Podcasts about environmental information

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is a prolific author and Southern preparedness expert who has written over 75 novels that blend gripping survival scenarios with real world lessons drawn from his professional training in emergency management.  His work spans everything from tornadoes and hurricanes to grid-down solar flare events.  His storytelling offers a uniquely grounded, Southern approach to self-reliance and resilience.  Ron Foster, welcome! Tonight's Guest Panelist is Jared Rennie, research meteorologist at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in North Carolina.  He's an AMS-certified consulting meteorologist who is passionate about data, accessibility, climate services and applying new technologies like AI and machine learning in the world of meteorology. Also, Bruce Jones joins us to discuss the importance of NOAA Weather Radio and its integration in order to save lives.  Welcome back, Bruce! Our email officer Jen is continuing to handle the incoming messages from our listeners. Reach us here: email@weatherbrains.com. Cataclysmic flooding in Mid-South (02:30) Meteorologist fatigue after multiple day events (03:00) Senatobia, Mississippi tornado last week (06:30) What is a disaster-prepper?  (18:30) Prepper starter kit for beginners (20:00) How to purify water during a disaster (25:30) Living through 1979's Hurricane Frederic (34:15) Different perceptions of severe weather in the South compared to other regions (40:15) Internet dependency and society vulnerability (50:00) Carrington level solar events and appropriate reaction (01:02:00) Recommended basic survival kit (01:11:30) Bruce Jones/Midland Weather Radio (01:34:42) The Astronomy Outlook with Tony Rice (01:16:45) This Week in Tornado History With Jen (01:18:50) E-Mail Segment (01:20:25) National Weather Round-Up and more! Web Sites from Episode 1003: Midland Weather Radio Prepper Fiction Survival: Your Source for Prepper Fiction Ron Foster on Amazon Jared Rennie on X Picks of the Week: Jared Rennie - Jared Rennie on GitHub Jared Rennie - CBS News on YouTube: How a small North Carolina town is recovering six months after Hurricane Helene Bruce Jones - Gainesville, GA/Cooper Pants Factory tornado on April 6, 1936 James Aydelott - Amish speedy repairs mentioned in NOAA Storm Survey Jen Narramore - Poplar Bluff History Museum Rick Smith - Balanced Weather on Substack Troy Kimmel - WFAA Y'all-itics Kim Klockow-McClain - KY family goes viral for burying van as storm shelter. ‘Country boys can survive' Kim Klockow-McClain - ‘Get rid of the whole thing': After Stitt ousts Mark Goeller, Forestry Services comment irks #okleg John Gordon - USGS Volcanoes on X: Mount St. Helens prank by WNAC-TV Bill Murray - Foghorn James Spann - NOAA's GOES-19 satellite now operational, providing critical new data to forecasters The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like Troy Kimmel, Bill Murray, Rick Smith, James Aydelott, Jen Narramore, John Gordon, and Dr. Kim Klockow-McClain. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating podcast about weather.

How can we quantify the real human impact of extreme weather? According to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, 2024 alone saw 27 individual weather and climate disasters with at least $1 billion in damages, trailing only the record-setting 28 events analyzed in 2023. Across hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornados, and more the impacts of the climate crisis are apparent, but where do we begin to measure the real toll, these disasters take on the people affected and how do those folks carry on?In this episode, we speak to three members of Extreme Weather Survivors, an organization dedicated to building community, providing support and training, and advocating for change for all those impacted by extreme weather. I join Executive Director and Co-Founder Chris Kocher, Melissa Whittaker, a small business owner from Montpelier, Vermont, and Erica Solove, a psychologist from Boulder, Colorado in a discussion about what it means to make connections, stay resilient, and create positive change in the wake of the climate crisis.

