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Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Disasters

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These UN Oceans & Climate Change Report Findings Should Sound The Alarm

On Sept. 25, a United Nations group released a new report detailing how climate change is impacting oceans and other ecosystems — and the human communities that depend on them. The UN's oceans and climate change report revealed some startling findings that demonstrate just how profoundly climate change is affecting the environment. The list below highlights some of these findings — and stresses why it's so crucial to act before it's too late.

As an online Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Chan
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Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier Has A Gaping Hole — Here's What Could Happen If It Collapses

Scientists have made a new discovery in Antarctica — and it could have some pretty significant implications. Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier has a gaping hole, according to a new study published in Science Advances on Jan. 30. This hole means that the glacier is melting much more quickly than expected. Notably, the glacier's rapid melting — and potential future collapse — could raise sea levels and possibly profoundly impact coastal cities.

As NBC described, the study revealed that the hole, or c
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SCOTUS’ Order On A Climate Change Lawsuit Will Let Kids Take On The Trump Admin

Climate change has the potential to wreak havoc in the future by causing rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and much more. In 2015, a group of young climate change activists recognized that climate change stands to most profoundly impact young people — and filed a lawsuit against the federal government, accusing it of contributing to climate change. The Trump administration challenged it, but SCOTUS' new order on the climate change lawsuit found that kids can indeed continue to pursue
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A Dead Whale Washes Ashore With A Disgusting Amount Of Plastic In Its Stomach

The recent death of a young whale in the Philippines has illustrated firsthand some of the devastating effects that human pollution has had on marine life. Shockingly, scientists discovered that a young, male whale had 88 pounds of plastic bags in its stomach when it died — and it suffered from significant dehydration and malnutrition as a result. In the wake of the whale's death, many are calling for a renewed commitment to diminishing pollution in the world's oceans, CNN reported.

CNN noted t
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Can One Person Make A Difference With Climate Change? Experts Insist Your Voice Matters

Climate change is an enormous global problem — and thinking about how you alone can help tackle it can feel overwhelming, to say the least. It's completely normal to question whether one person can make a difference in the fight against climate change, but don't discount your voice just yet. According to climate and environmental science experts, personal conservation and advocacy efforts play a key role in protecting the planet and influencing others to get on board.

As the Natural Resources D
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How To Help Typhoon Mangkhut Victims, Because It's The Strongest Storm 2018 Has Seen Yet

Typhoon Mangkhut is the strongest storm the world has seen this year. The typhoon has caused extensive damage in China, the Philippines, Guam, and the Marshall Islands — and left thousands of people in need of food, shelter, medical care, and more. If you're wondering how to help Typhoon Mangkhut victims, there are a variety of ways you can contribute to post-storm recovery.

So far, over 70 deaths across multiple countries have been attributed to the storm. Moreover, the typhoon has caused exte
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How Does Climate Change Affect Hurricanes? Dorian Spotlights A Growing Problem

Hurricane Dorian has already caused devastating damage in the Bahamas, and the storm stands to potentially impact more people in its path. As these natural disasters begin to feel more frequent, it might come as no surprise that climate change can affect hurricanes like Dorian. But that's just the beginning of the story. According to scientists, research on the topic suggests climate change could make already dangerous storms even more threatening.

As the Washington Post reported, global warmin
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9 Climate Change Statistics Andrew Wheeler Should See After Saying It’s Not A Huge Threat

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency downplayed the threats posed by climate change during a Wednesday interview with CBS News, saying that most of its effects are "50 to 75 years out." Scientists and environmental experts disagree, asserting that climate change is very much happening right now — and will only get worse over the next few decades. There are some terrifying climate change statistics Andrew Wheeler should see in order to fully understand the problem's urgency.

Wheeler's
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How Much Would The Green New Deal Cost? There Could Be An Important Trade-Off At Play

On Feb. 7, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unveiled a congressional resolution on her Green New Deal. The congresswoman's initiative proposes that the United States implement a host of new environmental and social policies over the next ten years. In light of the many policy proposals it contains, you might be wondering how much the Green New Deal would cost. Some believe that carrying out the resolution would be quite pricy, though Ocasio-Cortez thinks that many of these costs c
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How To Help Pine Ridge Reservation Recover After Devastating Floods Put It In Danger

Recently, portions of the Midwest have been hit by severe weather, including snow storms and intensive flooding. Unfortunately, many people are still experiencing ongoing, devastating effects from this weather, especially Native Americans residing on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Many living on the reservation are currently trapped there because of the weather-induced destruction — and are in dire need of assistance. For those looking for information on how to help the Pine Ridge R
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Obama Says Climate Change Could Impact World Politics In A Way You Maybe Didn't Consider

While speaking in Calgary on Tuesday, former U.S. President Barack Obama reflected on the far-reaching consequences of climate change. Notably, Obama said climate change could impact world politics in ways you maybe haven't considered — and emphasized that urgent action needs to be taken to address the issue.

As CTV News reported, the 44th president made these remarks during a speech at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Tuesday. As the outlet noted, Calgary houses multipl
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This Climate Emergency Petition To Congress Asks Them To “Mobilize” ASAP

On Thursday, The Climate Mobilization (TCM) launched an online initiative to encourage Americans to push the government to take action on climate change. TCM is a coalition of environmental and climate justice groups — and these organizations want you to sign a petition to get Congress to declare a climate emergency.

