Disasters

B.C. Said Coastal Gaslink Pipeline Could Withstand ‘Extreme Weather. Nope.

"An internal briefing note reveals BC Energy Regulator inspectors did not find any problems with Coastal GasLink’s emergency plans a few months before soaring temperatures led to flooded pipeline sites, slope failures and damage to sensitive creeks and wetlands".

Source: The Narwhal, 12/18/2023

"People Are Leaving Some Neighborhoods Because Of Floods, A New Study Finds"

"Hundreds of thousands of neighborhoods in the United States are seeing population decline as a result of flooding, new research suggests. Those neighborhoods are often located in areas that are growing in population overall, including parts of Florida, Texas and the region around Washington, D.C."

Source: NPR, 12/18/2023

EPA Begins Formal Review Of Toxic Chemical That Burned In Ohio Derailment

"The Biden administration has initiated a formal evaluation of risks posed by vinyl chloride, the cancer-causing chemical that burned in a towering plume of toxic black smoke following a fiery train derailment earlier this year in eastern Ohio."

Source: AP, 12/15/2023

"US EPA Must Do More To Ensure Captured Carbon Stays Underground -Report"

"The U.S. environment regulator does not sufficiently verify that carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects keep emissions trapped underground and should boost its requirements to ensure companies receiving CCS tax credits provide an actual environmental benefit, a watchdog group said on Thursday."

Source: Reuters, 12/14/2023

Hidden Death Toll Of Flooding In Bangladesh Sends A Grim Climate Signal

"A study published last week shows Bangladesh’s intensifying monsoons come with a staggering death toll, both in the immediate aftermath of the flooding itself and, more significantly, in the months that follow. The true scale of the toll has not been fully captured by local officials, aid organizations, or the international research community."

Source: Grist, 12/14/2023

"COP28 Does Not Deliver Clear Path to Fossil Fuel Phase Out"

"Going into overtime under the cover of a dark winter night in Dubai, climate negotiators at COP28 cooked up a weak sauce of climate half-measures that fail to adequately address the existential risk of global warming to millions of people around the globe, according to leading climate experts at the conference."

Source: Inside Climate News, 12/14/2023

"Countries Most at Risk Call Proposed Climate Agreement a ‘Death Warrant’"

"Environmental groups and negotiators from countries that are most vulnerable to climate disasters assailed a draft of a final agreement, made public at the United Nations climate talks on Monday, that fell short of calling for a phaseout of fossil fuels."

Source: NYTimes, 12/12/2023

Capturing the Invisible — Photographing Extreme Heat Waves

If extreme heat seems an unusual subject for December, the new EJ InSight column reminds us that among the natural disasters sweeping 2023 were waves of devastating global highs. Yet telling that story visually is an enormous challenge, acknowledges former LA Times photo editor Silvia Rázgová, who shares insights into how to portray the seriousness of extreme heat, getting beyond the cliches and connecting (safely) with its dangerous reality.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Disasters