#ClimateFacts: Toxic Chemical Floods

2,500 toxic chemical sites across the U.S. are in imminent danger of spilling.

What Killed The Puffins?

Thousands of puffins died all at once off the coast of Alaska. Now, scientists finally know the reason why.

The Hottest Place On Earth

330 million people are blistering under a 122 degree heatwave in India, and it won’t be the last one.

Orangutan Extinction

If we don’t stop deforestation, orangutans could go extinct within the next ten years. Harrison Ford goes to Indonesia to learn what’s going on.

Climate change isn’t all melting glaciers and warming weather. Here are six ways climate change will impact you that you may never have considered.

In 1930, there were approximately 10 million elephants in Africa. Today there are only 350,000. By 2030, there could be zero.

#ClimateFacts: Dying Oceans

Scientists have discovered the oceans are warming 40% faster than previously thought. Joshua Jackson heads to Australia to learn what climate change means for the future of coral reefs.

Insect Extinction

The world’s insects are disappearing, in part because of climate change. If we don’t stop it, this disappearance will set off a catastrophic chain of events.

#ClimateFacts: Flooded Farms

Midwestern farmers have already lost a million animals and a million acres of crops to climate fueled flooding this year. For many families, it may mean the end of the line.

#ClimateFacts: Glacier Danger

There are about 200,000 glaciers all across the world. But they’re melting and the communities that depend on them are feeling the pain.

#ClimateFacts: Midwest Historic Floods

A bomb cyclone has slammed into the Midwest leaving devastating flooding in its wake, and forecasters say this could be just the beginning.

#ClimateFacts: Black Carbon

Huge swathes of the Arctic are turning black and scientists have finally discovered the reason why.

#ClimateFacts: Plants Don’t Suck

One of the most powerful tools in the fight against climate change may be reaching its limit.

#ClimateFacts: Bankrupted By Climate

Pacific Gas and Electric is the largest utility in California, providing power to over 40% of the state. In the wake of the deadly wildfire seasons of the past two years, the company is facing bankruptcy.

#ClimateFacts: The Storm Inside

In the aftermath of a climate disaster, survivors may recover physically but the mental health impacts can last for years to come. Psychiatrist Lise Van Susteren explains “solastalgia” and other aspects of climate anxiety.

#ClimateFacts: Boiling Oceans

Scientists have discovered that the world’s oceans are warming 40% faster than we thought. That has dire implications for sea creatures and people.

#ClimateFacts: The Junk Food Effect

The increased levels of carbon dioxide is having an effect on how plants grow–and their nutrients.

2018: A Year In Climate Disasters

2018 was a brutal year for climate change fueled disasters, but without action it will be just a small preview of things to come.

#CimateFacts: Heading Towards Collapse

Rice, the world’s most important crop, is heading towards collapse. If we don’t stop climate change, nearly half the world could be left hungry.

#ClimateFacts: Ocean Dead Zones

The oceans are running out of oxygen, and climate change is fueling the decline.

Attack of the Bark Beetle

There’s something out there killing more trees than all forest fires combined, and it’s smaller than a fingernail.

#ClimateFacts: California’s Wildfires Are The New Abnormal

The wildfire ravaging California is now the deadliest in state history. This isn’t the new normal, it’s the new abnormal, and we need to talk about why.

#ClimateFacts: Rings of Fire

Wildfires are raging across California once again, raising the question: Can wildfire season get any worse? Former firefighter Tom Swetnam has discovered a way to understand the future of fires by looking into the past. 

#ClimateFacts: The Secret Cost of Air Pollution

Air pollution isn’t just bad for your lungs, it’s bad for your brain.

Why Lesley Stahl Thinks President Trump Should Go to Greenland

President Donald Trump may have told Lesley Stahl that he doesn’t know if humans are causing climate change, but that doesn’t change the fact that scientists do. Years of Living Dangerously sent Lesley to Greenland to meet with one, and see the impacts herself.

#ClimateFacts: HSBC’s Climate Warning

HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks is warning that climate change poses a major threat to the world economy, and it’s not alone. 

#ClimateFacts: The Degree of Disaster

The worst of climate change was supposed to be decades away, but the worlds top climate scientists just came out with the latest edition of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report saying it’s closer than we ever could have ever imagined.

Hurricane Michael Hits

Supercharged by extra-warm ocean waters, Hurricane Michael slammed into Florida with windspeeds just 2 miles per hour short of a Category 5 storm.

#ClimateFacts: The End of Coal

In 1950 there were 388,000 coal miners in the U.S. Today there are 53,000. It’s time to talk honestly about the real reasons why.

#ClimateFacts: Dengue Fever

If we don’t tackle climate change, the world could see over 12 million more cases of dengue fever each year due to growing mosquito populations. In some cases, that could be deadly.

Hurricane Florence Bears Down

Here’s how climate change is setting the stage to make Hurricane Florence one of the most destructive storms ever to hit the East Coast.

#ClimateFacts: The Worst Polluter

Some people try to argue that the United States shouldn’t act on climate change because China and India aren’t doing their part. Here’s how you can respond to them.

#ClimateFacts: Nighttime Heat

Scorching midday heat is making all the headlines, but there’s a bigger story happening at night. There are some serious health risks if they body can’t cool off during the nighttime.

The Carr Wildfire

The Carr wildfire raged across California to become one of the most destructive fires in state history, but if we stay on our current course, megafires like this will be the new norm.

#ClimateFacts: Forest Loss in 2017

In 2017 alone, 40 football fields worth of forest were cut down or burned…every minute. That’s terrible news for climate change.

#ClimateFacts: Wildfires In Greece

Greece is experiencing the worst wildfires in decades, with at least 80 deaths. If we don’t do something about climate change, we’ll see consequences like these more often.

#ClimateFacts: Global Heat Waves

Record-breaking heat waves are rippling across the planet, bringing death and destruction in their wake.

#ClimateFacts: Ticks and Climate Change

A warming planet means more ticks, and more diseases like Lyme, in more places than ever before. 

#ClimateFacts: How California Wildfires Hurt Farmers

In 2017, California’s record wildfire season devastated farmers and ranchers, hitting them with a bill of over $170 million. 

#ClimateFacts: Hurricane Maria’s Impact on Agriculture

When Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, it virtually wiped out farmers and ranchers, putting the island’s ability to feed itself in jeopardy.

CURRENT SOURCES: [i] USAToday.com. Puerto Rico’s farmers face near total loss from Hurricane Maria. Oct. 7th. 2017. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/10/07/puerto-ricos-farmers-face-near-total-loss-hurricane-maria/736372001/ [ii] Ibid. [iii] Eater.com. How Puerto Rico’s Food Industry Is Picking Up the Pieces After Hurricane Maria. Dec. 8th. 2017. https://www.eater.com/2017/12/8/16739310/puerto-rico-restaurant-industry-farmers-hurricane-maria [iv]NYTimes.com. Puerto Rico’s Agriculture and Farmers Decimated by Maria. Sept. 24th. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/24/us/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-agriculture-.html [v] Ibid. [vi] EFE.com. Puerto Rico: Hurricane-triggered crop, livestock damage exceeds $2 bn. Nov. 29th. 2017. https://www.efe.com/efe/english/world/puerto-rico-hurricane-triggered-crop-livestock-damage-exceeds-2-bn/50000262-3453519 [vii] Futurity.org.Ocean warming accelerated over past 100 years. Feb. 20th. 2012. https://www.futurity.org/ocean-warming-accelerated-over-past-100-years/ [viii] NYTimes.com. Oceans Are Absorbing Almost All of the Globe’s Excess Heat. Sept. 12th. 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/09/12/science/earth/ocean-warming-climate-change.html [ix] WashingtonPost.com. What’s in the path of Hurricane Maria. Sept. 21st. 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/national/hurricane-maria/?utm_term=.bf5e6c0d12d1 [x] CNN.com. How to survive climate change: A lesson from Hurricane Maria. Mar. 20th. 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/20/health/surviving-climate-change-hurricane-maria-partner/index.html

#ClimateFacts: Antarctic Ice Melt

Antarctica is melting three times faster than it was just ten years ago, shedding 200 billions tons of ice into the oceans every year.