It's Tuesday, January 14th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Biggest persecutors of Christians worldwide Global Christian Relief has released its 2025 Red List — drawing attention to the big persecutors of Christians over the last two years. Nigeria tops the worldwide list for murders with a total of 9,814 martyrs for Jesus. India tops the worldwide list for building attacks which stands at 4,949. Mozambique comes in second for building attacks.  China tops the list for arrests and Eritrea comes in second.   Pray for Christians in these dangerous areas of the world this year and get your prayer guide at GlobalChristianRelief.org.  California fire death count at 25 The death count connected with the California fires is now at 25.  The Palisades and Eaton fires together make for the second most destructive fire in California history. Professor Char Miller appeared on AccuWeather. MILLER: “One hundred mile-an-hour gusts are recorded all over the region. Sustained winds of 60 to 70 miles. And then you've got this incredibly fast moving fire. Some estimates say something like three American football fields in a minute were incinerated.” The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports 40,600 acres burned and 12,300 structures destroyed. The National Weather Service is predicting another windstorm affecting areas from Santa Barbara south into Los Angeles today and tomorrow. . . expecting wind gusts up to 80 miles per hour. California fire damage will cost $140 billion Accuweather now estimates the price tag for the damage caused by these California fires is between $135 and $150 billion.   The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Center for Environmental Information reports 27 separate billion dollar disasters last year — costing this country $183 billion. Three of the five worst years in U.S. recorded history, for hurricane damage, include 2024, 2022, and 2021. In terms of number of billion dollar catastrophic events, 2023 and 2024 were the worst in U.S. history. God, not “Mother Nature,” is responsible for the winds The news agencies have referred to “Mother Nature” over and over again. However, “Mother Nature” is not in control. God is sovereign over every natural disaster, absolutely in control of the winds rushing over the State of California now. Keep Psalm135:6 in mind. Whatever the Lord pleases He does, “in Heaven and on Earth, in the seas and in all deep places. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the Earth. He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” 5 of 12 insurance agencies pulled out of California Insurance cannot save us either.   Five out of twelve of the major insurance providers in California have pulled out of the Golden State. The government FAIR plan is also dramatically overextended, accountable for $300 billion of properties with only $200 million in surplus coverage. Fifteen insurance companies have gone bankrupt in the last three years. That's more than the previous 20 years combined. And now this. Only 2% of homes affected by hurricane flooding this year were insured.  Psalm 20:7-8 reads: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.  They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.” 80% of parents oppose student's gender identity kept secret A recent survey sponsored by Parents Defending Education found that 80% of American parents oppose schools helping students change their gender identity.  In addition, 74% opposed teaching elementary children about homosexuality, and 78% oppose biological males playing in female sports programs.  The organization DefendingEd.org identifies 1,143 school districts which openly state that they can or will keep a student's transgender status hidden from parents.   Interestingly, 67% of Republican parents, 53% of independent parents, and 29% of Democratic parents support reducing the size and influence of the U.S. Department of Education. And 77% of parents support a U.S. Department of Education that allows states to have more flexibility on how they run their school districts Trump's cabinet picks head to Senate Today begins confirmation hearings for Trump's cabinet picks to include Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth who will appear before the Senate Armed Forces Committee, reports NBC News. Also this week, Senate committees will conduct hearings for Attorney General nominee Pamela Bondi and Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio among others. Jimmy Carter's funeral featured song denying Heaven and Hell And finally, all five living presidents -- Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden -- attended the funeral for former President Jimmy Carter, reports the Associated Press. In addition, Vice Presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, and Al Gore were there as well as Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.  The official funeral of state for former president Jimmy Carter included Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood performance of John Lennon's “Imagine there's no Heaven.”  Listen to Garth sing the open. BROOKS: “Imagine there's no Heaven It's easy if you try No Hell below us Above us, only sky “Imagine all the people Livin' for today.” Though a professing Christian, the former president made this theologically problematic statement to the Huffington Post in 2018. CARTER: “I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if it was honest and sincere and was not damaging to anyone else.  I don't see that gay marriage damages anyone else.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, January 14th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In this special year-end episode, hosts Bob McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins sit down with the New York Times' chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe Steven Erlanger to review the biggest stories of the past year and discuss developments to watch in 2025. They analyze the conflicts and political developments in the Middle East and Europe, President-elect Donald Trump's picks for his national security team, the state of democracy worldwide, and more.   Mentioned on the Podcast   James M. Lindsay, “Ten Elections to Watch in 2025,” CFR.org   National Centers for Environmental Information, “Monthly Global Climate Report for October 2024,” NCEI.NOAA.gov   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The World Next Week at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/world-next-year-wars-new-governments-stormy-weather-watch-2025

