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The U.S. needs to build a lot more high-voltage electric transmission lines. Our current system is disconnected in all of the wrong places, leaving bountiful renewable resources stranded, individual regions isolated, and disadvantaged communities with unreliable power and exorbitant costs. Even where we do have connections, many of the lines are outdated and can’t accommodate …

By Braulio A. Quintero Seven years after hurricanes Irma and Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico in 2017, the island continues to struggle with a deficient electrical power infrastructure. Power outages are common, the price of electricity continues to increase and the reconstruction of the power grid is not happening fast enough. Power outages affect …

Hurricanes are obviously destructive, but they also carry a hidden danger — toxic chemicals in the air and water.

Voluntary home buyouts,can facilitate the relocation of residents out of increasingly flood-prone communities. But unfortunately, existing federal programs are slow and require local governments to meet complex and challenging guidelines. Innovative approaches are needed to make buyouts more efficient. Here are three strategies that can help. The post Three ways to make home buyouts more efficient first appeared on Growing Returns.

EDF statement of Rachel Rhode, Manager, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Florida

One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that significantly reduced federal wetlands protections, leaving America’s wetlands at greater risk of development and degradation. The case of Sackett v. EPA was decided 9-0 in favor of the Sacketts, a couple from Idaho that filled in wetlands to build on their property near Priest …

EDF statement of Emily Steinhilber, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Virginia

As farmers in the EU protest, climate change impacts are already making food production harder. The post EU must act to protect farms and food production from climate risk first appeared on Growing Returns.

From PTSD to anxiety and grief, climate change is taking a toll on people’s mental health. Here’s an expert take on this growing crisis, and tips on how to cope. 

By Abimarie Otaño Cruz The results of the Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study (PR100) contain an important conclusion: “Puerto Rico can make a feasible transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050, but significant improvements and investments in the system, guided by meaningful community participation, are necessary to achieve this.” …

As temperatures get hotter and hotter from climate change, the cherry blossom trees have been blooming earlier and earlier.

EDF Statement of Emily Steinhilber, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Virginia, Environmental Defense Fund

In 2023, a Supreme Court ruling (Sackett v EPA) quietly and significantly put our Nation’s wetlands at risk by drastically narrowing the scope of wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act. An analysis from EDF sheds light on potential impacts.

New report from EDF and RPA provides a set of indicators and metrics that can be used to measure a community’s resilience across a specific geography.

Co-authored by: Anushi Garg and Ravena Pernanand Anushi is the senior analyst for Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds program in New York-New Jersey. Ravena is a research analyst at Regional Plan Association. Across the globe, we are experiencing detrimental impacts from climate change, with low-wealth communities and communities of color hit the …

Media statement by Braulio Quintero, Director, Puerto Rico, Environmental Defense Fund and Emily Steinhilber, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Environmental Defense Fund

Co-authored by Pinion The use and production of fertilizer in agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and a major cause of pollution in the nation’s rivers and lakes. Agriculture is the largest global source of nitrogen pollution, and annual damages from nitrogen pollution are estimated to exceed $200 billion in the US.

By Christopher Cusack (EDF) and Cooper Van Vranken (Ocean Data Network) In the early hours of October 25, 2023, Hurricane Otis made landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, with peak winds of 165 mph wreaking havoc on communities in its path. Normally, people would have had a chance to prepare but just the day before, the consensus …

Climate change-driven events—like heat waves, droughts, floods, and fires—cause damage to communities’ and individuals’ health and safety. But these events also threaten the financial well-being of communities across the U.S. through their impact on markets and local economies. These risks are increasingly visible in the housing and mortgage markets.  In this three-part series, we’ll be …

By: Rachel Rhode, Manager, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds and Eve Cooke, Fellow, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds Buying a home is often one of the biggest financial decisions individuals and families will ever make. More than one-third of Florida properties are at risk of severe flooding in the next 30 years, and despite these …

Media Statement by: David Kelly, North Carolina State Director, Environmental Defense Fund

For generations, people have been playing hockey outdoors in the winter. Rising temperatures from climate change are threatening pond hockey's future, but some players are fighting back. 

Climate change-driven events—like heat waves, droughts, floods, and fires—cause damage to communities’ and individuals’ health and safety. But these events also threaten the financial well-being of communities across the U.S. through their impact on markets and local economies. These risks are increasingly visible in the housing and mortgage markets. In this three-part series, we’ll be …

Climate change-driven events—like heat waves, droughts, floods, and fires—cause damage to communities’ and individuals’ health and safety. But these events also threaten the financial well-being of communities across the U.S. through their impact on markets and local economies. Nowhere is this more visible recently than in the property insurance market.  In this three-part series, we’ll …

Following the Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court decision in May 2023, millions of acres of wetlands across the U.S. lost critical federal protections they once had under the Clean Water Act The post Our Nation’s wetlands are at risk. So is our ability to manage flooding. first appeared on Growing Returns.