SOURCES: [i]  The New York Times. Antarctica Is Melting Three Times as Fast as a Decade Ago. Jun. 13. 2018. [ii] The Washington Post. Antarctic ice loss has tripled in a decade. If that continues, we are in serious trouble. Jun. 13. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/06/13/antarctic-ice-loss-has-tripled-in-a-decade-if-that-continues-we-are-in-serious-trouble/?nor   [iii] Ibid [iv] Ibid [v] Smithsonian.com. Antarctic Ice Loss Has Tripled Over the Past Decade. Jun. 14. 2018. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/antarctic-ice-loss-has-tripled-over-past-decade-180969373/ [vi]  Ibid [vii] Ibid [viii] The Washington Post. Antarctic ice loss has tripled in a decade. If that continues, we are in serious trouble. Jun. 13. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/06/13/antarctic-ice-loss-has-tripled-in-a-decade-if-that-continues-we-are-in-serious-trouble/?nor

#ClimateFacts: How Hurricane Irma Hurt Florida Farmers

Last year, Hurricane Irma cost farmers and ranchers hundred of millions in damages and losses. In some parts of the state 90 percent of crops were lost. Even if you don’t live in an area that gets directly hit by hurricanes, we all depend on a stable climate for our food.

How Hurricane Harvey Hit Farmers and Ranchers

The ramifications of Hurricane Harvey stretched far beyond the City of Houston. The storm wreaked havoc on Texas farmers and ranchers, killing cattle and nearly wiping out an entire cotton crop.

SOURCES: [i] Youtube.com. Hurricane Harvey // Rescuers Save Drowning Cow. Aug. 29th. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raX6YhspzMo [ii] Agweb.com. Thousands of Texas Cattle May Have Died in Wake of Harvey. Sept. 8th. 2017. https://www.agweb.com/article/thousands-of-texas-cattle-may-have-died-in-wake-of-harvey-naa-associated-press/ [iii] Interview with Dr. David P. Anderson. Texas A&M. [iv] Today.TAMU.Edu. 1.2 Million Beef Cows In 54 Texas Counties Affected By Hurricane Harvey. Aug. 29th. 2017. https://today.tamu.edu/2017/08/29/1-2-million-beef-cows-in-54-texas-counties-affected-by-hurricane-harvey/ [v] USNews.com. Texas Cotton Hit Hardest as Harvey Ag Losses Top $200M. Oct. 27th. 2017. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/texas/articles/2017-10-27/texas-cotton-hit-hardest-as-harvey-ag-losses-top-200m [vi] Ibid. [vii] ThinkProgress.org. Climate change fueled Hurricane Harvey’s destruction last year. This year could be worse. May. 11th. 2018. https://thinkprogress.org/climate-change-hurricanes-harvey-puerto-rico-a13410f5781c/ [viii] NPR.org. Record Heat In The Gulf Fueled Hurricane Harvey’s Deluge. May. 10th. 2018. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/10/610140149/record-heat-in-the-gulf-fueled-hurricane-harveys-deluge [ix] NYTimes.com.Scientists Link Hurricane Harvey’s Record Rainfall to Climate Change. Dec. 13th. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/13/climate/hurricane-harvey-climate-change.html [x] News.Nationalgeographic.com. 2017 Hurricane Season Was the Most Expensive in U.S. History. Nov. 30th. 2017. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/2017-hurricane-season-most-expensive-us-history-spd/

#ClimateFacts: Pakistan Heat

On April 30th 2018, temperatures in Nawabshah, Pakistan reached a scorching 122°F, one of Earth’s hottest April temperatures in recorded history, and it’s part of an alarming trend.

SOURCES: [i] WashingtonPost.com. A city in Pakistan may have just endured the hottest April temperature ever observed on Earth. May. 1st. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/05/01/a-city-in-pakistan-may-have-just-endured-the-hottest-april-temperature-ever-observed-on-earth/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.b2c1c25376f8 [ii] Ibid. [iii] Dawn.com. Dozens faint as Nawabshah sizzles at 50C, Larkana at 49C. May. 1st. 2018. https://www.dawn.com/news/1404959/dozens-faint-as-nawabshah-sizzles-at-50c-larkana-at-49c [iv] WorldWeatherOnline.com.Nawabshah Monthly Climate Averages. https://www.worldweatheronline.com/lang/en-us/nawabshah-weather-averages/sindh/pk.aspx [v] WashingtonPost.com. Pakistan’s 114 degrees is just one of many all-time March records toppled in Asia. April. 3rd. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/04/03/pakistans-114-degrees-just-one-of-many-all-time-march-records-toppled-in-asia/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.60e248412b21 [vi] Web.UNEP.org. National statements: Pakistan. http://web.unep.org/environmentassembly/pakistan [vii] TheGuardian.com. Pakistani city breaks April record with day of 50C heat. May. 2nd. 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/02/pakistani-city-breaks-april-record-with-day-of-50c-heat-nawabshah [viii] ADB.org. CLIMATE CHANGE PROFILE OF PAKISTAN. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/357876/climate-change-profile-pakistan.pdf [ix] WashingtonPost.com. A third of the world’s people already face deadly heat waves. It could be nearly three-quarters by 2100. June. 19th. 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/06/19/a-third-of-the-world-already-faces-deadly-heat-waves-it-could-be-nearly-three-quarters-by-2100/

#ClimateFacts: Slower Gulf Stream

Warming oceans are slowing down the Gulf Stream, one of the world’s most important currents. If it stops entirely, it could wreak havoc.

#ClimateFacts: Thirsty World

If climate change continues unabated, half the global population is expected to suffer from severe water shortage by 2050. Is this the world we want to live in?

SOURCES: [i] ThinkProgress.org. Water shortages will put 5 billion people at risk by 2050, U.N. warns. Mar. 19th. 2018. https://thinkprogress.org/un-warns-water-scarcity-increasing-risk-5624cb8ae912/ [ii] Ibid. [iii] Reliefweb.int. The impact of disasters on agriculture and food security 2015. Nov. 26th. 2015. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/impact-disasters-agriculture-and-food-security-2015 [iv] ThinkProgress.org. Water shortages will put 5 billion people at risk by 2050, U.N. warns. Mar. 19th. 2018. https://thinkprogress.org/un-warns-water-scarcity-increasing-risk-5624cb8ae912/ [v] Un.org. Africa Review Report on Drought and Desertification. http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/csd16/rim/eca_bg3.pdf [vi] Sciencedaily.com. Asia Faces Food Shortage By 2050 Without Water Reform. Aug. 28th. 2009. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817143558.htm [vii] TIME.com. How Drought and Extreme Heat Are Killing the World’s Crops. Jan. 6th. 2016. http://time.com/4170029/crop-production-extreme-heat-climate-change/ [viii] UNESDOC.UNESCO.ORG. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2018. 2018. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0026/002614/261424e.pdf [ix] Ibid. [x] Ibid.

