Climate Change

Flood Insurance Reform Remains Key Congressional Task

With flooding from hurricanes and other climate disasters becoming the new normal, badly needed flood insurance reform continues to founder in the halls of Congress. The National Flood Insurance Program is billions of dollars in debt, and aid packages are doing little to get people out of flood-prone areas. Congress watchers will keep an eye on new House leadership for insurance solutions, although politically unpalatable rate hikes swamped the big reform. This week’s TipSheet has more on the story, with leads on what to watch in 2019.

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"The World Needs to Quit Coal. Why Is It So Hard?"

"Coal, the fuel that powered the industrial age, has led the planet to the brink of catastrophic climate change."

Source: NY Times, 11/26/2018

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"Epic Fail: Trump Tries To Bury National Climate Assessment Report"

"Governments typically try to bury bad news in the Friday news cycle when people are distracted with plans for the weekend. The best day all year to bury a story is Black Friday .... The latest National Climate Assessment report from the federal government was due to be released before the end of 2018, but it is filled with such shockingly bad news for Trump and his failed environmental policies that his maladministration decided to release it a month early on the afternoon of Black Friday."

Climate Change

Environmental Politics

Journalism & Media

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: CleanTechnica, 11/26/2018

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U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy

"A major scientific report issued by 13 federal agencies on Friday presents the starkest warnings to date of the consequences of climate change for the United States, predicting that if significant steps are not taken to rein in global warming, the damage will knock as much as 10 percent off the size of the American economy by century’s end."

Source: NY Times, 11/26/2018

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December 11, 2018

Highlights from the Fourth National Climate Assessment: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the U.S.

On Nov. 23, the U.S. Global Change Research Program released the Fourth National Climate Assessment Vol. II (NCA4). Media can learn about NCA4 at a special science session at the American Geophysical Union Annual Fall meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 4:00-6:00 p.m. in Washington, D.C. Pre-registration required.

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November 23, 2018

NOAA Media Call on New Federal Climate Change Assessment Report

On Nov. 23 at 2:00 p.m. ET, media are invited to a conference call with experts who will discuss the key findings of the Fourth National Climate Assessment Vol. II, which will be released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) that day. The report is an authoritative assessment of the impacts of climate change on the U.S. and its territories.

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"House Dems Demand Records On Trump’s Climate Rollbacks"

"Leading House Democrats, weeks away from taking over the majority in the lower chamber, are demanding records and information from the Trump administration’s rollbacks of numerous climate change policies at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)."

Climate Change

Energy & Fuel

Environmental Health

Environmental Politics

Source: The Hill, 11/21/2018

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Bear Stories Should Go Beyond Bare Facts

Bears, particularly the plentiful black bears that are the source of much human-bear conflict, can serve as a opening to larger environmental stories, such as habitat destruction and the challenges of the “wildland-urban interface.” This week’s TipSheet has some of the good news/bad news on bears, with story ideas and resources for your reporting.

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November 28, 2018

Water @ Wilson: 50 Years of Water, Conflict and Cooperation

As the Wilson Center celebrates its 50th anniversary, the Environmental Change and Security Program marks water’s central role in our work at a special event highlighting innovative approaches to water, health, and security. Watch the event live online, Nov 28, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., as we take stock on the 1st year of the 1st U.S. Global Water Strategy; explore new research and practice on water, peace, and conflict; and highlight the centrality of water to global prosperity.

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"Sanders To Host Town Hall On Climate Change"

"Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is planning to host a town hall next month on climate change, with the goal of pushing aggressive policies to fight global warming."

Climate Change

Environmental Politics

Public

National (U.S.)

Source: The Hill, 11/20/2018