Latest news with #coastalcommunities
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US homeowners struggle with troubling catch-22 as insurance crisis grows: 'It is not worth the cost'
Homeowners are facing a troubling catch-22 when it comes to property insurance. Rising costs are making the safeguard too expensive for many people, leaving their dwellings unprotected from the severe storms that are driving up the premiums, according to The Daily Jeffersonian. Intense and more frequent extreme weather events are wreaking havoc on storm-prone areas across the country. A combination of increasing premiums and nonrenewals is leaving property owners in those areas with few options. The Federal Reserve said that 7% of homeowners surveyed last year went without insurance because "it is not worth the cost," according to 19% of respondents. It's a problem that has been years in the making. The Consumer Federation of America reported that rates rose 8.7% faster than inflation from 2018 to 2022. Coincidentally, home values in coastal communities are dropping as premiums rise. However, coverage nonrenewal rates are 80% higher in areas hit hardest by extreme weather, per the findings. The issue isn't limited to the seaboards, as premiums jumped in 95% of ZIP codes in recent years. A "typical" homeowner with property carrying a $350,000 replacement value pays about $275 a month for insurance — an amount that's growing. Rising rates are particularly felt by lower-income households, according to the CFA. "Homeowners earning under $50,000 per year are twice as likely to lack insurance compared to homeowners in general," per the data. The rising prices are evidence of how our planet's overheating is impacting almost everyone, either with unhealthy air, lighter pocketbooks, or both. A Zillow survey from 2023 found that 80% of respondents consider climate risks when buying a home. The National Centers for Environmental Information reported that the number of storms causing at least $1 billion in damage has been increasing since the 1980s, a decade that produced 33 of them. There were 115 in the last five years alone, with values adjusted for inflation. Increased use and availability of federally subsidized insurance for disasters such as floods can provide vital protection in areas where other providers are not active anymore, according to CBS News. It's important for anyone considering a move to stay informed on climate topics to prevent a relocation into a dangerous area, such as the expanding Tornado Alley. Do you think your energy bills are too high? Always Usually Only in certain months Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Surprisingly, Bloomberg reported that more Americans are moving into danger zones because of the cheaper home prices. Using your voice and vote to let lawmakers know that keeping agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service fully staffed can ensure that residents have updated data and services to make educated decisions, including about where to live. The agencies were part of the federal budget and staff cuts earlier this year, according to The New York Times and other reports. The Times reported that the NWS has rehired for some positions. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
BBC News
a day ago
- Science
- BBC News
Three years left to limit warming to 1.5C, leading scientists warn
EPA The Earth could be doomed to breach the symbolic 1.5C warming limit in as little as three years at current levels of carbon dioxide emissions. That's the stark warning from more than 60 of the world's leading climate scientists in the most up-to-date assessment of the state of global warming. Nearly 200 countries agreed to try to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C above levels of the late 1800s in a landmark agreement in 2015, with the aim of avoiding some of the worst impacts of climate change. But countries have continued to burn record amounts of coal, oil and gas and chop down carbon-rich forests - leaving that international goal in peril. Climate change has already worsened many weather extremes - such as the UK's 40C heat in July 2022 - and has rapidly raised global sea levels, threatening coastal communities. "Things are all moving in the wrong direction," said lead author Prof Piers Forster, director of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures at the University of Leeds. "We're seeing some unprecedented changes and we're also seeing the heating of the Earth and sea-level rise accelerating as well." These changes "have been predicted for some time and we can directly place them back to the very high level of emissions", he added. At the beginning of 2020, scientists estimated that humanity could only emit 500 billion more tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) - the most important planet-warming gas - for a 50% chance of keeping warming to 1.5C. But by the start of 2025 this so-called "carbon budget" had shrunk to 130 billion tonnes, according to the new study. That reduction is largely due to continued record emissions of CO2 and other planet-warming greenhouse gases like methane, but also improvements in the scientific estimates. If global CO2 emissions stay at their current highs of about 40 billion tonnes a year, 130 billion tonnes gives the world roughly three years until that carbon budget is exhausted. This could commit the world to breaching the target set by the Paris agreement, the researchers say, though the planet would probably not pass 1.5C of human-caused warming until a few years later. Last year was the first on record when global average air temperatures were more than 1.5C above those of the late 1800s. A single 12-month period isn't considered a breach of the Paris agreement, however, with the record heat of 2024 given an extra boost by natural weather patterns. But human-caused warming was by far the main reason for last year's high temperatures, reaching 1.36C above pre-industrial levels, the researchers estimate. This current rate of warming is about 0.27C per decade – much faster than anything in the geological record. And if emissions stay high, the planet is on track to reach 1.5C of warming on that metric around the year 2030. After this point, long-term warming could, in theory, be brought back down by sucking large quantities of CO2 back out of the atmosphere. But the authors urge caution on relying on these ambitious technologies serving as a get-out-of-jail card. "For larger exceedance [of 1.5C], it becomes less likely that removals [of CO2] will perfectly reverse the warming caused by today's emissions," warned Joeri Rogelj, professor of climate science and policy at Imperial College London. 