An editorial by Mel Gurtov The Republicans are on the sidelines on the climate crisis. Government scientists are muzzled. Leading Democrats—though not all—are cautious. CEOs of some of America’s biggest corporations are pledging action while others, like investment firms, fossil fuel companies, and Charles Koch’s lobbyists, are downright hostile. And Donald Trump, the world’s leading … Continue reading
Tag Archives: climate change
Fiji calls for urgency in talks to implement climate accord
BONN, Germany (AP) — Fiji’s prime minister called for a sense of urgency in the fight against global warming Monday, telling negotiators “we must not fail our people,” as he opened two weeks of talks on implementing the Paris accord on combating climate change, which is already affecting his Pacific island nation. While diplomats and … Continue reading
Hurricane Harvey the latest threat to flood-prone Houston
HOUSTON (AP) — Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast some 175 miles (280 kilometers) from Houston, but the nation’s fourth-largest city has never needed a direct strike from a catastrophic storm to flood. Regularly inundated by floodwaters ever since its settlement in the mid-1800s, Houston looked on warily even before Harvey roared ashore. In … Continue reading
European leaders: climate change deal can’t be renegotiated
BERLIN (AP) — Top European leaders pledged Thursday to keep fighting against global warming as U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was pulling out of the Paris climate accord, but they rejected his suggestion that the deal could later be renegotiated. The leaders of France, Germany and Italy said in a joint statement that they … Continue reading
Insidious but overlooked: Back-bay flooding plagues millions
OCEAN CITY, N.J. (AP) — Marty Mozzo gets a gorgeous show each night when the sun sets over wetlands near his property on the bay side of a barrier island. When he and his wife bought the house in 2008, she looked at the marsh, where the only sign of water was a tiny trickle … Continue reading
US stance holding up nations’ pledges on climate change
BERLIN (AP) — Strong statements on the need to combat climate change have become staple fare at global summits — a problem, like terrorism, that all leaders traditionally agreed needs to be tackled even if they differed on the details. But the issue could become a stumbling block at a G-7 meeting of leading Western … Continue reading
India has the most people without clean water, report says
NEW DELHI (AP) — India has the world’s highest number of people without access to clean water — imposing a major financial burden for some of the country’s poorest people, according to a report released Tuesday, March 22. The international charity Water Aid says 75.8 million Indians — or 5 percent of the country’s 1.25 … Continue reading
Leaders of warming Earth meet in Paris to cut emissions
LE BOURGET, France (AP) — The largest group of world leaders ever to stand together kicked off two weeks of high-stakes climate talks outside Paris on Monday, saying that striking an ambitious deal to curb global warming can show terrorists what countries can achieve when they are united. “What greater rejection of those who would … Continue reading
Courting business, Obama presses for climate action in Asia
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Aggressive action to fight climate change will be a boon for businesses in Asia and beyond, President Barack Obama has asserted as he reaches for a global climate change agreement he hopes will burnish his environmental legacy. World leaders are just weeks away from a deadline for an unprecedented carbon-cutting deal … Continue reading
Senegal: Saloum Delta islands on frontline of climate change
DIAMNIADIO ISLAND, Senegal (AP) — The place where Fatou Faye’s kitchen once stood is now outlined with short branches of mangroves, a small and perhaps futile attempt to prevent the sea from destroying the rest of her house. The rising sea levels pushing into the waters of Senegal’s Saloum Delta threaten to carve the rest … Continue reading
Senegal: Saloum Delta islands on frontline of climate change
DIAMNIADIO ISLAND, Senegal (AP) — The place where Fatou Faye’s kitchen once stood is now outlined with short branches of mangroves, a small and perhaps futile attempt to prevent the sea from destroying the rest of her house. The rising sea levels pushing into the waters of Senegal’s Saloum Delta threaten to carve the rest … Continue reading
Sweden projected to lose 40-80 days of snow as climate warms
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Snowy white winters are likely to become a thing of the past for most Swedes. The national weather service on Monday released a new analysis of how climate change will affect the Nordic country — and it’s bad news for skiing enthusiasts. It said the length of the snowy season is expected … Continue reading
Obama to seek unity with pope on issues in White House visit
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sweeping into office in 2009, President Barack Obama captured near rock-star status around the world among millions who saw him as the embodiment of a new sense of social purpose. Now, that baton has largely been passed to Pope Francis, whose visit to the White House next month will put his common … Continue reading
Pharrell: Live Earth concert to press for climate action
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Pharrell Williams says he’ll have all of humanity singing together at a worldwide concert Thursday, June 18, to fight global warming. The pop star is teaming up with Nobel Peace Prize-winner Al Gore and producer Kevin Wall to pull off a “Live Earth” concert on seven continents to build support … Continue reading