#ClimateFacts: Rain Bombs

What do you get when you combine extreme rains with tornado strength winds? You get rain bombs, and climate change is making them worse.

Sources: [i] Weather.Gov. Microbursts. https://www.weather.gov/bmx/outreach_microbursts [ii] Tucson.com. Sunday’s storm dropped like a bomb, blasts north-central Tucson. June. 27th. 2016. http://tucson.com/news/weather/sunday-s-storm-dropped-like-a-bomb-blasts-north-central/article_b2c29bf7-fe6f-5259-84a5-cf7266e0821c.html [iii] Ibid. [iv] Grist.org. From heat domes to rain bombs, climate change is changing how we talk about weather. Aug. 3rd. 2016. https://grist.org/climate-energy/from-heat-domes-to-rain-bombs-climate-change-is-changing-how-we-talk-about-weather/ [v] Quartz.com. The rare weather phenomenon that produced a giant mushroom cloud in Arizona. Jul. 20th. 2016. https://qz.com/736341/the-rare-weather-phenomenon-that-produced-a-giant-mushroom-cloud-in-arizona/ [vi] Ibid. [vii] Grist.org. From heat domes to rain bombs, climate change is changing how we talk about weather. Aug. 3rd. 2016. https://grist.org/climate-energy/from-heat-domes-to-rain-bombs-climate-change-is-changing-how-we-talk-about-weather/

#ClimateFacts: Permafrost Melt

As the name suggests, permafrost is supposed to stay frozen. But climate change is starting to melt it, releasing planet-warming methane. That should have us all worried. 

SOURCES: [i] ScientifcAmerican.com. How Bad of a Greenhouse Gas Is Methane?. Dec 22nd. 2015. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-bad-of-a-greenhouse-gas-is-methane/ [ii] DGGS.Alaska.Gov. Permafrost in Alaska. 1994. http://dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/outside/text/dnag_ch28.pdf [iii] Vox.com. Melting permafrost in the Arctic is unlocking diseases and warping the landscape. Oct 31st. 2017. https://www.vox.com/2017/9/6/16062174/permafrost-melting [iv] PHYS.org. When permafrost melts, what happens to all that stored carbon? Dec 5th. 2016. https://phys.org/news/2016-12-permafrost-carbon.html [v] NYmag.com. The Uninhabitable Earth. July 9th. 2017. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/climate-change-earth-too-hot-for-humans.html [vi] Ibid. [vii] NYTimes.com. Alaska’s Permafrost is no longer permanent. It is Thawing. Aug 23rd. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/23/climate/alaska-permafrost-thawing.html [viii] Ibid. [ix] Ibid.

#ClimateFacts: White Morphs

lead species to extinction. This #ClimateFacts video explains why.

SOURCES: [i] Science.Sciencemag.org. Winter color polymorphisms identify global hot spots for evolutionary rescue from climate change. Feb. 15th. 2018. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2018/02/14/science.aan8097?rss=1 [ii] Ibid. [iii] PopularMechanics.com. Science Says Winters are Coming Later, Leaving Faster. Oct. 28th. 2017. https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a28819/winter-climate-change/ [iv] The Atlantic.com.To Survive, These Animals Must Lose Their Camouflage. Feb. 15th. 2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/in-a-less-snowy-world-can-white-coated-animals-survive/553400/ [v] Ibid. [vi] DW.com. Evolution to the rescue for white-coated critters caught out by climate change. Feb.15th. 2018. http://www.dw.com/en/evolution-to-the-rescue-for-white-coated-critters-caught-out-by-climate-change/a-42588948 [vii] Ibid. [viii] Science.Sciencemag.org. Winter color polymorphisms identify global hot spots for evolutionary rescue from climate change. Feb. 15th. 2018. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2018/02/14/science.aan8097?rss=1 [ix] Ibid. [x] Ibid.

#ClimateFacts: Drought in the U.S.

Water experts predict that essential food producing areas in the Western United States will run out of water in the the next 20-30 years due to climate change.

SOURCES: [i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26014963 [ii] https://ca.water.usgs.gov/projects/central-valley/about-central-valley.html [iiia] http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v3/n1/full/nclimate1633.html [iiib] http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/1/1/e1400082 [iv] https://riskybusiness.org/report/national/ [v] https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/drought/201206 [vi] https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/07/us-declares-largest-natural-disaster-area-ever-due-drought/325982/

#ClimateFacts: The Last Northern White Rhinos

Before his death, Sudan, the last male Northern White Rhinoceros, was known as the loneliest animal on Earth. If we don’t stop our destructive practices before it’s too late, there will be plenty of animals ready to claim that title.

#ClimateFacts: Matteo Salvini

Climate change is forcing hundreds of thousands of African immigrants to Italy’s shores. In response, politician Matteo Salvini has called for a mass cleansing.

SOURCES: [i] WashingtonPost.com. Matteo Salvini could be Western Europe’s first far-right leader since 1945. Mar. 6th. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/matteo-salvini-could-be-western-europes-first-far-right-leader-since-1945/2018/03/06/2d3dea36-2097-11e8-946c-9420060cb7bd_story.html?utm_term=.b693b5fb1f7c [ii] Ibid. [iii] Edition.cnn.com. In Italy’s elections, the fascists did scarily well. Mar. 5th. 2018. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/05/opinions/italian-elections-future-opinion-ben-ghiat/index.html [iv] France24.com. Racist shooting adds sinister twist to Italy’s bleak election campaign. Feb. 2nd. 2018. http://www.france24.com/en/20180205-racist-shooting-macerata-italy-election-campaign-salvini-migrants [v] Tuttitalia.It. Foreign citizens in Italy – 2017. https://www.tuttitalia.it/statistiche/cittadini-stranieri-2017/ [vi] ECFR.EU. Climate-driven migration in Africa. Dec. 20th. 2017. http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_climate_driven_migration_in_africa [vii] Reuters.com. Italy migrants fear uncertain future after election. Mar. 5th. 2018. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-election-immigrants/italy-migrants-fear-uncertain-future-after-election-idUSKBN1GH2S7 [viii] Reuters.com. Climate-threatened African nations to get profiles of drought and flood risk. Mar. 9th. 2018. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-disaster-risks/climate-threatened-african-nations-to-get-profiles-of-drought-and-flood-risk-idUSKCN1GL1E4 [ix] QZ.com. An infrastructure deficit is making life in African cities more expensive than it should be. Feb. 12th. 2017. https://qz.com/908538/a-world-bank-report-on-african-cities-finds-a-lack-of-infrastructure-is-making-life-expensive/

#ClimateFacts: Bomb Cyclone Riley

Winter Storm Riley pummeled the East Coast and broke flood records in the Boston area. But this freezing storm isn’t evidence against climate change.

