You probably didn’t notice that I didn’t write an article last week. I just needed a break. But in the last two weeks, the news has not stopped. So this week, I am simply going to recap some headlines of what has occurred recently. These headlines, and maybe one brief passage from the article, cover a broad swath of the topics I cover and relate how much is happening and how swiftly change is occurring.
Wisconsin might not be the first place you would think of when you think of danger from forest fires but this is now the new normal:
Governor Evers Signs Emergency Order Relating To Elevated Fire Risk Across Wisconsin
APRIL 6, 2021
There have already been more than 320 wildfires reported in Wisconsin so far this year, burning over 1,400 acres. Fire officials anticipate a slightly longer than average fire season due to early snow melting around the state.
Feb. Winter Storms Most Expensive on Record — NOAA
Thursday, April 8, 2021
The cold wave that hit the central part of the United States in February resulted in $10 billion in damages, making it the costliest winter storm on record.
WEST VIRGINIA
Wildfires Doubled in First 3 Months of 2021
Thursday, April 8, 2021
The state reported 312 wildfires and nearly 3,000 acres burned between Jan. 1 and March 25. During the same period in 2020, there were 158 fires and 632 acres burned
CALIFORNIA
Megadrought: ‘Climate Change Starting to Hammer Home’
April 5, 2021
The Golden State’s annual survey of Sierra Nevada snowpack, upon which it relies for as much as a third of its water, was only 59% of normal
Climate-fueled Heat Waves Pose Dire Threat to Crops — Study
April 1, 2021
Future agricultural losses from heat waves could be 10 times greater than previously thought, experts say — a dire projection that fuels uncertainty for an economic sector already stressed by climate change.
Rising Temperatures Complicate Crop Storage
March 29, 2021
Once harvested, crops not immediately consumed or processed are stored — sometimes for months. The warming climate is making that job harder and costlier.
Over 10 Million Displaced by Climate Disasters in Six Months: Report
MARCH 17, 2021
About 10.3 million people were displaced by climate change-induced events such as flooding and droughts in the last six months, the majority of them in Asia…Though the figures cover only a six-month period from September 2020 to February 2021, they highlight an accelerating global trend of climate-related displacement, “Things are getting worse as climate change aggravates existing factors like poverty, conflict, and political instability
U.S. Intelligence Experts Warn of Unchecked Climate Change
April 9, 2021
U.S. intelligence officials issued a clear warning about how climate change could alter geopolitical power and resource distribution.
they note that inaction on climate could lead to widespread famine and a remaking of the international order.
Lawmakers Pass Sweeping Climate Change Bill
April 8, 2021
Rhode Island lawmakers have passed a wide-ranging bill to address climate change that would require the state to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and Gov. Daniel McKee (D) has indicated he will sign it.
Kerry Comments Encourage Hill Carbon Price Talks
April 9, 2021
“President Biden believes that at some point in time, we need to find out a way to have a price on carbon that’s effective,”
Biden’s EV Plan is Enormous. And Maybe too Small
April 8, 2021
When President Biden rolled out his infrastructure plan last week, one number towered above the others: $174 billion for electric vehicles.
FEMA
Millions to See Rate Hikes Under New Flood Insurance Plan
April 2, 2021
Biden Poised to Sign Executive Order on Climate Finance
April 9, 2021
President Biden is “poised to issue an executive order” that will require companies to be more transparent about the threats they face from climate change. “It’s going to change allocation of capital,” Kerry said. “Suddenly people are going to be making evaluations considering long-term risk to the investment based on the climate crisis.”
‘Completely New’: Yellen Outlines Treasury’s Climate Goals
April 7, 2021
it’s clear “Treasury is really looking to mobilize all the resources it has to focus on climate.
And on and on. Breathtaking. In every area of our society, climate is rising to the top as an enormous risk and one that we must be aware of and take fast and strong action to mitigate.
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Gov. Tony Evers today signed Executive Order #110 declaring a State of Emergency in response to elevated wildfire conditions throughout Wisconsin.