Today's guests: Michael Flynn, Global Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Government lead for Deloitte Ireland Jamie Sawchuk, national leader for Government and Public Services Alliances and Ecosystems for Deloitte Canada Carolyn Murnaghan, national leader for Climate Adaptation and Resilience for Deloitte Canada Christina Crue, emergency manager and advisory principal for Deloitte & Touche LLP Justin Dawe, founder and CEO of Earth Force Technologies   Communities across the world are feeling the effects of climate change. That's unlikely to change any time soon. According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2023 was the hottest year on record. The National Centers for Environmental Information estimates there's a 97% chance that 2024 will break that record. The result of this warming—an increasing number of extreme weather events. The world is seeing more of these events, and they are increasing in severity. Governments, private sector innovators, and communities are working together to respond to, track, and mitigate the effects of extreme weather events. Solutions range from the tried and tested, like levees and spillways, to new and emerging technology, like AI and advanced sensing technology. To discuss these solutions, Tanya Ott is joined by Michael Flynn, Global Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Government lead for Deloitte Ireland; Jamie Sawchuk, national leader for Government and Public Services Alliances and Ecosystems for Deloitte Canada; Carolyn Murnaghan, national leader for Climate Adaptation and Resilience for Deloitte Canada; Christina Crue, emergency manager and advisory principal for Deloitte & Touche LLP; and Justin Dawe, founder and CEO of Earth Force Technologies. They discuss the challenges communities face and the potential solutions that may make a difference. Perhaps more importantly, they focus on the mindset shift that this new weather reality is bringing to communities all over the world. “Traditionally. you buy insurance for something that might happen once every 30 years,” said Sawchuk. “But when it's happening once every other year, once every five years, we need to respond differently. We need to build differently. We need to plan differently. So, we're getting ahead of the risk versus just responding to the risk. And I think that's foundational. We need to mitigate the risk versus just buy insurance against it.”  

House Committee on Natural Resources Legislative Hearing on H.R. 7662, H.R. 7807, H.R. 8952 & H.R. 10005 House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Tuesday, November 19, 2024 | 2:15 PM On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 2:15 p.m., in room 1334 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills: H.R. 7662 (Rep. Houlahan), "Critical Minerals Security Act of 2024"; H.R. 7807 (Rep. Obernolte), "Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act"; H.R. 8952 (Rep. Zinke), “Crow Revenue Act”; and H.R. 10005 (Rep. Hageman), “Expedited Appeals Review Act” or the “EARA” Witness and Testimony Panel I (Members of Congress): Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming) Rep. Jay Obernolte (D-California) Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Montana) Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pennsylvania) Panel II: Dr. Colin Williams Program Coordinator, Mineral Resources Program U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Moffett Field, California [All bills] Ms. Cheryl Lombard Senior Program Director – Power, Infrastructure, and Minerals ClearPath Action Washington, D.C. [H.R. 7807] Mr. Frank White Clay Chairman Crow Tribe of Indians Montana [H.R. 8952] Mr. Jonathon Travis Principal, Severance Tax Ryan, LLC Houston, Texas [H.R. 10005] Mr. Derf Johnson Deputy Director Montana Environmental Information Center Helena, Montana [Minority Witness][H.R. 7807, H.R. 8952, H.R. 7662] Committee Notice: https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=416669

The City of Thomasville will not issue burn permits until further notice due to the lack of rain for more than a month, the city announced Monday. Clarke County has on average seen high temperatures around 78 degrees and average low temperatures around 65 degrees in October in the last 100 years, according to the Nation Centers for Environmental Information. However, the county has had highs in the mid-80s and lows in the mid-50s since the beginning of October and it has been a dry month, with 0.11% of precipitation since Oct. 1 as compared to an average of 2.66%...Article Link

#helene #hurricane #tropics #severeweather #northcarolina #southcarolina #weather #ncwx #scwx #podcast When Hurricane Helene flooded the mountains of western North Carolina causing widespread power outages, destruction and evacuations, the nation's weather archives went offline. That's because the data lives in Asheville, North Carolina at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, where the government archives and backups more than 60 petabytes of historical weather data. In just the past week, as Helene relief efforts continue across the region, NCEI has been able to return products and services to online status. While many data products continue to be updated as a result of the outage caused by Hurricane Helene, the center says they're most grateful all of their employees and staff have been accounted for. Additionally, all data holdings –including paper and film records– were unharmed in the storm. This week on the Carolina Weather Group, NCEI's Jared Rennie returns to the show to discuss the restoration of services, his experience with Helene and the remaining needs of his community in the aftermath of the storm. If you would like to donate to help the people of the Carolinas as a Carolina Weather Group listener, you can donate to the American Red Cross using our special link: http://bit.ly/wxpodstelethon. The American Red Cross is also available to assist at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