'Every fraction of warming' matters The study is filled with striking statistics highlighting the magnitude of the climate change that has already happened. Perhaps the most notable is the rate at which extra heat is accumulating in the Earth's climate system, known as "Earth's energy imbalance" in scientific jargon. Over the past decade or so, this rate of heating has been more than double that of the 1970s and 1980s and an estimated 25% higher than the late 2000s and 2010s. "That's a really large number, a very worrying number" over such a short period, said Dr Matthew Palmer of the UK Met Office, and associate professor at the University of Bristol. The recent uptick is fundamentally due to greenhouse gas emissions, but a reduction in the cooling effect from small particles called aerosols has also played a role. This extra energy has to go somewhere. Some goes into warming the land, raising air temperatures, and melting the world's ice. But about 90% of the excess heat is taken up by the oceans. That not only means disruption to marine life but also higher sea levels: warmer ocean waters take up more space, in addition to the extra water that melting glaciers are adding to our seas. The rate of global sea-level rise has doubled since the 1990s, raising the risks of flooding for millions of people living in coastal areas worldwide. PA Media While this all paints a bleak picture, the authors note that the rate of emissions increases appears to be slowing as clean technologies are rolled out. They argue that "rapid and stringent" emissions cuts are more important than ever. The Paris target is based on very strong scientific evidence that the impacts of climate change would be far greater at 2C of warming than at 1.5C. That has often been oversimplified as meaning below 1.5C of warming is "safe" and above 1.5C "dangerous". In reality, every extra bit of warming increases the severity of many weather extremes, ice melt and sea-level rise. "Reductions in emissions over the next decade can critically change the rate of warming," said Prof Rogelj. "Every fraction of warming that we can avoid will result in less harm and less suffering of particularly poor and vulnerable populations and less challenges for our societies to live the lives that we desire," he added. Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
'Silent' crisis that threatens to wipe out $300 billion coastal industry
Scientists have warned of an environmental crisis threatening to destroy a $300billion global industry critical to coastal communities worldwide. A new study revealed that ocean acidification has already crossed a global tipping point. This occurs when the ocean absorbs excessive carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making it more acidic and corrosive to marine organisms. Since the Industrial Revolution, burning fossil fuels has sent massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, increasing the ocean's acidity. Scientists revealed that oceans crossed a critical limit for acidification as early as 2000, with 60 percent of deeper waters now beyond the danger zone. The study found that the damage has already led to the loss of 43 percent of coral reef habitat, 61 percent of sea butterfly habitat, and 13 percent of suitable environment for shellfish like oysters and mussels. When the ocean becomes more acidic, it eats away at the building blocks these animals need to grow their shells. This change could push the global seafood industry, worth multi billions toward collapse. The US, with an $11 billion seafood market, is the world's second biggest market and could face serious consequences. 'It is not just an environmental issue anymore,' said Professor Steve Widdicombe, director of science at Plymouth Marine Laboratory and a leading global voice on ocean acidification. 'We are gambling with biodiversity and with billions in economic value every day that action is delayed.' Researchers say ocean acidification is undermining the survival of 'calcifying species' marine organisms that depend on calcium carbonate to form their shells and skeleton. 'Ocean acidification can severely affect marine organisms through its direct impact on physiology, growth, survival and reproduction,' researchers said in the study published in Global Change Biology. Shellfish farming alone contributes billions annually, supporting over 600 million people in coastal communities. Researchers said that by 2020, the ocean's water had already changed enough to go past the safe limit, scientists set to protect sea life from harm caused by too much acidity. In other words, the ocean became too acidic for many marine animals to stay healthy. That line was drawn at a 20 percent reduction in calcium carbonate compared to pre-industrial levels and US West Coast is among the worst affected. But this study suggests that even 10 percent deviation from pre-industrial conditions is enough to push marine ecosystems into danger. The maps highlight areas where conditions are just barely okay for corals, marked by a line called the 3.5 contour. Purple dots show where coral reefs are found. The maps compare four different times: (a) before big human impacts, (b) in 2020, (c) after a 10 percent drop from the old healthy level, and (d) after a 20 percent drop from the old healthy level. The Pacific oyster, a key part of US seafood farming, struggles to survive when ocean water gets too acidic. In the early 2010s, oyster hatcheries in the US Pacific Northwest almost shut down because the seawater became too acidic. To fix this, hatcheries started using sensors to monitor the water and added chemicals to keep it safe for oysters. However, many smaller or remote hatcheries often can not afford these fixes, and the same problem is now showing up along the Gulf and East coasts. However, many coastal areas around the world still do not have the tools or government help to deal with this problem. The damage is not limited to oysters. Tiny sea creatures called pteropods, a major food source for fish like salmon and mackerel, are already being hit hard by acidifying waters. By 2020, more than half of their polar habitat was damaged, with marine life struggling to survive. If they disappear, it could shake the entire ocean food chain. Coral reefs, though less common in US waters, are also at risk, putting coastal protection and young fish habitats in danger. As the ocean condition worsen, the sector is impacting both livelihoods and economy of US seafood industry. