Disasters

"Nuclear Rules in Japan Relied on Old Science"

"In the country that gave the world the word tsunami, the Japanese nuclear establishment largely disregarded the potentially destructive force of the walls of water. The word did not even appear in government guidelines until 2006, decades after plants — including the Fukushima Daiichi facility that firefighters are still struggling to get under control — began dotting the Japanese coastline."

Source: NY Times, 03/28/2011

Study Spotlights Threat Of Overlooked Mold-Associated Illnesses

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A first-of-its-kind U.S. study suggests invasive mold infections may be an underappreciated — and potentially deadly — threat. The researchers detected about 450 cases in Atlanta-area hospitals over five years. About a third of the patients died in the hospital."

Source: AP, 07/31/2026

Trump DOE To Turn Ky. Uranium Plant Into Gas-Powered AI Data Center

"The U.S. Department of Energy is harnessing the artificial intelligence boom in its bid to convert another Cold War-era uranium enrichment site, tapping private equity to fund a $100 billion data center complex that will include its own new natural gas and battery storage power plant in Kentucky."

Source: AP, 07/31/2026

US Sees Iran Likely Behind Cyberattack on 30+ Minnesota Water Systems

"Investigators believe a cyberattack this week on dozens of municipal water systems in Minnesota was probably the work of Iranian hackers, according to U.S. and state officials and others familiar with the matter, a potential act of aggression that comes at a precarious moment in the U.S. war against Iran." "There were no indications that any water supply had been rendered unsafe to drink."

Source: New York Times, 07/31/2026

Deadly Flooding In West Virginia Finds Prevention Plans Unaddressed

"Last week, a flood devastated portions of north central West Virginia and killed two people in Upshur County. Lawmakers have done little to fund prevention and recovery as climate change puts more of the state at risk of flooding."

Source: Mountain State Spotlight, 07/30/2026

After Venezuela Quakes, Environmental And Health Risks Have Just Begun

"More than a month has passed since Venezuela’s devastating earthquakes, and the constant sound of heavy machinery still echoes through the hardest-hit neighborhoods of La Guaira on the northern coast. Dust from collapsed buildings hangs in the humid air. Garbage has piled up. Families camp outside homes deemed too dangerous to enter. Water trucks weave through damaged streets."

Source: AP, 07/30/2026

Record Seaweed Blankets Mexico's Caribbean Coast, Threatening Tourism

"A record wave of brown, smelly seaweed is washing up on beaches along ‌Mexico's Caribbean coast, forcing closures in top tourist destinations and inflicting mounting economic damage on hotels, restaurants and shops."

Source: Reuters, 07/29/2026

California Can’t Replant Forests Fast Enough To Keep Up With Wildfires

"California’s wildfires are destroying forests faster than the state can replant them, and federal cuts are making the gap worse. One expert says the crisis is barely known — even though it could reshape half the state’s forests by 2071."

Source: CalMatters, 07/29/2026

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