First on today's show, Ralph welcomes back Dr. Bandy Lee to discuss her recent conference, "The More Dangerous State of the World and the Need for Fit Leadership—The Much More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump". Then, Ralph is joined by Professor Ted Postol to talk about the missiles and rockets (and other weapons) being used in the expanding war(s) in the Middle East. [Nadia Milleron] went down to Springfield, the state capitol, and met with every assembly member, saying—for future wrongful death, you should give people in Illinois the opportunity to file for punitive damages against these corporate defendants, or other similarly-positioned defendants. And she got it through—it was considered impossible to beat Boeing, and she got it through and the governor signed it. That's the determination of a parent who loses a child to corporate crimeRalph NaderDr. Bandy Lee is a medical doctor, a forensic psychiatrist, and a world expert on violence who taught at Yale School of Medicine and Yale Law School for 17 years before joining the Harvard Program in Psychiatry and the Law. She is currently president of the World Mental Health Coalition, an educational organization that assembles mental health experts to collaborate with other disciplines for the betterment of public mental health and public safety. She is the editor of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President and Profile of a Nation: Trump's Mind, America's Soul.Let me clarify that there's a distinction among the evaluations that mental health experts do—one is diagnostic, the other is functional. And the diagnostic exam is the one that mental health professionals have no business doing on a public figure because that's what you do in private therapy sessions, and you diagnose someone in order to outline their course of treatment. But a functional assessment is something you do for the public—and that includes unfitness or dangerousness—and these kinds of comments are not only permitted, they are part of our societal responsibility because we are responsible not just for private individual patients, but for the public, for society.Dr. Bandy LeeDonald Trump is not an isolated phenomenon. He is a product of the system that has come before him and he is an accelerator of the dangers that succeed him. I do not believe that a Biden presidency would have been this dangerous without a Trump presidency preceding him. Dr. Bandy LeeTed Postol is Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy Emeritus in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT. His expertise is in nuclear weapon systems, including submarine warfare, applications of nuclear weapons, ballistic missile defense, and ballistic missiles more generally. He previously worked as an analyst at the Office of Technology Assessment and as a science and policy adviser to the chief of naval operations. In 2016, he received the Garwin Prize from the Federation of American Scientists for his work in assessing and critiquing the government's claims about missile defenses.I do not want to appear like I don't think it matters, but at the same time, it's been provoked to the point that it's amazing that the Iranians have restrained themselves to this point. But the Iranians know that they're going to suffer heavy damage from Israel. They have not wanted to go to war. They have shown great wisdom and restraint in spite of the situation.Ted PostolWhat the Israelis want—this guy Netanyahu in particular, who I think is delusional besides being psychopath—what Netanyahu wants, he wants a decisive victory. Again, let me underscore that—a decisive victory against Iran and also Hezbollah and Gaza, these poor victims of his genocide in Gaza. He can't do that. He's going to kill God knows how many more people in his effort—which is already a crime against humanity that's beginning to look like the Holocaust—but he's not going to defeat Hezbollah in a decisive way. Ted PostolIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 10/2/241. ProPublica reports “The U.S. government's two foremost authorities on humanitarian assistance [USAID and the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration] concluded this spring that Israel had deliberately blocked deliveries of food and medicine into Gaza.” Yet just days later, instead of acting upon this information, Secretary of State Antony Blinken misled Congress telling lawmakers “We do not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance [to Gaza].” In USAID's report, the agency laid out specific examples of Israeli interference, including “killing aid workers, razing agricultural structures, bombing ambulances and hospitals, sitting on supply depots and routinely turning away trucks full of food and medicine.” The State Department Refugee bureau separately concluded that “the Foreign Assistance Act should be triggered to freeze almost $830 million in taxpayer dollars earmarked for weapons and bombs to Israel, according to emails obtained by ProPublica.” Yet because Blinken refused to accept these facts and instead opted to lie to Congress, the weapons pipeline to Israel continues to flow unimpeded. Some, including Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, have called on Blinken to resign, per the Middle East Monitor.2. On September 27th, Israel assassinated Hezbollah Secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah. According to NBC, the Israelis made this decision “after concluding [Nasrallah] would not accept any diplomatic solution to end the fighting on the Israel-Lebanon border that was not tied to an end to the war in Gaza.” Through this assassination, and the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau chairman Ismail Haniyeh earlier this year, Israel has made clear that they would rather resort to extrajudicial killings than negotiate an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Israel now plans to invade Southern Lebanon, further escalating this conflict into a regional war, with the full backing of the United States.3. Following the pager and walkie-talkie attacks in Lebanon, the office of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib issued a statement decrying that “The Biden-Harris administration continues to allow Netanyahu and the Israeli government to operate with impunity as they carry out war crimes. After facing no red line in Gaza…Netanyahu is now expanding his genocidal campaign to Lebanon…Deploying more U.S. troops and sending more U.S. bombs will only lead to more suffering and carnage. The...administration is capable of stopping the bloodshed. President Biden must implement an immediate arms embargo to end the slaughter and de-escalate the risk of a wider regional war.” Yet, far from de-escalating, the Biden administration has stood by while Netanyahu has escalated further, with increasing signs that the situation will tip over into a full-scale regional war between Israel and Iran. Dark days indeed could be ahead.4. This week, Hurricane Helene cleaved a “500-mile path of destruction” stretching from Florida to the Southern Appalachians, per CNN. So far, the casualties include at least 128 dead and whole communities wiped off the map. Yet, this devastation is not limited merely to peoples' homes and communities. In a darkly ironic twist, “Hurricane Helene's severe flooding [in Asheville, North Carolina] knocked offline the top tracker of U.S. and global climate data, including of extreme weather…The National Centers for Environmental Information,” or NCEI. According to the NCEI, “Even those who are physically safe are generally without power, water or connectivity,” per Axios. And just outside Atlanta, Vox reports “Amid the devastation and mass flooding…A chemical fire [at BioLab] released a massive plume of potentially toxic gasses into the air.” Officials issued a shelter-in-place order Sunday evening covering Rockdale County, home to around 90,000 people. EPA testing detected signs of chlorine gas in the air. Fulton County, which includes parts of Atlanta, has reported “a haze and strong chemical smell.”5. Last week, the International Trade Union Confederation published a report accusing “Some of the world's largest companies of undermining democracy across the world by financially backing far-right political movements, funding and exacerbating the climate crisis, and violating trade union rights and human rights.” This report specifically names Amazon, Tesla, Meta, ExxonMobil, Blackstone, Vanguard and Glencore. This report cites a litany of damning acts by these corporations – ranging from union busting and environmental degradation to