Climate Migration Climate Migration

The western half of the United States is currently experiencing a long-running megadrought that is putting a significant strain on water resources across the region, and experts say that another decade or two of dryness could have “catastrophic effects” on the country. The latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that 65 percent of… Continue reading If America’s megadrought continues, the impacts will be catastrophic

The last eight years have been the eight warmest on record as the growing concentration of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere pushes global temperatures toward a dangerous tipping point, a new report shows. An analysis by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service published on Tuesday said that 2022 was the fifth-warmest year for the… Continue reading The last 8 years were the warmest on record for the planet

Across much of the United States, millions of people are expected to experience extreme temperatures more frequently and for longer periods of time — a threat that will grow as climate change worsens. The new data, released recently by the nonprofit First Street Foundation, calculates the heat risk facing each property in the contiguous United… Continue reading More Dangerous Heat Waves are on the way – see the impact by zip code

Europe’s hottest summer on record likely resulted in more than 20,000 excess deaths in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, according to official data. The excess deaths – the difference between the total number of deaths in the summer of 2022 and the historical average – were particularly elevated during the three intense heat… Continue reading Europe’s hot summer of 2022 led to 20,000 excessive deaths

A small but growing number of older people are taking climate change into account when choosing a retirement destination, real estate agents and other experts say. Armed with climate studies, many retirees are looking for communities that are less likely to experience extreme weather events, such as wildfires, drought and flooding. In an analysis of… Continue reading Some elderly people are now moving to locations presumed to be at lower risk of climate change hazards

An international coalition of researchers says in a report published today that the Earth’s vital signs have worsened to the point that “humanity is unequivocally facing a climate emergency.” The report, “World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022,” published in the journal BioScience, notes that 16 of 35 planetary vital signs the authors use… Continue reading Earth is “unequivocally” in the midst of a climate emergency

Last year, the World Bank estimated that some 200 million people worldwide may migrate in coming decades in response to stressors exacerbated by climate change. While climate-driven migration will undoubtedly be traumatic for the victims, a few U.S. communities—including Great Lakes coastal cities such as Duluth, Minnesota and Buffalo, New York—have openly wondered whether it… Continue reading Great Lakes region may seen an influx of climate migrants

California’s drought has become the state’s driest three-year period on record, surpassing that of 2013-15 — and a fourth dry year is looking increasingly likely, officials said Monday. “This is our new climate reality, and we must adapt,” Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said in a statement. “As California transitions to a hotter,… Continue reading California suffering through driest three years ever recorded

Climate change is an unprecedented threat to human civilization as we know it. The large number of diseases that are sensitive to climate change and their numerous transmission pathways represent an insurmountable task for disease control in the absence of aggressive mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Arguably, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed substantial disparities in… Continue reading Climate change exacerbates almost two-thirds of pathogenic diseases affecting humans

This past meteorological summer, which spans June 1 to Aug. 31, was ranked the third-hottest summer across the contiguous United States. In a report recently published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average temperature this past summer for the Lower 48 was 78.9 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 2.5 degrees F above average.… Continue reading Summer of 2022 ranks as 3rd warmest on record for contiguous US