaster,” Lula said. “We have to start preparing for what can happen from disasters." In a comment exclusively provided to The Washington Post, Lula said he blamed the devastation in Rio Grande do Sul on the failures of the global community to respond to climate change. He said there was a "historic debt." Poorer countries that have historically emitted few greenhouse gases, he said, are suffering due to the pollution of wealthier nations. - Death toll from floods in Brazil reaches 83, with climate change viewed as a major driver (Salon/MSN)
- VIDEO: Dam Collapses, Infrastructure Fails in Brazil Floods (This Is Not Cool blog)
- Relentless storms and floods batter Houston, Texas:
- What the Houston area's floods can teach the rest of the world (Houston Chronicle)
- VIDEO: Heavy rains ease around Houston but flooding remains after hundreds of rescues and evacuations (AP)
- Hidalgo ends mandatory evacuation, says flooding remains for some (Houston Chronicle):
It’s unlikely the flooding will receive the disaster designation it needs for the county to receive federal aid for disaster recovery, Hidalgo said, but Gov. Greg Abbott is going to push for relief. Abbott will appear at a news conference in Conroe Monday afternoon. Hidalgo will also fly to Washington, D.C. tomorrow to ask federal officials to speed up funding for buyouts for those who need to move out of their homes in wake of the flooding. - VIDEO: Texas Drowning. More Rain on the Way (This Is Not Cool blog)
- New analysis shows Extreme Precipitation Days increasing in U.S.:
- Extreme Precipitation in a Warming Climate (Climate Central):
As the climate has warmed from 1958 to 2021, the most extreme precipitation days have intensified in every major U.S. region, led by the Northeast (+60%) and Midwest (+45%). - Biden Dept. of Energy invests in rural clean energy projects:
- Clean energy in rural America gets another big boost of federal funding (Canary Media):
All told, the funding to date covers 20 states and 30 tribal nations...Rural communities, with their small populations and isolation from larger electrical systems, grapple with unique energy challenges. These include high electric bills, high fuel costs, and unreliable energy supplies — or lack of access to electricity altogether. At the same time, rural communities have untapped potential for generating clean energy. - President Biden unveils new round of funding to remove, replace lead water pipes:
- Biden is spending another $3 billion to replace lead pipes. Some experts say it’s not enough. (Washington Post)
- Biden unveils $3 billion for nationwide lead pipe replacement (CNN/MSN)
- VIDEO: Biden announces $3 billion investment toward replacing toxic lead pipes (PBS NewsHour/YouTube)
- President promises to help NC get the lead out (Carolina Public Press)
- FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $3 Billion to Replace Toxic Lead Pipes and Deliver Clean Drinking Water to Communities Across the Country (White House)
'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (Stuff we didn't have time for in today's audio report)...
For a comprehensive roundup of daily environmental news you can trust, see the Society of Environmental Journalists' Daily Headlines page
- Summer heat hits Asia early, killing dozens as one expert calls it the "most extreme event" in climate history (CBS News)
- Kenya and Tanzania Face 'Humanitarian Crisis' Amid Disastrous Floods (AFP)
- Oil Companies Contaminated a Family Farm. Regulators Let Them Walk Away. (Pro Publica)
- EPA Finally Takes On Abandoned Coal Ash Ponds — But It Might Be Too Late (Grist)
- Climate Change-Driven Insurance Crisis Threatens New US States (Thompson Reuters Foundation)
- Why Highway 1 is the climate challenge that California can’t fix (Washington Post)
- VIDEO: In Face of Devastating Findings: Senator Demonstrates State-of-the-Art Climate Denial (This Is Not Cool blog)
- Big winner in Biden’s EV charging revolution: Gas stations (E&E News)
- The Mega-Donor Who Colluded With OPEC (The American Prospect)
- The FTC Wants the Oil Industry to Be Competitive. Good Luck With That. (The New Republic)
- DDT Found In Deep-Sea Fish Raises Troubling Concerns For Food Web (LA Times)
- Quinault Nation's Move To Higher Ground (Indian Country Today)
- Appeals court rejects climate change lawsuit by young Oregon activists against US government (AP)
- BP Was Warned Gas-Driven Climate Change Could Cause ‘Unprecedented Famine’ (DeSmog Blog)
- EPA boosts methane reporting demands for oil and gas (E&E News)
- Biden expands 2 national monuments in NorCal and SoCal significant to tribal nations (CBS San Francisco)
- Smothered by Seaweed: Sargassum Wreaks Havoc on Caribbean Ecosystems (The Revelator)
- How To Spot 5 Of The Fossil Fuel Industry's Biggest Disinformation Tactics (Guardian)
- The Oceans We Knew Are Already Gone (The Atlantic)
- 'In A Word, Horrific': Trump's Extreme Anti-Environment Blueprint (Guardian)
- Plug-in hybrids vs. electric cars: We did the math on which is better for you (Washington Post)
- How to electrify your life when you rent (The Verge)
- Complete Series: Farmers Under Attack for Supporting Clean Energy (This Is Not Cool blog)
- These are the places most at risk from record-breaking heat waves as the planet warms (CNN)
- Feeling Overwhelmed About Going All-Electric at Home? Here's How to Get Started (Inside Climate News)
- Feeling Hopeless About the Climate? Try Our 30-Day Action Plan (The Revelator)
- Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration (Pro Publica)
- Exxon's Snake Oil: 100 years of deception (Columbia Journalism Review)
- VIDEO: A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (The Intercept)
- Project Drawdown: 100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming (Drawdown.org)
- An Optimist's Guide to Solving Climate Change and Saving the World (Vice)