Rising ocean threatens Ivory Coast village – “The sea is destroying everything”

By Brietta Hague 8 January 2018 Lahou-Kpanda, Ivory Coast (Al Jazeera) – Diplo Anacle stands in the doorway of an old prison, once one of dozens of stately seafront buildings erected by French colonialists on this sliver of sand between the Atlantic ocean and a giant lagoon. Today, the structure in the centuries-old village of […]

As influx of Puerto Ricans continues, Koch-backed group starts seeking them out in Florida

By Ed O’Keefe 8 January 2018 (The Washington Post) – A massive influx of Puerto Rico residents displaced by recent hurricanes is transforming communities in Florida and other states, and a conservative group is moving quickly to woo them ahead of the midterm elections.The Libre Institute, an offshoot of the Libre Initiative, a group backed […]

Evacuations ordered below Santa Barbara burn zones as area braces for rainstorm

By Alene Tchekmedyian 7 January 2018 (Los Angeles Times) – head of a strong winter storm that could trigger flash flooding and mudslides, authorities have ordered evacuations of Santa Barbara County neighborhoods that sit below areas recently burned by wildfires.Residents who live in the following areas were told to evacuate by noon Monday: north of […]

Caribbean wobbles under the impact of climate change – “There can be no question that for us in the Caribbean, climate change is an existential threat”

By Peter Richards 30 December 2017 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – In 2017, the Caribbean felt the full brunt of climate change with a warning that current trends indicate that there will be no respite.Within a two-week period, Hurricanes Irma and Maria brought home the reality of the impact of climate change as they churned their […]

Sydney swelters on hottest day since 1939 as mercury hits 47.3C

7 January 2018 (BBC) – The Australian city of Sydney has experienced its hottest weather in 79 years with temperatures in the region hitting as high as 47.3C (117F). In Penrith, west of Sydney, residents sweltered as the town bore the brunt of the heat on Sunday. Severe fire warnings were issued for the greater […]

Bushfires in South Australia amid severe heatwave in south-eastern states – “Take shelter inside a solid building. Do not leave or enter this area in a vehicle or on foot. It is too late to leave, and the roads will not be safe.”

5 January 2018 (The Guardian) – Residents of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia are facing a scorcher of a weekend, and have been advised to drink plenty of water, take care in the surf and prepare properties for bushfire risks. An “extremely dangerous” bushfire was burning out of control in South Australia’s southeast […]

UN chief issues “red alert” for the world – “We can settle conflicts, overcome hatred and defend shared values. But we can only do that together.”

By Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Amanda Coakley 1 January 2018 (CNN) – As the world began to ring in 2018, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for global unity to overcome growing challenges. In his New Year message on Sunday, Guterres said the world appeared to have “gone in reverse” before adding, “On New Year’s Day 2018 […]

Munich Re: Series of hurricanes makes 2017 year of highest insured losses ever – “Our experts expect such extreme weather to occur more often in future”

4 January 2018 (Munich Re) – The hurricane trio of Harvey, Irma, and Maria will cost the insurance industry a record amount in 2017: the final insurance bill for those and other natural catastrophes, including a severe earthquake in Mexico, is expected to come to US$ 135bn – higher than ever before. And overall losses […]

Trump administration plan would widely expand drilling in U.S. continental waters

By Darryl Fears 4 January 2018 (The Washington Post) – The Trump administration unveiled a controversial proposal Thursday to permit drilling in most U.S. continental-shelf waters, including protected areas of the Arctic and the Atlantic, where oil and gas exploration is opposed by governors from New Jersey to Florida, nearly a dozen attorneys general, more […]

It’s so cold in Florida, iguanas are falling from trees

By Jennifer Kay 4 January 2018 MIAMI BEACH, Florida (Associated Press) – It’s so cold in Florida that iguanas are falling from their perches in suburban trees. Temperatures dipped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) early Thursday in parts of South Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. That’s chilly enough to […]

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