Climate Change

A federal judge ruled Monday that New York could not enforce a state law from 2024 which aimed to force fossil-fuel companies to pay $75 billion in 25 years to a fund for damages caused by climate changes. Chief U.S. district judge Brenda Sannes, of Syracuse, New York, sided with 22 Republican state attorneys general as well as business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in determining that the state measure was preempted under?federal laws. The New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul's office did not respond immediately to a comment request. Sannes, a Democratic appointee to?President Barack Obama's cabinet,...

Matt Errico, sitting on his toilet in Colorado, heard noises. After a brief stare-off, they bolted out of the front door. After a?staring match, the two bears bolted from the front door. Errico had seen bears in his garbage before, but this was the first time. Errico, a small mountain town located about 57 miles (92 kilometers) northwest of Denver, said, "I've never heard of cubs being inside someone's home." Black bears have been spotted also in a Granby vapor shop. They are among the thousands of black bears that are heading to towns and cities in the U.S. West...

Experts citing Planet Labs satellite images said that a deadly flash flood on Wednesday near Nepal's Tibet border may have been triggered by the lower part of a glacier breaking off and crashing on to the valley floor hundreds of meters below. The cause of the collapse was unclear, but Nepali officials pointed out that an earthquake had occurred in the area minutes earlier. Both sides are concerned that the number of deaths will far exceed the 100 bodies recovered so far. Nepal's government said that more than 300 travelers were missing. Satellite imagery from Planet Labs was reviewed by...

Nevada filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, claiming that its plans to cut water supplies from the drought stricken Colorado River would devastate Nevada and violate laws governing the Colorado River. The Department of the Interior finalized on Friday its plan, which included a reduction of 21% in the water flowing from the river into California, Nevada and Arizona over a two-year period starting in 2027. Arizona and Nevada say that the cuts to the three states in the lower basin could double after 2028. Colorado, Utah New Mexico and Wyoming are the four states that make...

U.S. government finalized on Friday a plan for reducing?water supply to California, Nevada, and Arizona in order to manage the drought-stricken Colorado River, but left open the possibility that the cuts could be even deeper later in the decade. According to the plan, the three states in the lower basin will receive a reduction of 21% in water in 2027-2028. However, the cuts could double in future years. Arizona and Nevada said that any plan to double cuts after 2028 will destroy their economies. Arizona has threatened the federal government with a lawsuit if they impose these potential cuts in...

The U.S. Government finalized on Friday a plan that will cut water supplies in?California and Nevada to help manage the Colorado River, which is suffering from a severe drought. According to the plan, signed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, in 2027 and 2028, water will be reduced by around 21 percent in these three states. However, this reduction could double in subsequent years. Arizona and Nevada said that any plan to double cuts after 2028 will destroy their economies. Arizona has threatened the federal government with a lawsuit if they impose?these possible cuts as part the new 10-year-plan. Colorado, Utah...

Investor activists are worried about the loss of influence after the top U.S. financial regulatory agency made its decision permanent to "cease judging" whether companies can exclude shareholder resolutions at annual meetings. The Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States announced a change that extends the freeze put in place by the Securities and Exchange Commission last November to decide whether or not to approve corporate requests for voting to be skipped on shareholder proposals. These letters were referred to as "no action" letters, because they responded to corporate requests that the agency not take any action if executives...

Federal data shows that U.S. firefighters are facing the most wildfires in 20 years, with six deaths and?dozens of injuries. This grim statistic comes during an unprecedented fire season for the United States. According to the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (a federal agency), there have been 12 entrapments in 2026. This is already'more than the average full-year number of nine over the past 20 years and the highest year-to date?number? since 2006. Wildfire entrapments can be life-threatening situations where fire behavior compromises escape routes or safety zones for firefighting personnel. Firefighting personnel are at greater risk due to the...