SOURCES: [i] ABCNews.go.com. Massive ‘bomb cyclone’ pounds Northeast, bringing strong winds and flooding. Mar. 2nd. 2018. http://abcnews.go.com/US/massive-bomb-cyclone-pounds-northeast-bringing-strong-winds/story?id=53459604 [ii] Wunderground.com. Major Coastal Flooding, Hurricane-Force Wind Gusts Expected From Friday’s Nor’easter. Mar. 1st. 2018. https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/major-coastal-flooding-expected-fridays-noreaster [iii] Fortune.com. Winter Storm Riley is a Bomb Cyclone. Mar. 2nd. 2018. http://fortune.com/2018/03/02/winter-storm-riley-what-is-a-bomb-cyclone/ [iv] Wired.com. What Are the Odds of a Superstorm Like Harvey? Aug. 29th. 2017. https://www.wired.com/story/what-are-the-odds-of-a-super-storm-like-harvey/ [v] NWS.NOAA.Gov. Meteorological Development Library. Mar. 2nd. 2018. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/etsurge/index.php?page=stn&region=ne&datum=msl&list=&map=0-48&type=both&stn=mabos [vi] Wunderground.com. Major Coastal Flooding, Hurricane-Force Wind Gusts Expected From Friday’s Nor’easter. Mar. 1st. 2018. https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/major-coastal-flooding-expected-fridays-noreaster [vii] Slate.com. Bomb Cyclone Brings Record Flooding to Boston. Jan. 4th. 2018. https://slate.com/business/2018/01/bomb-cyclone-brings-record-flooding-to-boston.html [viii] Wunderground.com. Major Coastal Flooding, Hurricane-Force Wind Gusts Expected From Friday’s Nor’easter. Mar. 1st. 2018. https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/major-coastal-flooding-expected-fridays-noreaster

#ClimateFacts: Heatwave in the Arctic

The Arctic is running a fever, with temperatures rising to 45 degrees above normal. Could it be causing the freezing temperatures we’re seeing in Europe?

SOURCES: [i] WashingtonPost.com. North Pole surges above freezing in the dead of winter, stunning scientists. Feb. 26th. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/02/26/north-pole-surges-above-freezing-in-the-dead-of-winter-stunning-scientists/ [ii] WashingtonPost.com. Arctic temperatures soar 45 degrees above normal, flooded by extremely mild air on all sides. Feb. 22nd. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/02/21/arctic-temperatures-soar-45-degrees-above-normal-flooded-by-extremely-mild-air-on-all-sides/?utm_term=.2009995ce514 [iii] TheVerge.com. Views from Rome, as the Eternal City sees snow for the first time in six years. Feb. 26th. 2018. https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/26/17053556/rome-snow-weather-beast-from-the-east [iv] TheGuardian.com. Arctic warming: scientists alarmed by ‘crazy’ temperature rises. Feb. 22nd. 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/27/arctic-warming-scientists-alarmed-by-crazy-temperature-rises [v]Ibid. [vi] WashingtonPost.com. North Pole surges above freezing in the dead of winter, stunning scientists. Feb. 26th. 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/02/26/north-pole-surges-above-freezing-in-the-dead-of-winter-stunning-scientists/ [vii] TheGuardian.com. Arctic warming: scientists alarmed by ‘crazy’ temperature rises. Feb. 22nd. 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/27/arctic-warming-scientists-alarmed-by-crazy-temperature-rises [viii] Insideclimatenews.org. Alaska’s Bering Sea Lost a Third of Its Ice in Just 8 Days. Feb. 17th. 2018. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17022018/arctic-sea-ice-record-low-extent-alaska-bering-hunting-whales [ix] Reuters.com. ‘Wacky’ weather makes Arctic warmer than parts of Europe. Feb. 26th. 2018. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-weather/wacky-weather-makes-arctic-warmer-than-parts-of-europe-idUSKCN1GA2AD [x] Ibid. [xa] NYTimes.com. Europe Was Colder Than the North Pole This Week. How Could That Be? Mar. 1st. 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/climate/polar-vortex-europe-cold.html

#ClimateFacts #YEARSproject

#ClimateFacts: Mosquitoes Are Getting Deadlier

It might surprise you, but the mosquitos are the deadliest animal on Earth. And they’re about to get a lot more dangerous, thanks to climate change.

SOURCES: [i] GatesNotes.com. The Deadliest Animal in the World. Apr. 25th. 2014. https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/Most-Lethal-Animal-Mosquito-Week [ii] PasteMagazine.com. Warming Signs: Climate Change Means More Mosquito-borne Illnesses Like Zika. Feb. 22. 2017.https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/02/warming-signs-climate-change-means-more-mosquito-b.html [iii] Ibid. [iv] WashingtonPost.com. A bugged life: Warm winter could mean more insects. Mar. 10th. 2012.https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-bugged-life-warm-winter-could-mean-more-insects/2012/03/07/gIQA5b033R_story.html?utm_term=.e9764e97404c [v] PasteMagazine.com. Warming Signs: Climate Change Means More Mosquito-borne Illnesses Like Zika. Feb. 22. 2017. https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/02/warming-signs-climate-change-means-more-mosquito-b.html [vi] ClimateCentral.org.More Mosquito Days Increasing Zika Risk in U.S. Jul. 27th. 2016. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/more-mosquito-days-increasing-zika-risk-in-us-20553 [vii] NCBI.NLM.NIH.Gov. Evidence for an Overwintering Population of Aedes aegypti in Capitol Hill Neighborhood, Washington, DC. Jan. 6th. 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4710436/ [viii] NYTimes.com. Why the Menace of Mosquitoes Will Only Get Worse. Apr. 20th. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/magazine/why-the-menace-of-mosquitoes-will-only-get-worse.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=E9F193813152512C5722F388809CF12B&gwt=pay [ix] Ibid. [x] QZ.com. Swarmed with mosquitoes after Harvey, Texas calls in the US Air Force. Sept. 13th. 2017. https://qz.com/1075935/swarmed-with-mosquitoes-after-harvey-texas-calls-in-the-us-air-force/ [xi] NYTimes.com. Why the Menace of Mosquitoes Will Only Get Worse. Apr. 20th. 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/magazine/why-the-menace-of-mosquitoes-will-only-get-worse.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=E9F193813152512C5722F388809CF12B&gwt=pay

#ClimateFacts: Melting Snowpack

Melting snowpacks are vital for maintaining water supplies, and they’ve been getting smaller due to climate change.

#ClimateFacts: Poison In The Water

Mercury is one of the most toxic substances on Earth, and the coal industry is delivering it to our food supply. Our #ClimateFacts video explains. 

SOURCES: [i] WHO.int. Mercury and Health. March 2017. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs361/en/ [ii] Ibid [iii] Ibid [iv] EPA.gov. Basic Information about Mercury. Aug 2nd. 2017. https://www.epa.gov/mercury/basic-information-about-mercury [v] NBCNews.com. Toxic Mercury in Seas Tied to Algae, Air. Apr 12th. 2009. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30707671/ns/us_news-environment/t/toxic-mercury-seas-tied-algae-air/#.Wl-cC5M-fOQ [vi] Ibid. [vii] NRDC.org. Mercury Guide. Mar 10th. 2016. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/mercury-guide

#ClimateFacts: Warming World

Thanks to fossil fuel pollution, most people have never experienced a normal climate. Have you been alive during a cooler than average year?

