We Now Know Just How Bad the Flint Water Crisis Was for Pregnant Women
A Flint resident holds up a bottle of the city’s water along with hair pulled from her drain.Molly Riley/AP This story was originally published by The Atlantic and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. When the city of Flint, Michigan, temporarily switched its water source to the Flint River in 2014, it didn’t treat the water…
“We Didn’t Have to Suffer Like That”: Inside a Texas Prison During Hurricane Harvey
Mother Jones Illustration; Bruno Monteny/Getty; kodda/Getty In late August, Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the southeast Texas coast bringing with it extreme winds and dropping more than four feet of rain across Houston and the surrounding area. The catastrophic flooding caused thousands to evacuate, including many state prisoners who were moved to drier and safer facilities elsewhere…
Add Cargo Shipping to the List of Industries Contributing to Global Warming
Magaiza/Getty This story was originally published by Grist and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The platform overlooking the Panama Canal’s Pacific exit is buzzing with energy on a muggy October afternoon. Tourists cram together, jostling for the best views of the blue container ship gliding by in the gray-green water below. The ship’s crewmembers wave…
He Was a Professional Climate Denier. Then He Switched Sides.
Christopher Dilts/Sipa US/AP The overwhelming majority of scientists as well as most Americans agree that climate change is occurring and it’s mostly caused by human activity. But for climate skeptics, the consensus means nothing. Though global warming deniers may be in the minority, they often have an outsize influence on government officials who are invested in…
You Can’t End the War on Coal Without Starting a War on Public Health
Steve Helber/AP This story was originally published by New Republic and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Of all the scenes of devastation in Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Maria, one video has stood out. Shot from a balcony or rooftop, it depicts six seconds of horror: the city of Guayama, on the island’s southern coast, engulfed…
Science’s Top Foe in Congress Is Retiring
Jay Mallin/ Zuma It’s been a tough year for scientists, but a number of climate scientists found reason to celebrate on Thursday. The Texas Tribune broke the news that Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), one of the most ardent skeptics of climate change in Congress, will be retiring next year. Smith has become one of the most polarizing figures on…