funding of far-right and anti-indigenous movements around the globe – but makes the fundamental point that “This is about power, who has it, and who sets the agenda. …They're playing the long game, and it's a game about shifting power away from democracy at every level into one where they're not concerned about the effects on workers – they're concerned about maximizing their influence and their extractive power and their profit…Now is the time for international and multi-sectoral strategies, because these are, in many cases, multinational corporations that are more powerful than states, and they have no democratic accountability whatsoever, except for workers organized.” Per the Guardian, “the ITUC includes labor group affiliates from 169 nations…representing 191 million workers…the federation is pushing for an international binding treaty…to hold transnational corporations accountable under international human rights laws.”6. Yet, although these corporations are being called out for their role in undermining democracy, the Biden administration is granting many of them large sums of money via the newly announced “Partnership for Global Inclusivity on AI.” According to the State Department, this partnership will bring together the Department of State, Amazon, Anthropic, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI to “promote inclusivity, respect for human rights, digital solidarity, and equitable access to the benefits of AI globally.” As the American Prospect's Luke Goldstein notes, every single one of the companies listed are currently facing lawsuits or are under investigation by either the Department of Justice or the Federal Trade Commission, and two of these corporations were clients of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's during his time as a consultant at WestExec Advisors. And in California, Variety reports Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed SB 1047, a bill that “sought to ward off catastrophic risks of highly advanced [AI] models…[that] could be used to develop chemical or nuclear weapons.” This bill was strongly supported by SAG-AFTRA.7. A new article in the Atlantic makes the case that “Legalizing Sports Gambling Was a Huge Mistake.” On a previous program we discussed how the “widespread legalization of sports gambling over the past five years has [led to a] roughly 28% increase in bankruptcies and an 8% increase in debt transferred to debt collectors,” along with substantial increases in auto loan delinquencies and use of debt consolidation loans. Beyond the financial damages however, this piece cites a new University of Oregon study that found in places where sports gambling is legalized, a loss by the home NFL team increases intimate partner violence by approximately 10%. As Deseret News put the question, “If, after six years, a law was discovered to be encouraging domestic violence while causing people, especially the poor, to lose what little money they could put toward savings, what would be the correct next step?”8. On September 24th, the Federal Trade Commission took action against Invitation Homes, the country's largest landlord of single-family homes, for “an array of unlawful actions against consumers, including deceiving renters about lease costs, charging undisclosed junk fees, failing to inspect homes before residents moved in, and unfairly withholding tenants' security deposits when they moved out.” The FTC complaint cites a 2019 email from Invitation Homes' CEO “calling on the senior vice president responsible for overseeing the company's fee program to ‘juice this hog'” by making additional fees mandatory for renters. This action comes as “Democrats Are Torn Between Donors and Their Base,” over the high-profile FTC Chair Lina Khan, Wired reports. While many billionaire Democratic donors have publicly called for Khan's ouster, polling shows around “80 percent of Democrats feel that the government should be doing more to take on corporate monopolies, compared to only 3 percent who say it should be doing less...[and] Nearly 90 percent of Democrats…feel that lobbyists and corporate executives hold too much power over the government.” To his credit, powerful House Democrat Jim Clyburn recently defended Khan when asked whether she should be fired, saying “… fired for what? For doing [her] job?…I suspect that people who represent Invitation Homes may want her to be replaced by somebody who would not do their [job],” per the Huffington Post.9. POLITICO Europe has published a shocking exposé documenting “the atrocities carried out during the summer of 2021 by a [Mozambican] commando unit led by an officer who said his mission was to protect ‘the project of Total.'” The “Total” in question being TotalEnergies, the French energy titan operating an enormous liquid natural gas plant in the Southeast African country. According to this report, “villagers had been caught in the crossfire between the Mozambican army and ISIS-affiliated militants. Having fled their homes, they had gone to seek the protection of government soldiers. Instead…[t]he soldiers accused the villagers of being members of the insurgency. They separated the men — a group of between 180 and 250 — from the women and children. Then they crammed their prisoners into… shipping containers…hitting, kicking and striking them with rifle butts. The soldiers held the men in the containers for three months. They beat, suffocated, starved, tortured and finally killed their detainees. Ultimately, only 26 prisoners survived.” Beyond this horrific massacre, this piece investigates the complex relationship between the Mozambican government, the Islamist insurgency, and French energy interests operating in Mozambique.10. Finally, on the eve of the inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's incoming president and the first ever Jewish head of state in North America, tensions are mounting between the country and its northern neighbor, the United States. On his way out, popular left-wing president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or AMLO, has declared a Yucatán port owned by Alabama-based Vulcan Materials a nature reserve in a move that the company is calling “expropriation.” According to Reuters, the company has quarried limestone in Mexico for over three decades and AMLO has long criticized their activities as environmentally damaging. AMLO also offered offered up to 7 billion pesos or $362 million for the land, but Vulcan rejected the offer. In response to AMLO's move, Republican Senators Katie Britt of Alabama and John Cornyn of Texas sent a letter “threatening Mexico with ‘crushing consequences' if the incoming Administration of Claudia Sheinbaum,” doesn't reverse this decision, per José Díaz Briseño of Reforma. This vague saber rattling raises the question, voiced by decorated journalist Ryan Grim, “Are Senate Republicans threatening some kind of coup”?This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Today, you'll learn about the new air conditioner that cools without conditioning the air, how understanding our false memories can be a window into our problem solving skills, and a study examining the grieving of cats. AC Not Conditioned “Device provides air conditioning without conditioning air.” by Ellen Phiddian. 2024. “A pure radiant cooling device for ‘air conditioning' without conditioning air.” by Xinyao Zheng, et al. 2024. “2023 was the warmest year in the modern temperature record.” by NOAA Centers for Environmental Information. 2024. False Memories “False memories revealing mathematical reasoning.” University of Geneva. 2024. “Revealing mental representations of arithmetic word problems through false memories: New insights into semantic congruence.” by H. Gros, et al. 2024. Cat Grief “Cats appear to grieve death of fellow pets - even dogs, study finds.” by Hannah Devlin. 2024. “A Brief History of House Cats.” by David Zax. 2007. “Is companion animal loss cat-astrophic? Responses of domestic cats to the loss of another companion animal.” by Brittany Greene & Jennifer Vonk. 2024. Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk to Stephanie Herring about the diversity of opportunities in the government sector, the impacts of climate on human health, and learning how your unique skillset can benefit weather, water, and climate industries. Episode transcript Hosted by Emma Collins and Kelly SavoieEdited by Johnny LeTheme music composed and performed by Steve Savoie Visit AMS Career Resources on the web! Contact us at skypodcast@ametsoc.org with any feedback or if you'd like to become a future guest. Copyright © 2024 American Meteorological Society

