Climate News Round-Up | August 21 - September 3 2019

Hurricane Dorian, which devastated the Bahamas over the weekend, is creeping towards the Southeast coast. Studies suggest Category 3 (and above) hurricanes are not only more frequent, but are also moving more slowly—and dumping more rain—because of a changing climate. Perhaps ancient Arabic water retainment used in Spain to combat torrential downpours could help.    

Swedish activist Greta Thunburg finished her own very slow (15-day) journey to the U.S. Atlantic Coast in time for the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York City. Thunburg took a 0-emissions sailboat to bring awareness to air travel greenhouse gas emissions. 

The EPA rolled back Obama-era methane-emissions caps, saying it lacked authority to regulate the powerful greenhouse gas. Across the ocean, Nordic prime ministers signed a joint agreement with business leaders to promote public-private partnerships that lower emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.    

The UN Biodiversity Chief warned of ecosystem collapse in light of extensive development-related fires in the Amazon, a point echoed by world leaders at the G7 summit. It’s not just an Amazonia problem—new studies show geese changing migration patterns due to climate change, while bananas might be the next big climate loser. At least beer might be safe thanks to a drought-resistant gene scientists recently discovered in barley. 

Feeling hot in D.C.? The nation’s capital has hit 90 degrees or higher 50 times this year, a record surpassed only three times. Perhaps city managers could check out a new cooling goo project in Los Angeles that can reduce surface temperatures by 10 °F. Researchers are also sounding climate health warnings for Muslims on annual trips to Mecca to fulfill a religious obligation known as the Hajj. 

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who had made climate change the central issue of his 2020 campaign, dropped out of the presidential race. The Democratic National Committee again considered, and again rejected, holding a climate-change debate. However, CNN will hold a seven-hour long climate-focused Townhall with candidates September 4th. 

Around the states, former governor and current Florida Senator Rick Scott acknowledges changing climate and calls for sea-level rise preparation ahead of Hurricane Dorian. Michigan State University’s Bioeconomy Institute’s research gets real-life application in the state through a $200,000 grant for energy storage, and Colorado sees a rise in regenerative agriculture.

• Five Dead in Bahamas after Hurricane Hits, New York Times
• Intense Hurricanes Like Dorian Produce 1,000 Times More Damage – and They're Becoming More Common, CBS News
• Why Are Hurricanes Like Dorian Stalling, and Is Global Warming Involved?, InsideClimate News
• The Rain in Spain: How an Ancient Arabic Technique Saves Alicante from Floods, The Guardian
• Greta Thunberg Reaches New York After 15-day Yacht Journey, CNN
• Trump’s EPA to Roll Back Obama-era Regs on Methane Emissions from Oil Fields, Fox News
• Nordic PMs, CEOs Sign Joint Declaration on Climate Change, Reuters
• Amazon Fires 'Extraordinarily Concerning', Warns UN Biodiversity Chief, The Guardian
• G7 Leaders to Hold Emergency Talks over Amazon Wildfires Crisis, The Guardian
• Wild Geese Change Routes to Cope with Climate Change, BBC
• Bananas Have Benefited from Climate Change – but They Won’t in Future, New Scientist
• Scientists Find Drought-Resistance Gene that Could Help Barley Survive Climate Change, Independent
• Study: Climate Change Could Pose Danger for Muslim Pilgrimage, MIT

Around the States:

• Washington Has Now Hit 90 Degrees or Higher 50 Times this Year, a Rare Milestone, Washington Post
• Cooling Goo Sidewalks and other Strange New Weapons in the War on Urban Heat, The Guardian
• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Drops Out of Presidential Race, CNN
• The DNC Rejects a Climate Change Debate and Puts Virtual Caucusing in Doubt, Vox
• Rick Scott, ahead of Dorian Landfall, Weighs in on Climate Change's Effects on Hurricane Strength, Fox News
• Holland Company Lands $200k Federal Grant to Advance Energy Storage Technology, MiBiz
• The Rise of Regenerative Agriculture in Colorado, 5280