The climate emergency declaration TCM wants to see would involve a massive mobilization of "people, resources, and companies on a scale larger than that of World War II to reverse
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2020 Candidates' Green New Deal Stances Are Already Becoming Big Sticking Points

In February 2019, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey introduced the Green New Deal Resolution to Congress, asking lawmakers to commit to enacting significant environmental reforms over the next 10 years. This proposal could play a large role in the next presidential election because of its widespread publicity and approach toward addressing climate change. So, knowing where the 2020 candidates stand on the Green New Deal may be helpful as you decide who you want to sup
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New York Is Set To Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags & You Could Notice Some Big Changes

On Sunday, lawmakers in New York committed to a sweeping statewide change in the name of environmental protection. New York is set to ban single-use plastic bags, making it the second state in the country to take this step. The ban is slated to take effect in March 2020 — and stands to have a significant impact on the everyday lives of New Yorkers.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's office noted in a press release on Sunday that the governor and state lawmakers agreed to a 2020 budget that includ
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A Bomb Cyclone Could Hit The Midwest Again, So Don't Get Used To Spring Weather Just Yet

This week, much of the Midwest has been experiencing welcome spring-like weather after a long winter. However, mother nature has apparently decided that winter isn't quite over. A potential bomb cyclone could hit the Midwest and the Plains this week, and it's bringing frigid temperatures and possible snowstorms along with it.

As NPR explained, a bomb cyclone is essentially a quickly intensifying storm. Technically, as the outlet noted, it's characterized as a storm system in which the atmospher
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How Many DACA Recipients Did Hurricane Harvey Impact? Some Of Texas' Own Heroes Are Dreamers

On Sunday, news emerged that President Donald Trump has reportedly decided to eliminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, something which would profoundly impact the lives of the nearly 800,000 DACA recipients in the United States. Moreover, some individuals recovering from Hurricane Harvey are DACA recipients — also known as Dreamers — meaning they now are facing double uncertainty as they recover from the storm and await Trump's final DACA decision.

As Univision repor
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7 Sustainable Food Organizations To Donate To If You Want To Fight Climate Change

A new United Nations report warns that the world could soon face a global food crisis if key changes aren't made. As the report described, certain agricultural practices contribute to global warming, while global warming simultaneously makes farming more difficult and threatens the global food supply. If you want to help fight climate change, you can donate to various sustainable food organizations that are working hard to address some of the issues raised in the UN's report.

The UN's Intergove
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July 2019 Was The Hottest Month Ever Recorded & Yes, You Should Care

New data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed that July 2019 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. In addition to producing dangerous and uncomfortable heat waves around the world, July's hot temperatures are disconcerting for another reason. As the Washington Post described, many experts believe that July's temperatures point to further evidence that climate change is having an increasingly substantial impact on the planet.

As USA Today noted, NOAA's
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How Did The Amazon Rainforest Fires Start? Humans Are To Blame, According To Experts

There are currently record-breaking fires happening in the world's biggest tropical rainforest — and there's been some debate about what's causing the blazes. It's safe to say people around the world have been wondering how the Amazon rainforest fires started in the first place, and whether the Amazon's special ecosystem is going to be damaged as a result. As it turns out, experts believe the fires were started by humans — and they could have profound consequences.

The Amazon rainforest covers
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Why Are Microplastics So Bad? Research On Their Impact Only Scratches The Surface

They may be incredibly small, but they can affect the environment — and possibly humans — in a pretty enormous way. Microplastics, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are tiny pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long. Though further research needs to be done to realize their full impact, the general consensus is that microplastics are real bad news in more ways than one.

As NOAA noted, microplastics come from many different sources, and occur when l
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What To Do If Your City Doesn't Recycle, Because Being Eco-Conscious Is Still Possible

Recycling is an easy way to cut down on waste, limit your environmental impact, and even fight climate change, since the process reduces the amount of planet-warming greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. However, some communities don't provide recycling services — and this can be frustrating for people who try to be eco-conscious consumers. If your city doesn't recycle, there are thankfully several solutions, so you can do your part to help the planet.

As the New York Times reported in
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Is Flood Water Contaminated? Harvey's Rising Waters Are A Public Health Risk

As Texans are enduring the tragic effects of Hurricane Harvey, there are many concerns about flooding across the state, including worry regarding whether Harvey's flood water is contaminated. Unfortunately, flood water is very prone to contamination — and officials are resultantly advising Texas' residents to take extensive precautions.

In an interview with Time magazine earlier this week, Dr. Richard Bradley, the chief of the division of emergency medical services and disaster medicine at McGo
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Air Pollution Disproportionately Impacts Minorities, According To A Daunting New Study

A study published on Monday revealed some disconcerting information about the effects of pollution in the United States, the AP reported. Namely, this study found that air pollution disproportionately impacts minorities, even though they generally create less pollution than white people.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — the official journal for the academy, the AP noted. NPR added that Jason Hill, an engineering professor at the University of Minn
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Trump Killed Obama's Flood Safety Plan Just Weeks Before Hurricane Harvey

As Hurricane Harvey continues to substantially impact the state of Texas with torrential rains and flooding, the storm's devastation has unfortunately also served as a reminder that, earlier this month, President Donald Trump rolled back flood regulations designed to help infrastructure survive catastrophic weather events. While this news was announced in mid-August, it is particularly jarring to reflect upon in the wake of Harvey's destruction.

The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, the f
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