SOURCES: [i] NCDC.NOAA.Gov. Global Climate Report – Annual 2017. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201713 [ii] Climate.Gov. Climate Change: Global Temperature. Sept. 11th. 2017. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature [iii] Biography.com. Gerald Ford. Jan. 6th. 2016. https://www.biography.com/people/gerald-ford-9298683 [iv] IMDB.com. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) Filming & Production. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/locations#filming_dates [v] AllAboutSteveJobs.com. Timeline of Steve Jobs. https://allaboutstevejobs.com/bio/timeline [vi] Climate.Gov. NOAA Climate.gov Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Global Warming. Feb. 25th. 2014. https://www.climate.gov/sites/default/files/Climate_gov_GlobalWarming_FAQ_15Aug13.pdf [vii] NRDC.org. The Worst Summer Ever? Record Temperatures Heat Up the United States. Sept. 2010. https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/WorstSummerEver4pgr.pdf [viii] Ibid. [ix] NYTimes.com. 2017 Was One of the Hottest Years on Record. And That Was Without El Niño. Jan. 18th. 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/18/climate/hottest-year-2017.html

#ClimateFacts: Heat & High School Football

Every summer, countless young football players will take to the field and be exposed to dangerously high temperatures. It can have tragic consequences, and climate change will only make it worse.

SOURCES: [i] Years Of Living Dangerously, Season 1, Episode 7. A Dangerous Future. [ii] Ibid. [iii] National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research. Annual Survey Of Football Injury Research, 1931-2016. March 13, 2017 https://nccsir.unc.edu/files/2013/10/Annual-Football-2016-Fatalities-FINAL.pdf

#ClimateFacts: Climate Migrants

Leaders are rising to power in the US and Europe on a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment. They’ve called these migrants a lot of undue names, but they neglect one of the most accurate: victims of climate change.

SOURCES [i] Politico.Eu.Viktor Orbán: Hungary doesn’t want ‘Muslim invaders’. Jan. 8th. 2018. https://www.politico.eu/article/viktor-orban-hungary-doesnt-want-muslim-invaders/ [ii] TheNews.PL. Terrorism linked to migration: Polish president. Sep. 9th. 2017. http://thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/325885,Terrorism-linked-to-migration-Polish-president [iii] TheHill.com.Report: Trump suggested Haitian immigrants to US ‘all have AIDS’. Dec. 23rd. 2017.  http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/366304-report-trump-suggested-haitian-immigrants-to-us-all-have-aids [iv] Internal-Displacement.org. Key findings Disaster-related displacement risk: Measuring the risk and addressing its drivers. http://www.internal-displacement.org/assets/library/Media/201503-SendaiReport/Meta-Analysis-Key-findings-English2.pdf [v] NYTimes.com. Resettling the First American ‘Climate Refugees’. May. 3rd. 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/03/us/resettling-the-first-american-climate-refugees.html

#ClimateFacts: Cape Town

Cape Town, South Africa is about to become the first major city in the world to run out of water. This #ClimateFacts video explains what that’s going to be like.

SOURCES: [i] Time.com. Cape Town Is 90 Days Away From Running Out of Water. January 15th. 2018. http://time.com/5103259/cape-town-water-crisis/ [ii] ABCNews.go.com. Drought-stricken Cape Town, South Africa, could run out of water by April’s ‘day zero’. Jan 17th. 2018. http://abcnews.go.com/International/drought-stricken-cape-town-south-africa-run-water/story?id=52402170 [iii] Time.com. Cape Town Is 90 Days Away From Running Out of Water. January 15th. 2018. http://time.com/5103259/cape-town-water-crisis/ [iv] Ibid [v] Ibid [vi] ABCNews.go.com. Drought-stricken Cape Town, South Africa, could run out of water by April’s ‘day zero’. Jan 17th. 2018. http://abcnews.go.com/International/drought-stricken-cape-town-south-africa-run-water/story?id=52402170 [vii] Water.USGS.Gov.Water Questions & Answers How much water does the average person use at home per day? Dec 2nd. 2016. https://water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-home-percapita.html [viii] Time.com. Cape Town Is 90 Days Away From Running Out of Water. January 15th. 2018. http://time.com/5103259/cape-town-water-crisis/

#ClimateFacts: Bridge to Nowhere

How does so-called clean natural gas shape up against coal? The answer might surprise you.

SOURCES: [i] http://www.foeeurope.org/sites/default/files/extractive_industries/2017/natural_gas_and_climate_change_anderson_broderick_october2017.pdf [ii] https://www.uniongas.com/about-us/about-natural-gas/Chemical-Composition-of-Natural-Gas [iii] https://thinkprogress.org/more-bad-news-for-fracking-ipcc-warns-methane-traps-much-more-heat-than-we-thought-9c2badf392df/# [iv] Years of Living Dangerously, Season One, Episode 106 [v] Ibid. [vi] Ibid. [vii] USA Today. Scott Pruitt on a mission to change the climate of the EPA. 11/26/17. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/26/scott-pruitt-mission-change-culture-epa/889633001/

#ClimateFacts: California Mudslides

California’s devastating mudslides have killed at least 15 with dozens still missing. Our #ClimateFacts video explains how the state’s climate fueled wildfires set the stage for this ongoing disaster.

SOURCES: [i] The New York Times. “Southern California Mudslides: Death Toll Rises to 15, With Dozens More Missing” Jan. 10, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/us/montecito-mudslides-california.html [ii] Ibid [iii] Ibid [iv] The Verge. “How California’s record wildfire season paved the way for catastrophic mudslides” Jan 9, 2018. https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/9/16870848/mudslides-montecito-santa-barbara-county-california-record-wildfire-season-science-rain [v] Ibid [vi] Arizona Cooperative Extension. “Soil Erosion Control after Wildfire.” Tom DeGomez. https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1293.pdf [vii] Ibid

#ClimateFacts: Who Will Be Hit the Hardest? Some changes are not yet saved.

How bad will climate change get? It depend where you live. Everyone in the U.S. will be affected by climate change, but in different ways.

CLIMATE CHANGE: IT’S NOT VERY FAIR, IS IT?

SOURCES: [i] Hsiang et al. Estimating economic damage from climate change in the United States. Science 356, 1362–1369 (2017) 30 June 2017 http://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6345/1362.full [ii] Ibid. [iii] Ibid. [iv] Ibid. [v] Ibid. [vi] Ibid. [vii] Ibid.

#ClimateFacts: It’s Cold Outside

A bomb cyclone blizzard in 2018 capping off two frigid weeks on the east coast left many wondering: How can the globe be warming if it’s so cold? Our latest #ClimateFacts video explains.

SOURCES: [i] United States Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2147.html [ii] Vox,Trump thinks climate change isn’t real because it’s cold out. This map proves him wrong, Dec 29, 2017 https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/12/28/16827022/climate-change-cold-arctic-snap-us-canada-jet-stream [iii] Weather Underground, New Year’s Freeze-Out: It Can Still Get Cold, Even in a Warming Climate, Dec 29, 2017 https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/new-years-freeze-out-it-can-still-get-cold-even-warming-climate [iv] Ibid [v] Reuters, 2017 was second hottest year on record, after sizzling 2016: report, Jan, 4th 2017 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-temperatures/2017-was-second-hottest-year-on-record-after-sizzling-2016-report-idUSKBN1ET1JF [vi] NASA, NASA, NOAA Data Show 2016 Warmest Year on Record Globally, Jan. 18, 2017 https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-noaa-data-show-2016-warmest-year-on-record-globally

#ClimateFacts: Unhealthy Climate

Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.

