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This article is part of Ask Umbra’s guide on How to Build a Flood-Resilient Community. This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity. David Haakenson thinks about water a lot. That’s because the farm he owns in western Washington experiences frequent, catastrophic floods. And climate change is making that trend worse. “We had floods in …
As the world continues to grapple with Covid-19, a racial justice reckoning, and rising economic uncertainty, it’s clear these crises have profoundly shifted relationships with power, space, time, leadership, and each other. That creates new challenges—and opportunities—for business and brand leadership and impact. Many consumers are now looking for increased accountability. “How many companies have …
Brands have a role in global regeneration. But first they must rethink everything. Read More »
A typical electricity bill leaves the customer with the sense that she knows exactly what she’s paying for. It might show how many kilowatts of power her household has used, the costs of generating that electricity and delivering it, and the amount that goes to taxes. But these bills can hide as much as they …
Meet the group lobbying against climate regulations — using your utility bill Read More »
In news that could jump-start the American solar industry, mired for months in a U.S. Commerce Department investigation, the Biden Administration announced Monday that it will waive tariffs for solar panel imports from four Asian countries over the next two years. The countries are Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Both solar and environmental groups welcomed …
Biden waived tariffs on solar panels from four countries. Here’s why. Read More »
This story was originally published by Hakai Magazine and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In the next few years, Indonesia will start moving its capital city from one island, Java, to another, Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. There are a few reasons for the move, but one of the biggest is that the country’s current capital, …
It seems like every year a report is released documenting the scale of snow or ice loss in the Arctic. But, what about the climate significance of rising temperatures in snowy regions nowhere near the Poles? A recent study from researchers at University of Lausanne and the University of Basel has explored this exact question …
Feedback loops: How the ‘greening’ of the Alps could lead to more warming Read More »
This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Late last June, farmers in Walla Walla, Washington, noticed something odd happening to their onions. Walla Walla, an oasis in the middle of the state’s high desert, is bursting with vineyards, wheat fields and acres of the city’s eponymous sweet onions. …
When the heat is unbearable but there’s nowhere to go Read More »
On Thursday, a group of 17 Republicans did something slightly unusual for conservative Congressional representatives: They introduced a climate plan. “Climate plan,” at least, is one way of putting it. The strategy calls for increasing domestic production of all energy sources (including fossil fuels), streamlining the permitting process for new energy projects, increasing liquefied natural …
The emptiness of Republicans’ new climate strategy Read More »
Earlier this spring, Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill authorizing construction of a canal that would siphon water from neighboring Colorado, igniting a war of words between the two states’ leaders. Nebraska’s governor, Republican Pete Ricketts, says that the canal will “protect Nebraska’s water rights for our kids, grandkids, and generations beyond.” Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared …
Is Nebraska building a $500 million ‘canal to nowhere’ just to own the libs? Read More »
For the first time, the United States government will approach water scarcity as a national security issue, Vice President Kamala Harris said this week. The policy shift is part of the newly announced White House Action Plan on Global Water Security, which aims to “elevate water security” as an international priority. The strategy calls on …
Water security is now a key US foreign policy priority Read More »