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US marine industry supported 2.3 million jobs and generated $321 billion in sales in 2022. In addition to this, a report funded by the National Sea Grant Program found that US aquaculture, adds about $4 billion to the economy each year and supports over 22,000 employment. In the Pacific Northwest, where commercial shellfish farms thrive, corrosive seawater has already crossed the danger threshold. Despite growing evidence, the crisis remains largely unseen. 'There's no smoking gun,' said Professor Steve Widdicombe of Plymouth Marine Laboratory to The Guardians. 'It is tough to convince policymakers when the water looks fine from the beach.' International goals exist, like the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the Global Biodiversity Framework, but few governments, including the US, have laid out aggressive national plans specifically targeting acidification. 'Ocean acidification is a crisis we cannot see,' said Professor Helen Findlay, the lead author of the study. 'But its fingerprints are all over our coastlines, hatcheries and ecosystems. And unless we act now, the losses will keep mounting.'
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers issue urgent warning over increasingly powerful threat to coastal communities: 'When it happens, it's going to be worse'
Coastal communities are experiencing excessive flooding — a form of extreme weather — at alarming new rates, and scientists are sounding the alarm about wildly insufficient infrastructure in low-lying urban areas. Researchers from UC Santa Cruz and the United States Geological Survey teamed up to identify novel flood mitigation strategies, citing an urgent need to shore up coastlines, and their joint findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports. "By 2050, the coastal flooding from extreme storms we currently consider once-in-a-lifetime events could occur every other year due to sea level rise," said in their coverage of the study. "Further, the flooding expected today from a once-in-a-lifetime event could occur daily by the end of the century." Coastal habitats like marshes and coral reefs "have been shown to effectively mitigate flood risk," but decades of development eroded those natural protections. "We've built cities and communities and our world under the assumption that these habitats will continue to protect us," explained lead author Rae Taylor-Burns, "and yet we degrade them." Researchers explored horizontal levees to mitigate flood risk in the San Francisco Bay area and found they were up to 30% more effective than traditional levees at mitigating flood risk. Coastal flooding has always occurred, but rising temperatures have made these extreme events more frequent and more deadly. Climate tech investor and journalist Molly Wood has said that "climate isn't weather, and weather isn't climate," likening human-influenced climate impacts to "steroids for weather." "Whatever was already going to happen, like droughts, floods, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, heat waves, snowstorms, rain — all that is still going to happen," Wood explained. "But when it happens, it's going to be worse." Echoing the study's researchers, she continued. "Also, extreme versions of what used to be normal weather are going to happen more often." Do you think your city has good air quality? Definitely Somewhat Depends on the time of year Not at all Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. According to Climate Central, the "annual frequency of high tide flooding in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2000 — and is projected to more than triple again by 2050 as sea levels continue to rise." Around 30% of Americans live near a coastline, foregrounding an imminent need to identify accessible flood mitigation strategies and make coastal communities more resilient. Actions like installing solar panels are one way to ensure your home is more resilient in the face of natural disasters that could knock out infrastructure — and EnergySage not only offers quotes from trusted local installers, but can also save consumers up to $10,000 on new solar installations. Getting your power from the sun also helps to avoid contributing to the type of pollution that leads to increasing global temperatures. At the study's conclusion, researchers cited previously published findings that supported nature-based flood defenses for both efficacy and costs. They noted that structural properties like vegetation "could reduce levee investment cost by $320 billion on a global scale," adding that previous research "suggests that restoring marsh habitat in front of seawalls" could be far less costly than raising seawalls. "Horizontal levees could be a less expensive way to reduce the risk of levee failure with climate change, as opposed to increasing the height of the levees themselves," Taylor-Burns remarked. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Mail & Guardian
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Draft oil and gas regulations spark climate justice concerns