SOURCES: [i] The Lancet. The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: from 25 years of inaction to a global transformation for public health. Oct. 30, 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32464-9 [ii] Ibid. [iii] NationalGeographic.com. By 2100, Deadly Heat May Threaten Majority of Humankind. June 19, 2017. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/heatwaves-climate-change-global-warming/ [iv] The Lancet. The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: from 25 years of inaction to a global transformation for public health. Oct. 30, 2017 [iv] Ibid. [v] Ibid. [vi] The Washington Post. Wheat, one of the world’s most important crops, is being threatened by climate change. Sept. 12, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/09/12/climate-change-is-really-bad-for-wheat-which-is-really-bad-for-us/?utm_term=.682ce0d6abb4 [vii] International Rice Research Institute. Rice and Climate Change. http://irri.org/news/hot-topics/rice-and-climate-change [viii] Politico. The great nutrient collapse. September 13, 2017 http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/09/13/food-nutrients-carbon-dioxide-000511 [ix] The Lancet. The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: from 25 years of inaction to a global transformation for public health. Oct. 30, 2017 [x] The Lancet. The Lancet Commission on pollution and health. October 19, 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32345-0 [xi] The Lancet. Managing the Health Effects of Climate Change. May 16, 2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60935-1

#ClimateFacts: Bad for the Brain

Excess CO2 isn’t just heating the planet, it’s making our brain fuzzy.

SOURCES: [i] https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/15-10037/ [ii] https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/climatescience/greenhousegases/industrialrevolution.html [iii] https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1104789/ [iv] https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/15-10037/ [v] https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20100039645.pdf

#ClimateFacts: How Species Extinction Hurts People

Large mammals like rhinos, elephants and hippos are dying at an alarming rate, in part because of climate change. That’s bad for humans in unexpected ways. Aasif Mandvi learns why.

SOURCES: [i] http://afsaap.org.au/assets/Shilla_Henry_Elibarki.pdf [ii] https://wp.natsci.colostate.edu/konzakrugerexperiment/ [iii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3758959/ [iv] http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/resources/vector237to261.pdf [v] https://www.thoughtco.com/global-impacts-of-the-black-death-1434480

#ClimateFacts: The Missing 3%

97% of climate scientists say climate change is real and humans are causing it, but what about the other 3%? Our latest episode of #ClimateFacts delves into their research.

SOURCES: [i] https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/ [ii] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00704-015-1597-5 [iii] Ibid. [iv] Interview with Katharine Hayhoe, 9/19/17 [v] http://e360.yale.edu/features/what_is_the_carbon_limit_that_depends_who_you_ask

#ClimateFacts: How much do humans contribute to global warming?

How much of climate change is caused by people? The newly released National Climate Assessment finds that humans are responsible for up to 123% of global warming.

How is that possible? This latest #ClimateFacts video explains.

SOURCE: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/07/climate/document-Draft-of-the-Climate-Science-Special-Report.html?_r=0

#ClimateFacts: The Amazon

The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest air conditioner, but it’s under attack on all fronts.

SOURCES: [i] http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/ [ii] http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm#.V-LWI4X8-bg [iii] https://news.mongabay.com/2016/05/top-10-biodiverse-countries/ [iv] Antonio Nobre, Interview for Years of Living Dangerously [v] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-amazon-carbon-maps-could-slow-deforestation/ [vi] http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/last-of-amazon/ [vii] Paulo Adario, Greenpeace, Interview for Years of Living Dangerously [viii] https://data.oecd.org/agroutput/meat-consumption.htm#indicator-chart [ix] Paulo Adario, Greenpeace, Interview for Years of Living Dangerously [x] Antonio Nobre, Interview for Years of Living Dangerously [xi] https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-025

#ClimateFacts: Warming at the Poles

Why is the Arctic heating up faster than the rest of the planet?

SOURCES: [i] https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=81214 [ii] http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/18/arctic-sea-ice-shrinks-record-low [iii] Reto A. Ruedy, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies [iv] https://sealevel.nasa.gov/news/80/across-miles-and-miles-of-greenland-ice [v] http://www.npr.org/2014/12/18/371438087/arctic-is-warming-twice-as-fast-as-world-average

#ClimateFacts: Another Sandy

Hurricane Sandy slammed into the Eastern Seaboard 5 years ago. Many areas are still recovering. But if we continue at our current pace, we’ll be setting ourselves up for Sandy-level flooding every 5 years. Is America prepared for that?

SOURCES: [i] http://nordic.businessinsider.com/another-hurricane-sandy-flood-risk-hit-new-york-2016-10/ [ii] http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/10/03/1703568114 [iii] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/29/houston-is-experiencing-its-third-500-year-flood-in-3-years-how-is-that-possible/?utm_term=.13be058c7eb2

#ClimateFacts: Bangladesh

Here’s how climate change is hitting Bangladesh, and why Americans should care.

SOURCES: [i] https://maplecroft.com/portfolio/new-analysis/2014/10/29/climate-change-and-lack-food-security-multiply-risks-conflict-and-civil-unrest-32-countries-maplecroft/ [ii] https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-unfolding-tragedy-of-climate-change-in-bangladesh/ [iii] Ibid. [iv] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhaka-bangladesh-fastest-growing-city-in-the-world/ [v] http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/green_room/2010/12/the_great_wall_of_india.html [vi] http://dailyasianage.com/news/48831/border-killing-and-bangladesh-india-bilateral-relations

#ClimateFacts: Climate Change and Food

Climate change is impacting far more than the weather. It’s fundamentally changing the nutrition of our food, and not for the better. Our latest #ClimateFact explains. #YEARSproject

SOURCES: [i] http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/09/13/food-nutrients-carbon-dioxide-000511 [ii] http://nationalpost.com/life/food/how-climate-change-is-turning-fruits-and-vegetables-into-junk-food [iii] http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/09/13/food-nutrients-carbon-dioxide-000511 [iv] Ibid.

#ClimateFacts: Hunt’s Point & Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy was a disaster, but if it had hit just three hours later it would have been a catastrophe for Hunt’s Point in the Bronx–and New York City’s food supply.

SOURCES [i] http://huntspointproducemkt.com/about-hunts-point-market/ [ii] http://nypost.com/2016/09/05/hunts-point-market-in-talks-with-city-for-new-warehouses/ [iii] http://www.nyc.gov/html/sirr/html/report/report.shtml [iv] http://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/community-resilience-edge/313106/ [v] http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/328-17/city-hall-your-borough-mayor-de-blasio-kicks-off-week-bronx-tour-hunts-point [vi] http://science.sciencemag.org/content/327/5964/454?ijkey=PFX.MzpFJDznM&keytype=ref&siteid=sci

With more devastating wildfires ravaging California, we’re forced to ask, are we willing to surrender the American West to climate change?

SOURCES [i] https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea/status/917372783998496768 [ii] https://www.kcet.org/redefine/california-has-two-fire-seasons-and-climate-change-will-make-both-worse [iii] http://www.climatecentral.org/wgts/wildfires/Wildfires2012.pdf  
[iv] http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2006/07/06/science.1128834?explicitversion=true 
[v] http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/~tswetnam/tws-pdf/AllenEtal-EApaper.pdf   [vi] https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/gude_manuscript_4-24-09_color.pdf;    [vii] https://thinkprogress.org/climate-change-will-double-area-burned-in-u-s-wildfires-by-2050-report-warns-d49d7d0a5de7#.wbz80zg4b   [viii] https://thinkprogress.org/climate-change-will-double-area-burned-in-u-s-wildfires-by-2050-report-warns-d49d7d0a5de7/#.wbz80zg4b; Thomas Swetnam

#ClimateFacts: What’s Really Throwing the Budget Out of Whack

President Trump said that the situation in Puerto Rico has thrown our budget a little out of whack. But here’s the real budget crisis.