Guest: Jared Rennie, NCEI Research MeteorologistGathering and analyzing data today to help us prepare for tomorrow. One sentence with a multitude of implications. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information seeks to provide not just data, but solutions to help the U.S. and those around the world as our climate continues to change. Jared Rennie is a Research Meteorologist with NCEI and works to support the integration of both climate and socioeconomic data. His work encompasses an operational as well as a research aspect with respect to software used in data processing.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Haley and Jillian talk about the troubling "spinning fish disease" in the Florida Keys before diving into the tragic tale of the Yarnell Hill Wildfire and the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Haley brings it back up during conservation corner with the Apache trout. Sources: 19: The True Story of the Yarnell Hill Fire, Kyle Dickman, Outside Magazine Granite Mountain Hotshots: The firefighting team that died battling the Yarnell Hill Fire, Janelle Foskett, Fire Rescue 1 19 Firefighters Die Battling Arizona's Yarnell Fire, David Greene, Ted Robins, NPR Two Years After Deadly Wildfire, Are There Lessons in the Ashes, NPR Staff, NPR On This Day: Remembering the Yarnell Hill Wildfire, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information 10 years later: Remembering the Yarnell Hill Fire and the Granite Mountain Hotshots - 12 News Arizona What It's Like to Fight Fires With Hands and Tools, Insider News How Fighting Wildfires Works, Wendover Productions Apache Trout, Western Native Trout Iniative.org

