Situation Report

Read more about Study of Antarctic Sea Ice Collapse Warns of Potential 10-Foot Sea Rise
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California Utility Firm Suspected of Starting Deadly Wildfires Goes Bankrupt

Thu, 2019-01-17 07:21 — Kathy Gilbeaux

A firefighter battling the Camp fire, which became California’s deadliest in history. Photograph: Noah Berger/AP

Pacific Gas and Electric, which supplies 16 million residents, is under investigation for its role in the Camp fire and others

theguardian.com - by Vivian Ho - January 14, 2019

The utility company that services more than a third of California announced on Monday it plans to file for bankruptcy by the end of the month. Several deadly wildfires believed to have been caused by the company left it with potential liabilities of at least $30bn.

The board of directors of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has determined that the move “is ultimately the only viable option to restore PG&E’s financial stability to fund ongoing operations and provide safe service to customers”, the San Francisco-based company stated in a filing at the Security and Exchange Commission.

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Read more about California Utility Firm Suspected of Starting Deadly Wildfires Goes Bankrupt
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'Climate Grief': The Growing Emotional Toll of Climate Change

Wed, 2019-01-02 08:38 — Kathy Gilbeaux

The Delta Fire rages in Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California on Sept. 6. Noah Berger / AP file

nbcnews.com - by Avichai Scher - December 24, 2018

. . . The increasing visibility of climate change, combined with bleak scientific reports and rising carbon dioxide emissions, is taking a toll on mental health, especially among young people, who are increasingly losing hope for their future. Experts call it “climate grief,” depression, anxiety and mourning over climate change.

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CLICK HERE - Elected Officials to Protect America - Empowering lawmakers to act boldly on climate

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More Than 300 Local Officials From 40 States Call For Green New Deal, End Of Fossil Fuels

Thu, 2018-12-20 07:03 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Workers install solar panels. Associated Press

The open letter includes a signature from a former high-level Mobil Oil executive.

huffingtonpost.com - by Alexander C. Kaufman - December 14, 2018

In a little over a month, the so-called Green New Deal has won endorsements from more than three dozen sitting or incoming federal lawmakers as Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) makes a high-profile bid to shift debate over climate change toward policy on the scale of the crisis.

On Friday, the effort got a boost from 311 state and local officials.

Forty-four mayors, 63 county and state legislators and 116 city council members were among the officials from 40 states ― including some top oil and gas producers ― who signed an open letter issuing a sweeping, full-throated call for the phaseout of fossil fuels and adoption of Green New Deal-style climate policies.

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Sustainable Development

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ0j6kr4ZJ0

Read more about More Than 300 Local Officials From 40 States Call For Green New Deal, End Of Fossil Fuels
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Kiribati: a Drowning Paradise in the South Pacific

Mon, 2018-12-17 09:13 — Kathy Gilbeaux

DW Documentary - November 8, 2017

Climate change and rising sea levels mean the island nation of Kiribati in the South Pacific is at risk of disappearing into the sea.

But the island’s inhabitants aren’t giving up. They are doing what they can to save their island from inundation.

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Solutions

CLICK HERE - FOURTH NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT

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Federal Report Says U.S. Impacts of Climate Change are Intensifying and Will Batter Economy

Mon, 2018-12-10 08:55 — Kathy Gilbeaux

weather.com

bbc.com - November 23, 2018

Unchecked climate change will cost the US hundreds of billions of dollars and damage human health and quality of life, a US government report warns.

"Future risks from climate change depend... on decisions made today," the 4th National Climate Assessment says . . .

. . . But it says that projections of future catastrophe could change if society works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and "to adapt to the changes that will occur".

CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE - Climate change: Report warns of growing impact on US life

ALSO SEE RELATED ARTICLES WITHIN THE LINKS BELOW . . .

CLICK HERE - U.S. Should Expect Worsening Weather Disasters, New Government Climate Report Warns

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CLICK HERE - REPORT - Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: Utilities and Transportation Infrastructure (122 page .PDF report)

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New Report Strengthens Economic Case for Flood-Prepared Infrastructure

Sun, 2018-12-09 08:18 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Hurricane Floyd submerged the Greenville, North Carolina, water treatment plant in 1999. Following that event, the city used a federal grant to construct a berm and pumping station to protect the plant. Dave Gatley/Federal Emergency Management Agency

Mitigation projects yield positive return on investment in coastal, inland states

pewtrusts.org - by Forbes Tompkins - November 20, 2018

From elevating roadways in Nebraska to moving wastewater treatment plants away from flood plains in Iowa, proactive measures before flooding can provide a major return on investment, according to a new report from the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). The report, “Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: Utilities and Transportation Infrastructure,” provides analysis and key examples that underscore the benefits of investing in mitigation measures.

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Calculating the Cost of Weather and Climate Disasters

Thu, 2018-12-06 10:32 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Pixabay.com

ncei.noaa.gov - October 12, 2018

7 things to know about NCEI’s U.S. billion-dollar disasters data

Drought, floods, freezing temperatures, severe storms, tropical cyclones, wildfires, winter storms—every year since 1980, these weather and climate disasters have claimed countless lives and caused billions of dollars in damages in the United States. And, it is NCEI's job to chronicle these disasters and document their impacts to the Nation.

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Portrait of a Planet on the Verge of Climate Catastrophe

Sun, 2018-12-02 23:02 — Kathy Gilbeaux

How South Beach, Miami, could look if temperatures rise by 2C. Photograph: Nickolay Lamm/Courtesy of Climate Central/sealevel.climatecentral.org

As the UN sits down for its annual climate conference this week, many experts believe we have passed the point of no return

theguardian.com - by Robin McKie - December 2, 2018

On Sunday morning hundreds of politicians, government officials and scientists will gather in the grandeur of the International Congress Centre in Katowice, Poland . . . For 24 years the annual UN climate conference has served up a reliable diet of rhetoric, backroom talks and dramatic last-minute deals aimed at halting global warming . . .

. . . As recent reports have made clear, the world may no longer be hovering at the edge of destruction but has probably staggered beyond a crucial point of no return. Climate catastrophe is now looking inevitable.

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CLICK HERE - ENLARGED TEXAS MAP (1 page .PDF file)

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How Flood Control Officials Plan To Fix Area Floodplain Maps

Tue, 2018-11-27 18:31 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Graphic of Texas shows the updated rainfall values in inches that define certain extreme events, such as the 100-year storm. Courtesy of NOAA

New topographic and predictive rainfall data means more people in Harris County will be mapped in floodplains.

houstonpublicmedia.org - by Davis Land - November 26, 2018

When Hurricane Harvey left so much of Houston underwater, it highlighted a problem that’s been getting worse for years: Harris County’s existing floodplain maps just don’t work.

In the year since the historic storm, flood control officials have promised to change that, and they already had plans to redo the maps, but new data on the geography of the area and the amount of rainfall forecasters expect in the future means the new maps could look drastically different.

It’s crucial the maps are done right, as people are using the maps, meant to set flood insurance premiums, for more than they are intended . . .

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