Newsdesk – September 15

Extreme Weather Displaced a Record 7 Million in First Half of 2019. This figure puts 2019 on pace to be one of the most disastrous years in almost two decades even before Hurricane Dorian battered the Bahamas. A report, compiled using data from governments, United Nations humanitarian agencies and media reports, concluded that floods, landslides, cyclones and other extreme weather events temporarily displaced more people in the first half of this year than during the same period in any other year. “In today’s changing climate, mass displacement triggered by extreme weather events is becoming the norm,” reads the report. The worst may be still to come. Historically, the worst disaster season is between June and September, when storms lash the tropics. The monitoring center estimates that the number of disaster-related displacements may grow to 22 million by the end of the year – New York Times

• Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough to Save the Planet. Here’s What Could – TIME
• California Hit With Biggest Wildfire of 2019 as NASA Warns on Climate – Bloomberg
• ‘We have a once-in-century chance’: Naomi Klein on how we can fight the climate crisis – The Guardian
• 15 To 20 Foot Sea Level Rise Possible Sooner Rather Than Later – CleanTechnica
• Capitalism Vs Climate Change: The Case Of PrairieFood – Forbes
• Climate Change and Mosquitoes Bring New Danger to Travelers in These Parts of the U.S. – Fodor’s Travel
• Climate crisis drives Tunisia fishing trade into troubled waters – The Guardian
• Frontline fight: Indonesia locked in epic battle against jungle blazes – Phys.org
• Why industry is going green on the quiet – The Guardian
• French heat waves linked to nearly 1,500 additional deaths – CNN
• Warm on top, cold below: Unexpected greenhouse gas effect in lakes – Phys.org
• Many States Are Punishing Drivers For Owning An Electric Car – CleanTechnica
• Electric cars are finally taking a (tiny) bite out of combustion engine sales – Quartz
• Los Angeles OKs a deal for record-cheap solar power and battery storage – Los Angeles Times

Trump administration drops Obama-era water protection rule. “By repealing the Clean Water Rule, this administration is opening our iconic waterways to a flood of pollution,” said Bart Johnsen-Harris of Environment America. “The EPA is abdicating its mission to protect our environment and our health.” Environmentalists contend many of those smaller, seemingly isolated waters are tributaries of the larger waterways and can have a significant effect on their quality. Denying them federal protection would leave millions of Americans with less safe drinking water and allow damage of wetlands that prevent flooding, filter pollutants and provide habitat for a multitude of fish, waterfowl and other wildlife, they said. The Natural Resources Defense Council said the administration’s action would be challenged in court. “The Clean Water Rule represented solid science and smart public policy,” the group said in a statement. “Where it has been enforced, it has protected important waterways and wetlands, providing certainty to all stakeholders.” The Clean Water Rule was opposed by developers and farmers who said it hurt economic development and infringed on property rights. – Washington Post

‘It Is Our Very Governments Who Are Killing the Earth.’ A Brazilian Indigenous Leader Speaks Out On Deforestation in the Amazon. Benki Pyãnko is a community leader from Apiwtxa, an Ashaninka community situated in the Amazonian state of Acre, Brazil. He has led projects to defend his community from deforestation and to defend Ashaninka rights and culture in the indigenous territory of Terra Kampa do Rio Amônia. His community’s sustainability projects were awarded an Equator Prize by the U.N. in 2017. “Deforesting was one of the greatest catastrophes that happened in our territory. People felled our forests, and that made our rivers very dry. There were many species of fish that disappeared, as the forest has been cut down, many kinds of animals also disappeared, or disappeared from that region at least. We have experienced a lot more heatwaves now, almost unbearable heatwaves. There would be rains during the summer time as if it were winter time, and also dryness during the rainy season,” said Benki Pyãnko in interview. “It is man who has been perpetrating all this disaster. We see mining and oil business coming into our area and invading our rivers. There were gold mines, with many areas of the forest burned or logged, and we have seen many industries moving into the area that pollute the air, significantly. We see all the rubbish created by these industries, not only plastic but also cans and all the waste being thrown in our rivers.” – TIME