SOURCES: [i] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28092017/hurricane-maria-irma-harvey-wildfires-damage-cost-estimate-record-climate-change [ii] https://feu-us.org/case-for-climate-action-us3/ [iii] https://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/18/cost-of-not-acting-on-climate-change-44-trillion-citi.html

#ClimateFacts: American Refugees What happens when the systems that society relies on break down? People are at risk of becoming refugees.

SOURCES: [i] http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/26/us/puerto-rico-misery-and-desperation-after-hurricane-maria/index.html [ii] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/puerto-ricans-could-be-newest-u-s-climate-refugees/ [iii] http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/29/americas/us-virgin-islands-storm-recovery-trnd/index.html [iv] http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-climate-change-natural-disasters-20170907-htmlstory.html

#ClimateFacts: Natural Forces

The next time someone tells you that climate change is caused by natural forces, feel free to tell them that they’re right. Just don’t forget to explain why.

SOURCES: [i] http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL [ii] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v525/n7568/full/nature14967.html [iii] http://www.cattlenetwork.com/world-cattle-inventory-ranking-countries-fao [iv] http://gizmodo.com/do-cow-farts-actually-contribute-to-global-warming-1562144730 [v] https://aviationbenefits.org/media/149668/abbb2016_full_a4_web.pdf [vi]http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1093560_1-2-billion-vehicles-on-worlds-roads-now-2-billion-by-2035-report 
[vii] http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/energy-economics/statistical-review-2016/bp-statistical-review-of-world-energy-2016-full-report.pdf 
[viii] https://www.iea.org/about/faqs/naturalgas/ 
[ix] http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/energy-economics/statistical-review-2016/bp-statistical-review-of-world-energy-2016-full-report.pdf  
[x] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19052016/global-co2-emissions-still-accelerating-noaa-greenhouse-gas-index

#ClimateFacts: What Killed the Saiga?

Over the course of just a few days in 2015, half of the world’s Saiga antelope suddenly got sick, collapsed, and died. What caused it? And could the same thing happen to us?

SOURCES: [i] Currant, A.P. (1987). Late Pleistocene Saiga antelope Saiga tatarica on Mendip (PDF). UBSS Proceedings. 18 (1): 74–80. 
[ii] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/03/science/more-than-half-entire-species-of-saigas-gone-in-mysterious-die-off.html?_r=0 
 [iii] Professor Richard Kock, Professor of Wildlife Health, Royal Veterinary College; http://www.rvc.ac.uk/about/our-people/richard-kock [iv] Ibid. [v] Ibid.

#ClimateFacts: Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria has left Puerto Rico in ruins. An island, home to roughly 3.5 million people, without power. Tens of thousands at risk as the Guajataca Dam struggles to hold back floodwaters. This is the strongest storm to hit the island in a century, and climate change is setting the stage for more like it.

SOURCES: [i] http://www.dw.com/en/hurricane-maria-hits-puerto-rico/a-40594221 [ii] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/09/20/hurricane-maria-takes-aim-at-puerto-rico-with-force-not-seen-in-modern-history/?utm_term=.8f714c7022f1 [iii] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/us/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico.html?mcubz=0 [iv] https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?page=1&stategeo=&searchtype=web&cssp=serp&q=puerto+rico+poverty+2017&search.x=0&search.y=0&search=submit [v] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/puerto-rico-with-73-billion-in-debt-forced-toward-bankruptcy/2017/05/03/92e39d76-3020-11e7-9534-00e4656c22aa_story.html?utm_term=.11b235616a08 [vi] http://grist.org/article/harvey-irma-maria-this-is-the-hurricane-season-scientists-expected-and-feared/ [vii] https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/9/21/16345176/hurricane-maria-2017-puerto-rico-san-juan-meteorology-wind-rain-power

#ClimateFacts: Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Puerto Rico is the latest tragedy in an extreme season fueled by warming waters.

SOURCES: [i] https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/above-normal-atlantic-hurricane-season-most-likely-year-noaa [ii] https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2017-atlantic-hurricane-season-one-of-busiest-september [iii] http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/07/us/hurricane-season-2017-outlook/index.html [iv] http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05gj4sc [v] https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/oatl.html; https://www.seatemperature.org/central-america/puerto-rico/san-juan.htm [vi] https://thinkprogress.org/climate-scientists-rise-in-super-hurricanes-4596dfb294ee/

#ClimateFacts: Not a Fluke

What happened in Houston is part of a much larger trend. One that began long before Hurricane Harvey and one that’s going to go on long after the cleanup is over. It’s time we recognized it, and planned accordingly.

SOURCES: [i] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41070237 [ii] https://www.texastribune.org/boomtown-floodtown/ [iii] Ibid. [iv] Ibid. [v] https://www.texastribune.org/2017/09/07/conversation-former-harris-county-flood-control-chief/

#ClimateFacts: Time to Talk About Climate

Florida and Texas have been ravaged by hurricanes. The American West is aflame. The Donald J. Trump Administration say it’s not time to talk climate change. If not now, when?

#ClimateFacts: Hurricane Irma

Texas and Louisiana have barely begun recovering from Harvey. Now Hurricane Irma is whipping through the Caribbean and barreling towards the Florida coast. Climate change and hurricanes are connected, and we need to be talking about it. We need to be acting.

SOURCES: [i] http://www.salon.com/2017/09/06/irma-the-strongest-atlantic-hurricane-in-history-keeps-getting-stronger_partner/ [ii] http://nypost.com/2017/09/06/hurricane-irma-wipes-tiny-caribbean-island-off-the-map/ [iii] https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/homestead-florida-city-was-wrecked-hurricane-andrew-irma-scary-nostalgia-n799291 [iv] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/05/18/global-warming-fueling-fewer-but-stronger-hurricanes-study-says/?utm_term=.79391b581579 [v] https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DI_XvA8XoAIXdwL.jpg [vi] https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/RisingCost/rising_cost5.php [vii] http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060313/full/news060313-12.html [viii] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/hurricanes-facts-storms-weather-science/ [ix] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-013-1713-0 [x] https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/sltrends_station.shtml?stnid=8724580 [xi] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-climatechange/epa-says-climate-scientists-trying-to-politicize-texas-storm-idUSKCN1B92V0

#ClimateFacts: Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas as a Category 4 Storm, one of the worst to hit the US in over a decade. Did climate change make this disaster worse?

SOURCES: [i] http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2017/al09/al092017.public.016.shtml [ii] Ibid. [iii] http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Harvey-s-intensity-and-rainfall-potential-tied-11957010.php [iv] http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT4+shtml/241455.shtml , http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/texas/united-states/3213 [v] https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Water/page3.php [vi] http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060313/full/news060313-12.html [vii] https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/21st-century-projections-of-intense-hurricanes/ [viii] http://climateandlife.columbia.edu/2017/05/31/expect-the-wet-to-get-wetter-and-the-dry-drier/

#ClimateFacts: More Drought But Also More Flooding?

More flooding seems like the opposite of more drought…how can climate change be causing both? This #ClimateFacts video explains.