Last year was by far the warmest year on record globally. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and European datasets all confirm the numbers. That means the 10 warmest years on record globally are the past 10 years.How do climate scientists explain this unprecedented warming trend?Jared Rennie is a research scientist with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information and he discussed what we should take away from the numbers.

Public Awareness Research StudyStudy type1-on-1 InterviewStudy formatOnlineCompensation$300 PayPal or paper check, other options availableSession length1 hourDescriptionGreetings!We're working on a study to improve understanding of the technologies that business professionals use. We would like to listen to your ideas on how you prefer to work and what you like to work with. We're looking for a range of people who are willing to share their expertise and also provide their opinions on potential concepts for a new and novel type of Environmental Information tool.If you're interested in participating, please complete this short pre-screener. If you appear to qualify, we will reach out with a link to the full application on SurveyMonkey. All interviews are booked through UserInterviews, but the application is separate.COMPENSATION: $300-$500 based on seniority WHAT: 60-min interview WHEN: December 2023 WHERE: From your computer via a conferencing tool.We'll follow up shortly if you qualify.NOTES - There are limited spots that will be filled based on who responds first. - Please be assured that this study is for research purposes only and at no time will you be solicited. - All information will be kept confidential.Thank you! Contact Design, Inc. | dba SurveyFeedsA Better-Business-Bureau accredited companyDevice requirementsDevice type: Computer with webcam.You cannot use a tablet or a smartphone.https://www.userinterviews.com/projects/mfF3oAmowg/apply?referral_code=dVI4MmhVVGxwKzV3anNFTnQ4T1hsVWdRc1VsT3dVdmZJQUt5bVdhSjh5bzd5NE15OWZXbG1iRjRmdTQ5ZmhqZ1RyLzRtUXpPQUxtWlpXdUZkc3hjUXVWVmJmcGV5WW42YWkrUllIT1RPOTg9LS1WN1pIMU5JSThudkFLWnRDdzV3Mkp3PT0%3D--9cb5fad5dbc8fc1878731d10fb6065107a7c7144

Public Awareness Research StudyStudy type1-on-1 InterviewStudy formatOnlineCompensation$300 PayPal or paper check, other options availableSession length1 hourDescriptionGreetings!We're working on a study to improve understanding of the technologies that business professionals use. We would like to listen to your ideas on how you prefer to work and what you like to work with. We're looking for a range of people who are willing to share their expertise and also provide their opinions on potential concepts for a new and novel type of Environmental Information tool.If you're interested in participating, please complete this short pre-screener. If you appear to qualify, we will reach out with a link to the full application on SurveyMonkey. All interviews are booked through UserInterviews, but the application is separate.COMPENSATION: $300-$500 based on seniority WHAT: 60-min interview WHEN: December 2023 WHERE: From your computer via a conferencing tool.We'll follow up shortly if you qualify.NOTES - There are limited spots that will be filled based on who responds first. - Please be assured that this study is for research purposes only and at no time will you be solicited. - All information will be kept confidential.Thank you! Contact Design, Inc. | dba SurveyFeedsA Better-Business-Bureau accredited companyDevice requirementsDevice type: Computer with webcam.You cannot use a tablet or a smartphone.https://www.userinterviews.com/projects/mfF3oAmowg/apply?referral_code=dVI4MmhVVGxwKzV3anNFTnQ4T1hsVWdRc1VsT3dVdmZJQUt5bVdhSjh5bzd5NE15OWZXbG1iRjRmdTQ5ZmhqZ1RyLzRtUXpPQUxtWlpXdUZkc3hjUXVWVmJmcGV5WW42YWkrUllIT1RPOTg9LS1WN1pIMU5JSThudkFLWnRDdzV3Mkp3PT0%3D--9cb5fad5dbc8fc1878731d10fb6065107a7c7144

