"This Year Was A Disaster For The Planet"
"From record-breaking wildfires to devastating hurricanes, human-driven climate change keeps killing us."
Source: HuffPost, 12/30/2020
Disasters
In Madagascar’s South, Drought Pushes 1 Million Plus To Brink Of Famine
"In Madagascar’s deep south, 1.35 million people, including 100,000 children, could fall victim to malnutrition this year, as the worst drought in a decade grips the region.
This remote region has witnessed 16 famines since 1896, eight of which occurred in the past four decades. Most were the direct result of rainfall deficits, but misguided or failed policies have deepened the distress.
This year, with crop failures, pandemic-related restrictions curbing access to markets, and sharp increases in prices of essentials, food has remained out of reach for thousands.
Source: Mongabay, 12/29/2020
South Slow To Adapt to Rising Sea Levels, Other Climate Impacts
Preparations for the inevitable impacts of the climate crisis in the South, the country’s most vulnerable region, have been hit or miss. And one of the toughest challenges — preparing coastal communities for inevitable flooding from sea level rise — is just beginning. More on the region’s climate adaptation considerations in the final entry in our “Covering Your Climate: The South” special report. Plus, a backgrounder, additional tipsheets and a toolbox.
SEJ Publication Types:
Topics on the Beat:
Region:
Visibility:
Crisis Threatens the Country’s Most Vulnerable Region
As global warming worsens, effects like extreme heat, drought, wildfires, coastal flooding and inland flooding will have an outsized impact in the Southern United States. The latest entry in our ongoing “Covering Your Climate: The South” special report looks at those effects. Plus, read an introductory overview and watch for additional entries on climate mitigation and adaptation in the South.
SEJ Publication Types:
Topics on the Beat:
Region:
Visibility:
‘Good Fire And Bad Fire.’ Indigenous Practice May Be Key To Prevention
"For thousands of years, North American tribes carefully burned forests to manage the land. The future may lie in a return to that past."
Source: National Geographic, 12/28/2020
Analysis: Faulty Food Systems Laid Bare by COVID-19 And Climate Crises
"From wildfires in California and locust attacks in Ethiopia to job losses caused by pandemic lockdowns in Italy and Myanmar, climate change and COVID-19 disrupted food production and tipped millions more people into hunger in 2020."
Source: Thomson Reuters Fdn., 12/28/2020
Is the South Confronting Its Climate Threats?
The South is ground zero for the climate crisis in the United States, yet little is being done to prevent impacts or protect communities. Will the South tap its potential to be part of the solution? Our special report, “Covering Your Climate: The South,” helps reporters cover the region, starting with a backgrounder on climate concerns from Texas to Virginia.
SEJ Publication Types:
Topics on the Beat:
Region:
Visibility:
Warming Ocean Fueled More Storms in 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season
"Of 2020's Atlantic storms, 13 were hurricanes, six of them Category 3 or higher. Warmer ocean waters are fueling an increasing number of storms."
Source: Inside Climate News, 12/24/2020
Billions Spent On Fighting Calif. Wildfires, But Little On Prevention
"When COVID-19 blew a hole in California’s spending plans last spring, one of the things state budget-cutters took an axe to was wildfire prevention."
Source: LA Times, 12/24/2020
"Fueled by Climate Change, Wildfires Threaten Toxic Superfund Sites"
"Blazes at the imperiled hazardous waste sites could release toxins ranging from acid mine drainage to radioactive smoke."
Source: Inside Climate News, 12/24/2020
Pages
Advertisement 