SOURCES: [i] https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Water/page3.php [ii] http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060313/full/news060313-12.html [iii] https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/21st-century-projections-of-intense-hurricanes/ [iv] http://soilquality.org.au/factsheets/waterlogging [v] http://www.eartheclipse.com/environment/causes-and-effects-of-soil-erosion.html [vi] https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Water/page3.php [vii] Ibid. [viii] https://blog.epa.gov/blog/2015/06/the-importance-of-snowpack/ [ix] http://climateandlife.columbia.edu/2017/05/31/expect-the-wet-to-get-wetter-and-the-dry-drier/

#ClimateFacts: Mass Extinction

Scientists predict that if global temperatures continue to rise, 1 in 6 species could actually go extinct.

#ClimateFacts: People Want Action

Believe it or not, climate change is actually one of the least divisive issues in America. So why is it one of the most divisive in Washington? #ClimateFacts

SOURCES: [i] http://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1307&context=carsey [ii] Ibid. [iii] http://www.comresglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Global-Challenges-Foundation-Global-Risks-Survey-Data-Tables-1.pdf [iv] Ibid. [v] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climatechange-poll-idUSKBN18X198 [vi] http://closup.umich.edu/files/ieep-nsee-2017-spring-state-policies.pdf [vii] www.apnorc.org/PDFs/EnergyClimate/Fact%20Sheets_1%20Summary_Final.pdf [viii] http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/politics-global-warming-november-2016/2/

#ClimateFacts: The Economy

Will fighting climate change cripple the economy? Or is the cost of climate change even higher? This video takes a look at the facts.

SOURCES: [i] http://www.uncclearn.org/sites/default/files/inventory/who002.pdf [ii] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/us/drought-fells-a-texas-towns-biggest-employer.html [iii] http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2013/20130225_laborandclimate.html [iv] https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/research_highlight/heat-stress-reduces-labor-capacity-under-climate-warming/ [v] https://ir.citi.com/hsq32Jl1m4aIzicMqH8sBkPnbsqfnwy4Jgb1J2kIPYWIw5eM8yD3FY9VbGpK%2Baax [vi] Ibid.

#ClimateFacts: Emissions vs. Buildup

The world has made great strides reducing CO2 emissions, but buildup in the atmosphere from past pollution already has consequences. We may have already exhausted some of Earth’s natural defenses.

#ClimateFacts: Elephants Could Go Extinct

Elephants populations are decreasing at an alarming rate, due to poaching and climate change. #ClimateFacts

SOURCES: [i] http://www.earthlife.net/mammals/elephants.html [ii] http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2009/08/03/elephants_fall_to_drought_in_kenya/ [iii] http://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201550 [iv] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/08/wildlife-african-elephants-population-decrease-great-elephant-census/ [v] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/24/african-elephants-could-be-extinct-in-wild-within-decades-say-experts

#ClimateFacts: Melting Ice

On July 12, 2017 the world learned that a trillion ton iceberg broke away from Antartica. This particular break might not have been caused by climate change, but that doesn’t mean melting ice in Antartica is nothing to worry about. #ClimateFacts

SOURCES: [i] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/09/climate/antarctica-rift-update.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news [ii] http://www.dw.com/en/polar-ice-sheets-melting-faster-than-ever/a-16432199 [iii] http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/1539/2014/tc-8-1539-2014.pdf [iv] email correspondence with Dr. Marco Tedesco [v] https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/quickfacts/icesheets.html [vi] https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/antarctic_ice_sheet.htm [vii] https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/quickfacts/icesheets.html

#ClimateFacts: Deadly Heatwaves

If it’s too hot to work outside, how do we stay productive as a society?

SOURCES: [i] http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/heatwaves-climate-change-global-warming/ [ii] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1631069107003770?via%3Dihub [iii] http://www.pnas.org/content/109/37/E2415.full.pdf [iv] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/03/AR2006080301489.html [v] http://www.popsci.com/extreme-heat-waves-could-become-annual-events-by-2075 [vi] https://riskybusiness.org/report/national/ [vii] Ibid.

#ClimateFacts: Miami Underwater

How will climate change affect Miami? This one minute video takes a look.

#ClimateFacts: Worse Wildfires

Wildfires are burning bigger, hotter and longer due to climate change.

SOURCES: [i] http://www.climatecentral.org/wgts/wildfires/Wildfires2012.pdf [ii] http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2006/07/06/science.1128834?explicitversion=true [iii] http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/~tswetnam/tws-pdf/AllenEtal-EApaper.pdf [iv] https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/gude_manuscript_4-24-09_color.pdf; https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2009/09/01/6643/what-a-1-degree-temperature-increase-means-for-wildfires/ [v] https://www.usda.gov/oce/climate_change/effects_2012/FS_Climate1114%20opt.pdf; https://thinkprogress.org/climate-change-will-double-area-burned-in-u-s-wildfires-by-2050-report-warns-d49d7d0a5de7#.wbz80zg4b [vi] https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1104422/ [vii] http://www.pnas.org/content/107/50/21256.full; Thomas Swetnam

#ClimateFacts: The World’s Biggest Polluters

Who are the biggest polluters in the world? In 2006, China became the world’s largest greenhouse gas polluter. But a closer look at the numbers tells a more complicated story.

#ClimateFacts: Bipartisan Efforts

If we hope to tackle climate change head on, we need to do it together. Meet Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), the amazing group of volunteers committed to uniting Republicans and Democrats in Congress. They’ve helped form the Climate Solutions Caucus to come up with bipartisan solutions.

#ClimateFacts: Attack of the Bark Beetles

Warmer winters mean more bark beetles. Bark beetles kill trees. These dead trees serve as kindling for wildfires and release stored carbon, speeding up climate change and leading to warmer winters.

These warmer winters lead to more bark beetles, and the cycle continues, unless we stop it.

#ClimateFacts: More Destructive Storms

Sea level rise makes storms more destructive. See how just one foot made Hurricane Sandy much worse.

#ClimateFacts: Syria’s Drought

The Syrian Civil War was preceded by a 5 year drought. The worst in Syria’s modern history, over 1 million were displaced. As farms failed an unemployed families crowded into the cities, an already unstable nation was pushed to the brink.

#ClimateFacts: Coral Reefs

Climate change is making the world’s oceans warmer and more acidic. This is devastating coral reefs and the half a BILLION people who depend on them.

Sources: [i] http://www.icriforum.org/sites/default/files/GCRMN_Status_Coral_Reefs_2008.pdf [ii] http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/acidification.html; http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle/page5.php?src=share [iii] http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/gaw/ghg/documents/GHG_Bulletin_10_Nov2014_EN.pdf [iv] http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/pdf/reefs_at_risk_revisited.pdf [v] http://www.interacademies.net/File.aspx?id=9075

#ClimateFacts: Hotter Temperatures and Forced Migration

If global temperatures increase by 4ºC by 2100, 44% of the all cropland will be affected by drought.

Sources: [1] http://www.anacim.sn/meteorologie/changements-climatiques/ [2] http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/865571468149107611/pdf/NonAsciiFileName0.pdf [3] http://www.internal-displacement.org/assets/library/Media/201507-globalEstimates-2015/20150713-global-estimates-2015-en-v1.pdf [4] http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/csd16/rim/eca_bg3.pdf, https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=isbn:0128013532 [5] http://science.sciencemag.org/content/323/5911/240