"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."
“In a world where people accept global heating is bad, news that we had avoided a boiling-in-our-own-juices version of the planet’s future might have been welcomed. Instead, the news that a group of climate scientists had officially retired their very worst scenario for the future of the planet was proof – according to Donald Trump – that the scientists had been (in all caps) WRONG! WRONG! WRONG."
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) replaced employee desk phones with calling software used on their laptops, something the union says poses safety issues, including during a recent medical emergency.”
“As the West enters a high-risk wildfire season, Nevada’s largest utility is asking state regulators to OK a $500 million insurance policy funded by its ratepayers."
“Extreme drought and rising temperatures in the US are poised to overwhelm the Trump administration’s plans to control wildfire by logging federal forests, scientists say."
“U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy previously ran an aerial firefighting company. After joining Congress, he proposed ending Forest Service inspections of those aircraft. The same month a draft of his plan to end Forest Service inspections leaked, an aircraft at his former company failed an inspection because of a crack in its wing.”
“Wildlife department says drought conditions and water released from dam led to ‘major fish kill’ at San Carlos Lake.”
“For decades, a landfill has towered over the town of Brookhaven. A groundwater contamination plume has spread beneath nearby properties.”
The growing disconnect between climate risk and risk insurance for homeowners is leaving millions on the knife-edge of economic disaster. But the latest TipSheet suggests that reality offers environmental journalists an opportunity to navigate the morass, community by community. Get more than a dozen story ideas and reporting resources in the latest column.
“At the Museum of Unnatural Disasters, members of Congress, disaster survivors and activists are bringing their worries about preparedness to the seat of power.”
