Pollution | Environment.org

When a hurricane like Helene or Milton ravages coastal communities, already-strained first responders face a novel, and growing, threat: the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles, e-bikes, and countless gadgets. When exposed to the salty water of a storm surge, they are at risk of bursting into flames — and taking an entire house with them.

“Anything that’s lithium-ion and exposed to salt water can have an issue,” said Bill Morelli, the fire chief in Seminole, Florida, and the bigger the battery, the greater the threat. That’s what makes EVs especially hazardous. “[The problem] has expanded as they continue to be more and more popular.”

It is not yet clear how many vehicles might have caught fire in the wake of Hurricane Milton, which slammed into Siesta Key on Wednesday, leaving at least 16 people dead and some 80,000 in …

How Hurricane Milton exploded into an ‘extraordinary’ storm

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Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeastern United States, killing more than 200 people and causing perhaps hundreds of billions of dollars in property and economic damage, Hurricane Milton has spun up in the Gulf of Mexico and taken aim at Florida. On Monday, Milton reached Category 5 status with winds reaching as high as 180 mph, and it’s expected to cause widespread flooding with torrential rainfall and a towering storm surge when it makes landfall, likely around Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

How Milton got to this point is even more remarkable. A hurricane undergoes “rapid intensification” if its sustained wind speeds jump by at least 35 miles per hour within 24 hours. Helene did that before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida’s west coast. But Milton’s intensification has been …

Is climate anxiety a pressing problem, or a luxury?

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This story is part of the Grist arts and culture series Moral Hazards, a weeklong exploration of the complex — sometimes contradictory — factors that drive our ethical decision-making in the age of global warming.

In May 2014, Kate Schapira carted a little table with a hand-painted sign out to a park near her home in Providence, Rhode Island, and started listening to strangers’ problems. The sign read “Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth,” referencing an emotion that was relatively unknown, or at least seldom named, at the time. As an English professor, she had no psychological training, no climate science background. She could not offer expertise, simply an ear and a venue for people to unload worries.

And people came, tentatively but earnestly, as she brought the table out roughly 30 times over the rest of the summer. Those who …

The Department of Energy promised this tribal nation a $32 million solar grant. It’s nearly impossible to access.

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The Department of Energy gave the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation what seemed like very good news earlier this year: It had won a $ 32 million grant for a novel solar energy project in Washington state. Built over a series of old irrigation canals, the proposed solar panels would generate electricity for tribal members without removing farm acreage from cultivation. The location would preserve the kinds of culturally sensitive land that have prompted concerns about other renewables projects.

Months after announcing the grant, the same department is making it nearly impossible for the tribal nation to access the money.

“It is because literally the feds cannot get out of their own way,” said Ray Wiseman, general manager of Yakama Power, the tribally owned utility.

The bureaucratic whiplash stems from the fact that while one part …

‘What If We Get It Right?’ Preventing a climate apocalypse might start with imagining something better

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The spotlight

If we get it right, the pace of life is more humane. Time that had been spent dealing with health- and flood-insurance paperwork, advocating for renewable energy, being stuck in traffic, and otherwise butting up against outdated and broken systems, is now used to grow food, prepare for extreme weather events, and care for each other. All streets, not just those in wealthier areas, are lined with trees (including fruit and nut trees), providing shade and beauty and photosynthesis (and snacks). Rain gardens and bioswales line streets, ready to absorb and divert storm waters. We linger outside, in parks and on sidewalks, with friends and neighbors. We have time to make meals at home or consume them at a cafe. “To-go” is uncommon; instead, we meet eyes as we chew. We know plastic recycling is mostly bullshit and …

In Montana, 911 calls reveal impact of heat waves on rural seniors

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Missoula is one of Montana’s largest cities but is surrounded by rural mountain communities where cattle ranching is king. Despite the latitude and altitude, in recent years this region has experienced punishing summer heat waves.

It has been difficult for residents to adapt to the warming climate and new seasonal swings. Many don’t have air conditioning and are unprepared for the new pattern of daytime temperatures hovering in the 90s — for days or even weeks on end. Dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and abnormalities in heart rate and blood pressure are among the many health complications that can develop from excessive exposure to high temperatures.

It can happen anywhere and to anyone, said Missoula firefighter Andrew Drobeck. He remembers a recent 911 call. The temperature that day had risen to over 90 degrees and a worker at a local dollar …

The elected officials making political hay from disasters

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to State of Emergency. I’m Jake, and today we’re going to be talking about how a politician’s disaster response can influence voter attitudes and election outcomes.

In July 2022, a storm dropped more than 14 inches of rain on Kentucky, sending flash floods rolling through the mountainous counties in the eastern part of the state. The waters killed more than 40 people, sweeping some away on powerful currents, and dangerous landslides destroyed almost 9,000 homes. The region’s rural counties bore the brunt of the damage, adding to their already roiling housing crisis and high poverty rates.

The state’s Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, spent weeks touring hard-hit areas and comforting flood victims, earning him the title “consoler in chief.” He also pulled out all the stops to ensure the recovery was as fast …

No one should be surprised that South America is burning

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South America is experiencing its worst forest fire season in nearly two decades, with millions of acres burning across several countries. The blazes come amid the region’s worst drought on record, and are no surprise to climate scientists who have seen this coming for decades.

Satellite data analyzed by Brazil’s space research agency INPE identified a record-breaking 346,112 fire hotspots so far this year in the 13 countries of South America. All that smoke is so thoroughly choking large swaths of the continent that NASA satellites captured the plumes from 1 million miles away.

In Brazil, the continent’s largest country, about 59 percent of the country is facing drought conditions — an area roughly half the size of the United States — and Amazon basin rivers are flowing at historic lows. Three of the six vast ecosystems that define …

Environment.org

Category: Pollution

Helene and Milton reveal an emerging challenge for first responders: EV batteries catching fire

How Hurricane Milton exploded into an ‘extraordinary’ storm

Is climate anxiety a pressing problem, or a luxury?

The Department of Energy promised this tribal nation a $32 million solar grant. It’s nearly impossible to access.

‘What If We Get It Right?’ Preventing a climate apocalypse might start with imagining something better

The spotlight

In Montana, 911 calls reveal impact of heat waves on rural seniors

The elected officials making political hay from disasters

No one should be surprised that South America is burning