A (non-comprehensive) list of interesting and relevant climate change, climate policy, and environmental justice stories.
Alaskan rivers turning orange due to climate change, study finds. As frozen ground below the surface melts, exposed minerals such as iron are giving streams a rusty color that pose a risk to wildlife. (read the full story here)
A program meant to help developing nations fight climate change is funneling billions of dollars back to rich countries. Wealthy countries sent climate funding to the developing world in recent years with interest rates or strings attached that benefited the lending nations, a Reuters data analysis found. (read the full story here)
EPA Formally Denies Alabama’s Plan for Coal Ash Waste. The federal agency says the state’s plan was not as protective as federal standards, allowing toxic waste to remain in unlined pits that may contaminate groundwater. Alabama officials say they will appeal. (read the full story here)
New NASA Mission Tracks Microscopic Organisms in the Ocean and Tiny Particles in the Air to Monitor Climate Change. The spectrum of colors viewed by the PACE satellite can identify different phytoplankton species in the ocean and a variety of aerosols in the atmosphere, helping researchers identify threats to the health of people and the planet. (read the full story here)
As New York’s Offshore Wind Work Begins, an Environmental Justice Community Is Waiting to See the Benefits. A labor agreement guarantees jobs for unions, but making sure Sunset Park residents are included remains a challenge. (read the full story here)
In Two New Studies, Scientists See Signs of Fundamental Climate Shifts in Antarctica. A steep decline of Antarctic sea ice may mark a long-term transformation in the Southern Ocean, and seawater intrusions beneath the Thwaites Glacier could explain its melting outpacing projections. (read the full story here)
Significant Environmental and Climate Impacts Are Impinging on Human Rights in Every Country, a New Report Finds. In its annual State of the World’s Human Rights report, Amnesty International also concludes that threats to environmental activists are growing globally. (read the full story here)
U.S. drought-monitoring system outpaced by climate changes. A new study reports that the U.S. Drought Monitor’s weekly maps of nationwide drought conditions — which help direct emergency federal aid — have captured the steady march of climate change, but the Drought Monitor has itself failed to adapt to that reality. (read the full story here)
The global clean water crisis looms large. Water scarcity will intensify with climate and socioeconomic change, disproportionately impacting populations located in the Global South. (read the full story here)