After Trump calls Puerto Rico hurricane recovery a “10”, ex-governor tweets a pic of doctors operating by cellphone light

By Caitlyn Hitt 23 October 2017 (New York Daily News) – A picture is worth a thousand words. Former Governor of Puerto Rico Alejandro García Padilla took a jab at President Trump on Twitter following comments the President made about the United States’ relief efforts on the island. Padilla questioned Trump’s rating of his performance […]

I am a 30-year veteran scientist from US EPA. I Can’t Afford to Be Discouraged … And neither can you.

By Rita Schoeny 26 October 2017(Save EPA) – Since January, we have seen a continual assault on our environmental protections. EPA has put a political operative with no scientific experience in charge of vetting EPA grants, and the agency is reconsidering an Obama-era regulation on coal ash. The well-established legal processes for promulgating environmental regulations, […]

Study finds ancient oceans were much colder than previously thought, implying global warming is unprecedented within the last 100 million years

By Andrew Griffin 26 October 2017 (The Independent) – Global warming might be far worse than we thought, according to a new study.The research challenges the ways that researchers have worked out sea temperatures until now, meaning that they may be increasing quicker than previously suggested.The methodology widely used to understand sea temperatures in the […]

Progress on fire in West Virginia plastics and chemical warehouse, but questions remain about impacts

By Ken Ward Jr. 27 October 2017 (Charleston Gazette Mail) – Officials reported more progress on Friday putting out the fire that’s been burning for a week at a Parkersburg plastics and chemical warehouse, but West Virginia’s top public health officer cautioned that it’s too soon to make definitive statements about the long-term health effects […]

Puerto Rico’s $300 million energy contract stirs controversy – FEMA has “significant concerns”, Governor requests audit – 72 percent of Puerto Rico still without power

By Timothy Cama and Devin Henry 28 October 2017 (The Hill) – A massive rebuilding contract between Puerto Rico and a small Montana energy company has sparked controversy and raised questions about relief efforts after Hurricane Maria.The $300 million contract between the stricken island’s power utility and two-year-old firm Whitefish Energy Holdings is looking more […]

In wildfire-ravaged Santa Rosa, to stay or go? – “My biggest fear is that we will lose the amazing community that we have because people can’t afford to live here”

By Mike McPhate 25 October 2017 (The New York Times) – With a vacancy rate of around 1 percent, Santa Rosa was a tough place to find a home before its recent disaster. Then the Tubbs fire wiped out about 5 percent of city’s housing stock — roughly 3,000 homes. For some of the displaced, […]

Brazil’s Chapada dos Veadeiros park ravaged by largest fire in its history

By Angela Boldrini 27 October 2017 (Folha de São Paulo) – More than a quarter of Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park has been consumed by the largest fire in its history. According to the latest report, on Tuesday (24th), 64,000 hectares (about 158,000 acres) of the Park’s 240,000 hectares (593,000 acres), were hit by the […]

Senate Republicans launch new attack on U.S. peer-review panels

By Jeffrey Mervis 19 October 2017 (Science) – Senate Republicans have launched a new attack on peer review by proposing changes to how the U.S. government funds basic research.New legislation introduced this week by Senator Rand Paul (R–KY) would fundamentally alter how grant proposals are reviewed at every federal agency by adding public members with […]

Puerto Rico’s uncounted hurricane deaths – “The numbers just don’t add up”

By John D. Sutter 27 October 2017 Arecibo, Puerto Rico (CNN) – You won’t hear about her death from officials investigating the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, but you should know her name and her story. She was Isabel Rivera González.Rivera was 80. She loved to dance, and was known in this hilly enclave of Puerto […]

Tar Sands pipeline that could rival Keystone XL quietly gets Trump approval

By Nicholas Kusnetz 20 October 2017 (Inside Climate News) – You’ve probably heard of the Keystone XL pipeline. But what about Line 67, also known as the Alberta Clipper?Nine years ago, both were controversial proposals to ship oil from Canada’s tar sands into the United States. But while Keystone XL is still awaiting approval and […]

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