The federal appeals court on Tuesday overturned a Biden administration era rule setting efficiency standards for electric and gas stoves and ovens. It said the agency had improperly bypassed procedures to solicit public comments. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled 3-0 for seven Republican-led states -- Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana Nebraska Tennessee Texas and Utah. The New Orleans Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for seven Republican-led States -- Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee -- who challenged the Department of Energy’s “direct final rule” on?consumer grade stoves and appliances. The August 2024 rule aimed to limit the amount...

Canadian police confirmed that an 80-year old woman died in the rapidly spreading Bald Range Wildfire in British Columbia’s wine country. The blaze had nearly doubled its size over the past weekend, forcing the evacuation of residents in the area. This was the first death reported in connection with the wildfires in the area, which were engulfed in smoke and flames as the hot and dry weather conditions exacerbated the fire. In a late Sunday statement, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated that a Meadow Valley resident had been 'evacuating with a member of her family when she died suddenly....

The Canadian federal Government said that it would assist British Columbia in the wake of a raging wildfire forcing thousands to flee. It will provide shelter and accommodation for residents who are displaced around Summerland, Peachland. Bald Range Wildfire has spread over 10,300 hectares as firefighters continue to fight the fire. Eleanor Olszewski is Canada's Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience. She said in a post on social media that she approved British Columbia's request for federal assistance to provide accommodation for those who were forced to flee their homes because of wildfires. The minister stated that he had...

On Saturday, a wildfire that was rapidly spreading in the western part of Canada forced thousands of residents to leave their homes. Bald Range was out of control, and had grown to approximately 9,500 hectares (23,500 acres). This prompted evacuation orders for Summerland, Peachland, and other districts located west of Okanagan Lake. This region produces the majority of B.C. The?region produces most of B.C. Summerland declared a state-of-emergency and has a population of 12,000 people according to the census of 2021. Peachland has a population of 6,500. "A?lot of farms were affected. We do not know how many buildings have...

Authorities said that the chances of finding survivors among the thousands who are still missing in Nepal have dwindled. This is a week after flash floods in the Himalayas caused the destruction in the mountainous nation. Nearly 4,000 people are still unaccounted for. Officials fear that many of them may be buried beneath the debris from the floods which ravaged towns and valleys close to the Chinese border. China's official death toll in Tibet has remained at 16 since Sunday, with 546 still missing. Phanindra paudel, a senior government official from the National Emergency Operation Center(NEOC), stated that "the hope...

Authorities said that the death toll from the catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet last week reached 750 people on Sunday, with another 3,044 still missing. Rescuers were forced to move to higher ground when rains swollen river levels. Rescue operations have been suspended a few times since Friday because of the bad weather. There are also concerns that a mudslide caused by Wednesday's collapsed glacier could cause fresh flooding in Nepal after a lake formed across a border between Nepal and China. According to Red Cross, more than 90 000 people may have been affected by this disaster. China...

An official with Nepal's Disaster?Management Authority confirmed that Nepal monitors two lakes a few miles upstream from the flood zone, where hundreds of people died on Wednesday. The official said that flood risks would continue until both lakes are completely drained. One of the lakes started overflowing Friday. Satellite images showed two lakes near the site of a glacier slide that pushed debris, rock, ice and mud into rivers on Wednesday. This caused flood waves which destroyed houses and destroyed bridges. A Chinese rescue team captured aerial footage of the formation of 'one of the two Lakes on Thursday. On...

The 'Red Cross' said that more than 90,000 people are directly affected by the Himalayan land slide and urgently need humanitarian assistance. Officials from the aid sector expressed their fears about further flooding. David Fisher, the head of the delegation of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for Nepal, said at a Geneva press briefing: "We think that 93,000 people are affected, and they're in a lot of need." He added, "We are of course concerned about the second flood." Fisher stated that the organisation's trucks containing relief supplies had been?blocked by a lake? formed by the...

Both Nepal and China?warned Thursday of new risks of flooding in Himalayas as two lakes have formed on either side of the border, which threaten to?burst into a region that is still coping with this week's devastating?flood. Nearly 1,000 people are still missing, and search and rescue operations continue in the debris-strewn hillsides and valleys. The flood that struck Nepal's border region with China's Tibet on Wednesday killed at least 362. Both countries blame the flood on glacier collapses that sent rock, ice and debris into mountain river systems. Nepal's disaster agency issued a warning on Thursday that a lake...