Seismic explorations for new oil and gas resources are going to escalate in the years to come. (Paul Botes/M&G) This is contained in a The Act is under review by the department, following its passage by parliament in April last year. The draft regulations are designed to implement the new law, which focuses on the orderly development of petroleum resources, equitable access and the sustainable development of the country's petroleum resources. The Green Connection said it formally endorsed a recent The regulations may fall short on several fronts, said Shahil Singh, a legal adviser at The Green Connection. 'We are most concerned about the issue of public participation. People may not be able to meaningfully engage with decisions that may affect their homes, livelihoods, and natural heritage if the terms that enable their participation are too restrictive,' Singh said. 'The definition of who qualifies as an 'interested and affected party' needs to be broadened to ensure that it does not silence those whose voices matter most — particularly small-scale fishers and coastal residents. 'Moreover, expecting communities to pay a non-refundable fee to appeal administrative decisions, could create obstacles to justice that marginalised communities should not have to endure. People should not have to pay to ensure that their voices are heard.' The global climate crisis necessitates an urgent and decisive transition away from fossil fuels, Singh wrote in the letter. 'The draft regulations, however, appear to promote the continued and expanded exploitation of oil and gas resources, directly contravening the country's national and international climate change commitments.' The Green Connection shared the 'profound concern'expressed in the joint submission that the promotion of gas as a transitional fuel, particularly for 'Methane emissions could potentially have a greater impact than those of carbon dioxide and may be up to eighty-two times more impactful over a 20-year period. 'We strongly support the joint submission's call for the draft regulations to explicitly define and incorporate critical terms such as 'greenhouse gas (GHG)', 'Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions', and 'sectoral emission targets'.' This is essential for alignment with the 'The failure of the draft regulations to mandate comprehensive lifecycle assessments that include quantification of all greenhouse gas emissions (including methane leaks and Scope 3 emissions) as well as the unquantified social cost of carbon, as highlighted by the joint submission, is a critical omission that undermines any claim of environmentally responsible development,' Singh said. Expanding fossil fuel infrastructure without rigorous scrutiny of the possible environmental and social implications runs counter to the global imperative for decarbonisation and South Africa's own stated commitments to a just energy transition. 'The Green Connection believes that the concerns and detailed recommendations articulated in the joint submission … are fundamental to ensuring that the regulatory framework for upstream petroleum activities in South Africa upholds constitutional environmental rights, promotes genuine public participation, protects our invaluable marine ecosystems and the livelihoods they support, and aligns with our urgent climate change obligations,' said Singh. The country's marine and coastal ecosystems are invaluable national assets, ecologically sensitive and critical for biodiversity and livelihoods. 'The Green Connection is deeply concerned that the draft regulations, in their current form, may fail to provide adequate protection for these environments against the inherent risks of upstream petroleum activities.' It aligned itself with the joint submission's assertion that the Act and its draft regulations appear to facilitate an accelerated expansion of oil and gas activities without adequately addressing the possibility of severe environmental impacts, Singh said, noting that this is particularly alarming for offshore exploration and production. 'We endorse the call for mandatory lifecycle impact assessments for all petroleum projects, which must quantify cumulative impacts, including those specific to marine ecosystems such as seismic impacts on marine fauna, potential for oil spills, and disruption of marine ecological integrity,' he said. The 'current vague reference' to 'possible impact on the environment' in notice requirements is wholly insufficient, he argued. 'The inadequacy of consultation requirements for offshore developments, which may exclude those with a significant interest if not 'directly affected' or if the landowner/lawful occupier concept is inappropriately applied to marine spaces, is a critical flaw identified in the joint submission that we support rectifying.' Coastal communities, particularly small-scale fishers, depend intrinsically on healthy marine ecosystems for their livelihoods, food security and cultural heritage. Upstream petroleum activities may pose direct and significant threats to these communities through potential pollution, displacement from traditional fishing grounds and adverse impacts on marine resources. 'We particularly highlight the joint submission's critique of regulation 23(1)(g), which vaguely mentions 'provision for co-existence with fishermen, where applicable', within local content plans, deeming it so vague as to be almost meaningless. Such provisions must be substantive and genuinely protect fishing communities. The broader failure of the draft regulations to create any meaningful obligations on rights holders to address and mitigate the adverse socio-economic impacts of petroleum operations on affected local communities, including fishing communities, 'is a grave concern we share with the joint submission'. The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance said in its comments on the proposed regulations that there is no provision made for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 'There is also no plan for the transition to ensure a move from upstream fossil fuel developments to alternative sources as per the country's objectives.' The Climate Change Act aims to reduce carbon emissions and ensure the country moves from a carbon-intensive economy to a low-carbon intensive economy, however the draft regulations 'disregard this'. By disregarding the climate change question, these developments will result in more climate change-related disasters such as floods, droughts and runaways fires. Areas such as Durban that have been 'With South Africa having signed to commit to net zero by 2050, 25 years away (less than one term of a production right) this is a regressive piece of legislation,' it said.
