Geographical pattern of the primary drivers of deteriorating status among amphibians. a,b, The primary drivers of deteriorating status among amphibians during 1980–2004 (482 species; a) and 2004–2022 (306 species; b). Cell colour was determined by the primary driver impacting the most species. Where two primary drivers equally contribute to a cell, an intermediate colour is shown. The stars indicate where the primary driver is undetermined or there are numerous primary drivers. The cell area is 7,775 km2. Graphic: Luedtke, et al., 2023 / Nature

Climate change emerges as major driver of amphibian declines, new research finds – “It’s a gut punch and an awakening”

By JoAnn Adkins 4 October 2023 (FIU) – Amphibians are in trouble and in desperate need of conservation action, according to a new global assessment of the world’s amphibian population. Salamanders are experiencing the greatest decline in numbers, but frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders throughout the Neotropics — extending from South Florida and Caribbean islands […]

Satellite view of burned area and wildfires in Greece, 19 August 2023 - 14 September 2023. More than 672 square miles had burned through September 2023. Photo: European Union / Copernicus Sentinel / EO Browser

Two months of fire and flood: Greece’s climate disasters in 2023, visualized – “An unprecedented weather event, a catastrophe of immense proportions”

By Mithil Aggarwal and Jiachuan Wu 8 October 2023 (NBC News) – Greece is at war with climate change. Wildfires and record rainfall devastated the country this summer, first scorching entire forests then flooding complete towns. Here’s a look at two months of disasters that will leave the country changed for years. The fires The blaze […]

A combination picture shows satellite images of Ozello, Florida before flooding (L) on 12 January 2023 and flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in Florida, U.S., 30 August 2023. Photo: Maxar Technologies / REUTERS / CBS News

Home insurers cut natural disasters from policies as climate risks grow – “The same risks that are making insurance more important are making it harder to get”

By Jacob Bogage 3 September 2023 (The Washington Post) – In the aftermath of extreme weather events, major insurers are increasingly no longer offering coverage that homeowners in areas vulnerable to those disasters need most. At least five large U.S. property insurers — including Allstate, American Family, Nationwide, Erie Insurance Group and Berkshire Hathaway — […]

CAMS Daily total cumulative carbon emissions from Canada wildfires in 2023, compared with emissions since 2003. Data for 2023 are current through 28 August 2023. Growth in fire emissions have surpassed 2014 to set a new record for the last two decades. Graphic: Mark Parrington / Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service

Wildfires in Canada’s Northwest Territories have released 97 megatons of carbon, 277 times what its people emit – Emissions from wildfires across Canada in 2023 vastly exceed the 2014 record

By Liny Lamberink 28 August 2023 (CBC News) – Wildfires in the N.W.T have emitted 97 megatonnes of carbon into the air so far this year — 277 times more than what was caused by humans in the territory back in 2021. Mark Parrington, a senior scientist working at the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), […]

Map showing the heat index forecast in the United States on 24 August 2023. 110 million people in the U.S. were exposed to dangerous heat today. Graphic: The Washington Post

Heat dome shatters all-time U.S. records as Europe roasts – “Brutal” heat wave brings triple-digit temperatures from Chicago to New Orleans – 110 million people exposed to dangerous heat

By Andrew Freedman 24 August 2023 (Axios) – In a summer featuring countless heat domes and record-high temperatures and heat indices, the season appears to have saved the worst for last. The big picture: A sweltering, stagnant air mass is draped across the Central U.S., resulting in “dangerous,” “searing” and “brutal” heat. Meanwhile, southern Europe is also seeing another bout of […]

The McDougall Creek wildfire burns next to houses in the Okanagan community of West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, 19 August 2023. Photo: Chris Helgren / REUTERS

City empties as thousands flee wildfire burning near capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories – Wildfires could persist for rest of “marathon” summer – “I don’t want to die, mommy”

By Tammy Webber and Jim Morris 18 August 2023 VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) – Residents heeded warnings to evacuate the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories as a large wildfire burned just outside the city of 20,000 Friday, while firefighters battled a growing fire that set homes ablaze in a city in British Columbia. Thousands of […]

People take photos of the sun as smoke from the wildfires in Canada cause hazy conditions in New York City in June 2023. Photo: Getty Images

How climate scientists feel about seeing their dire predictions come true – “I used to think, ‘I’m concerned for my children and grandchildren.’ Now it’s to the point where I’m concerned about myself.”

By Corinne Purtill 18 August 2023 (Los Angeles Times) – You are correct. It is, in fact, extremely unusual to be on hurricane watch in Southern California. If Hurricane Hilary continues on the trajectory forecasters are currently predicting, it will be the first tropical storm to make landfall in California since 1939, and only the second one to do […]

An aerial view of a wildfire in Kihei, Maui County, Hawaii, on 8 August 2023. Photo: Clint Hansen / Maui Real Estate / Reuters

“It’s apocalyptic”: People jump into the ocean to flee Maui wildfires – Burn patients overwhelm hospitals as 911 is cut off – Winds from Hurricane Dora fan flames – “This is so unprecedented”

By Holly Yan, Amanda Jackson, Jamiel Lynch and Chris Boyette 9 August 2023 (CNN) – The wildfires raging out of control in Maui are so catastrophic, some residents are hurling themselves into the ocean to escape the flames. Even emergency crews might not be able to help as the infernos – fueled in part by […]

Clouds of smoke from a forest fire rise to the sky on the island of Rhodes, Greece, Saturday, 22 July 2023. A large blaze burning on the Greek island of Rhodes for the fifth day forced authorities to order an evacuation of four locations, including two seaside resorts. Photo: Rhodes.Rodos / AP

2,000 people including tourists evacuated as a wildfire rages on the Greek island of Rhodes

By Demetris Nellas 22 July 2023 ATHENS, Greece (AP) – A large wildfire burning on the Greek island of Rhodes for a fifth day has forced authorities to order an evacuation of four locations, including two seaside resorts. About 2,000 people, including tourists, were evacuated by sea, fire department spokesman Yannis Artopios said Saturday evening. […]

Heat index forecast for the United States, 3 July 2023 - 8 July 2023. An estimated 76 million people in the U.S. were exposed to dangerous heat on 2 July 2023. Graphic: The Washington Post

Summer in the Southern U.S. is becoming unbearable – “This is how it’s going to be: Things will get hotter, storms will get worse, wildfire smoke will get more common. All the while, the ruts of inequity will be worn deeper, the same people time and time again placed on the front lines of catastrophe.”

By Olivia Paschal 1 July 2023 (The Atlantic) – A few weeks ago, as the first wave of smoke from the Canadian wildfires rolled south, I was getting ready to drive from Charlottesville, Virginia, about 18 hours west to my hometown of Rogers, Arkansas, to visit family. I figured that by the time I hit […]

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