Authorities fear that more people will be killed by a flash flood caused by a glacial collapse in the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and adjacent Tibet. At least 270 people have been killed, but authorities are concerned about further casualties. These are the most deadly glacial disasters of?history. 1941 -- HUARAZ (PERU) In the northern Andes, a glacial 'lake outburst' flood inundated one-third of Huaraz. It killed an estimated 5,000. This remains one of the most deadly glacier-lake outbursts in history. 1962 -- RANRAHIRCA (PERU) Mount Huascaran in Peru is the tallest mountain. A massive block of ice separated...

Authorities warned against the possibility of fatalities after a massive flash flood in Nepal's Himalayan region washed away villages and damaged roads, bridges, and power projects. Officials said that the areas of Syapru Besi, Timure, and the surrounding mountainous district, Rasuwa with a combined population of around 50,000 people, were heavily affected. They also urged those who live on the Bhote-Koshi river's banks to move higher ground. District administrator Narendra Pariyar said that he had received reports of villages being washed out and infrastructure projects being destroyed, but no estimates of property or casualties were immediately available. He added, "There...

Authorities warned of heavy casualties as they urged people living along river banks to move higher ground. Government officials have said that the areas of Syapru Besi, Timure, and the mountainous district Rasuwa are severely affected. They also called for residents to be extra vigilant along the Bhote-Koshi River. District administrator Narendra Pariyar said that he had received reports of villages and infrastructure projects being washed out, but that a number of deaths or damage to property were not immediately known. He said, "There could have been a lot of casualties or property loss." "But I can't say for certain?now."...

China's?exports of electric trucks to other Asian nations have soared. This is in addition to an increase in domestic sales, as the?higher fuel costs as a result of the Iran War accelerate regional electrification. China's rapid adoption of etrucks - from lighter vehicles to tractors-trailers - has shielded the 'world's largest auto market' from the conflict. Other countries are now scrambling for a chance to catch up. China's heavy etruck exports have more than doubled in the last four months since the U.S. and Israel started the war, on February 28. They now total 16,823 vehicles. The majority of the...

After a two-week trip across the Pacific Ocean, Typhoon Dolphin brought extreme rain to eastern, central, and northern China. Dolphin's long-lasting and wide circulation made it one of China’s most significant weather events in recent times. Meteorologists have compared it to the devastating Typhoon Doksuri that will hit in 2023. How severe was the rain? Thirteen weather stations in the country broke their records for a single-day rainfall. The average rainfall in?Zhejiang from 7 to 11 August was 215 mm (or 8.46 inches), which is a record for a typhoon that made landfall in eastern China. Taizhou, the city where...

Heatwaves in northeast China have caused a number of tourists to flock to the sea to cool off. On Friday, beachgoers of all ages dotted the water in brightly colored floats along the pebbled?beach at Fujiazhuang Park, in Dalian, a city known for its fresh seafood, Yellow Sea coastline views, and coastal attractions. Climate change has caused China to experience more heatwaves. The latest heatwave has hit northeastern China, and the Korean Peninsula. South Korea declared an emergency. Dalian, according to the Chinese agricultural calendar's first day of autumn, recorded a high temperature of 37 degrees Celsius on Friday. According...

Each day, hundreds of Mexican hotel employees, tractor operators, and Navy personnel with specialized training head out to the beach at dawn to remove massive amounts of rotting seaweed from Caribbean beaches near popular tourist resorts. Hotels in the Caribbean have slashed rates and invested millions of dollars to remove the foul-smelling algal blooms from their beaches. Governments and businesses are also looking for solutions. How it all began Sargassum, a brown seaweed which forms floating'mats' on the ocean surface, was previously confined to the 'Sargasso Sea in?the North Atlantic. However, unusually strong winds in 2010 blew sargassum out into...