| Unprecedented Tropical Trouble for US: For the first time in recorded history, three tropical storm systems are threatening the US simultaneously, and a fourth could quickly join the ranks. Two back-to-back storms – currently Hurricanes Madeline and Lester – could hit Hawaii’s Big Island this week, while two others are forecast to impact North Carolina and Florida’s Gulf Coast. If either storm makes landfall on the Big Island as a hurricane, it would be the first since record-keeping began. (News: Mashable, Gizmodo, AP, NBC News, CNN, Washington Post $, Reuters, CNBC, Tampa Bay Times, USA Today. Commentary: Pacific Standard, Eric Holthaus column)
Florida Says Yes to Solar Tax Breaks: An overwhelming majority of voters in Florida approved a measure which provides tax breaks on solar installations for residential and business owners. Amendment 4, which received unanimous support from both chambers of the state legislature, will make rooftop solar cheaper and support its expansion. The Sunshine State is currently 14th nationwide in installed solar capacity, though it ranks third in rooftop solar potential. Florida will vote on another measure in November, utility-backed Amendment 1, which could make net metering unattractive in the state. (CBS Local, Florida Today, WLRN, Orlando Sentinel)
Northeast Farmers Cope With Drought: More than 175,000 farms in Northeastern US are struggling to manage scant water resources as the region suffers from its worst drought in more than a decade. Farmers have had to deal with lower yields or forego some crops entirely. This crisis has also put the spotlight on more sustainable farming practices as the farmers who are accustomed to a certain climate begin to adapt to warming. As climatologist Mark Svoboda notes, “You’ve got this apathy when times are good, and then you panic when you’re in the middle of a drought.” (NPR) |
