Container Ship Burns, Sinks, Unleashing Plastic and Oil on Sri Lankan Shores

Container Ship Burns, Sinks, Unleashing Plastic and Oil on Sri Lankan Shores

A container ship off the coast of Sri Lanka that has been burning for 13 days has now begun to sink. Officials say that this could be the worst ecological disaster in the nation’s history, as plastic “snow” pellets wash up on beaches and oil spills into the ocean. 

Why This Matters: Experts worry that pollutants from the burning ship, including dangerous chemicals, oil, and microplastics, could have wide-reaching impacts beyond the immediately affected zone.

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Governor Proposes $536 Million To Fight 2021 California Wildfire Season

Governor Proposes $536 Million To Fight 2021 California Wildfire Season

As California’s wildfire season approaches, Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing $536 million in emergency and other funding to combat and prevent fires this year. The plan invests in additional firefighters, fuel breaks around vulnerable communities, and wildfire response capacity.  

Why This Matters: California’s 2020 fire season burned a record-breaking 4.2 million acres and experts say that severe drought may make this season even more destructive.

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Biden Administration Highlights Climate Change In Texas Freeze Response

Biden Administration Highlights Climate Change In Texas Freeze Response

The Texas freeze and subsequent blackouts have given the Biden administration the chance to show the country how it will handle natural disasters, and they’ve already done one thing much differently than the Trump administration: acknowledged the role of climate change. And now, due to surge pricing, Texans are facing utility bills in the thousands of dollars for what little heat they got.

Why This Matters: The Biden administration wasted no time declaring an emergency and stating it would review preparation for future storms.

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2020 Breaks Another Record: Most Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters

2020 Breaks Another Record: Most Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters

We know it was the hottest year on record (tied for the top spot with 2016), that the 2010’s were the hottest decade on record, and that the last 6 years have been the hottest ever.  Now this grim total:  in 2020 there were 22 weather and climate disasters.

Why This Matters:  Climate change is getting more and more expensive each year.

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Climate Change Driving A Spike in Natural Disasters in the 21st Century

Climate Change Driving A Spike in Natural Disasters in the 21st Century

According to a new report from the United Nations, in the last twenty years, there have been 7,348 natural disasters and that represents a dramatic increase over the twenty years prior.

Why This Matters:  According to the UN  report’s authors, unless leaders in business and government take action, the world will become an “uninhabitable hell for millions of people.”

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Mauritius Declares Emergency After Massive Oil Spill From Japanese Tanker Threatens Coast click button

Mauritius Declares Emergency After Massive Oil Spill From Japanese Tanker Threatens Coast

Last month, a Japanese-owned ship ran aground off the coast of Mauritius, causing over 1,000 tons of oil to leak into the sea. Last week, Mauritius residents “stuffed fabric sacks with sugar cane leaves” in order to create “makeshift oil spill barriers,” as CBS News reported earlier this week.

Why This Matters: If the ship breaks in half, an already horrifying situation will be made worse, seeing as there are still 2,500 tons of oil currently contained in the ship.

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