Public Awareness Research StudyStudy type1-on-1 InterviewStudy formatOnlineCompensation$300 PayPal or paper check, other options availableSession length1 hourDescriptionGreetings!We're working on a study to improve understanding of the technologies that business professionals use. We would like to listen to your ideas on how you prefer to work and what you like to work with. We're looking for a range of people who are willing to share their expertise and also provide their opinions on potential concepts for a new and novel type of Environmental Information tool.If you're interested in participating, please complete this short pre-screener. If you appear to qualify, we will reach out with a link to the full application on SurveyMonkey. All interviews are booked through UserInterviews, but the application is separate.COMPENSATION: $300-$500 based on seniority WHAT: 60-min interview WHEN: December 2023 WHERE: From your computer via a conferencing tool.We'll follow up shortly if you qualify.NOTES - There are limited spots that will be filled based on who responds first. - Please be assured that this study is for research purposes only and at no time will you be solicited. - All information will be kept confidential.Thank you! Contact Design, Inc. | dba SurveyFeedsA Better-Business-Bureau accredited companyDevice requirementsDevice type: Computer with webcam.You cannot use a tablet or a smartphone.https://www.userinterviews.com/projects/mfF3oAmowg/apply?referral_code=dVI4MmhVVGxwKzV3anNFTnQ4T1hsVWdRc1VsT3dVdmZJQUt5bVdhSjh5bzd5NE15OWZXbG1iRjRmdTQ5ZmhqZ1RyLzRtUXpPQUxtWlpXdUZkc3hjUXVWVmJmcGV5WW42YWkrUllIT1RPOTg9LS1WN1pIMU5JSThudkFLWnRDdzV3Mkp3PT0%3D--9cb5fad5dbc8fc1878731d10fb6065107a7c7144

Today on Mushroom Hour we join in communion with the overflowing font of mythos, play and animated everything Sophie Strand. Sophie is a poet and writer with a focus on the history of religion and the intersection of spirituality, storytelling and ecology. Her poems and essays have appeared in numerous projects and publications, including the Dark Mountain Project, poetry.org and the magazines Unearthed, Braided Way, Art PAPERS and Entropy. Their newest book “The Flowering Wand – Rewilding the Sacred Masculine” is a potent retelling of classical European myths and masculine characters like Dionysus, Merlin, Jesus that encourages men to put down the iron sword and pick up a myceliated, vegetal thyrsus.    TOPICS COVERED:   Staying Alive by Exploring Ecology   Mediterranean Religions & Arthurian Myths    Myths as Vessels of Environmental Information   Replanting Myths - Reroot, Rewild, Retell    Polyphonic Iconography   Partnership Cultures and Dominator Cultures   Medusa & Mothers Turned into Monsters    Symbiosis & Synchronism    The Rebellion of Dionysus   Gender as a Morphic Field & a Mycelial Web    The King Becomes the Kingdom   Expanding Masculinity   Jesus the Magical, Nature-Loving Rabbi   Returning to the Compost Heap    EPISODE RESOURCES:    "The Flowering Wand": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Flowering-Wand/Sophie-Strand/9781644115961   "The Madonna Secret": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Madonna-Secret/Sophie-Strand/9781591434672   Sophie Strand Substack: https://sophiestrand.substack.com/   Sophie Strand IG: https://www.instagram.com/cosmogyny/   "Bitch": https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/lucy-cooke/bitch/9781541674905/?lens=basic-books   Microanimism: https://www.microanimism.com/   Chlorophyllum molybdites: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyllum_molybdites   "Enlivenment": https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262536660/   "An Immense World": https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/616914/an-immense-world-by-ed-yong/

美国国家海洋和大气管理局最新发布的报告显示，全球海水温度持续上升，多地水温均超过了平均水平。如果海水和大气的表面温度继续升高，2023年可能会成为有史以来最热的年份。Scientists have gathered further evidence that ocean waters are continuing to warm along with the rest of the planet.科学家收集到了更多证据证明，和地球其他地方一样，海水也在继续升温。Ocean temperatures reached record-breaking highs for the month of May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced during its monthly climate call on Thursday.美国国家海洋和大气管理局6月15日发布的全球气候月度报告称，5月份海洋温度创下了历史新高。Four main factors are contributing to such historic warming of global sea surface temperatures: human-induced climate change, a developing El Nino event, effects from the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption and a new shipping emissions policy aimed at reducing air pollution, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.洛杉矶加州大学的气候学家丹尼尔·斯温指出，全球海洋表面温度的破纪录高温是由四个主要因素导致的：人为引起的气候变化、发展中的厄尔尼诺事件、2022年洪加汤加-洪加哈派火山喷发和旨在减少空气污染的船舶排放新政策的影响。Some regions are experiencing temperatures up to 7 degrees higher than average for this time of year. In Cabo Verde Island, where hurricanes typically form, the water is typically 75 degrees Fahrenheit but is currently measuring at 82.4 degrees.一些地区的海水温度比同期平均水平高出了7华氏度。在经常遭遇飓风的佛得角岛屿，海水温度通常是75华氏度（24摄氏度），但现在测得的温度是82.4华氏度（28摄氏度）。Combined, land and ocean temperatures in May were the third warmest on record, with surface temperatures increasing about 0.97 degrees Celsius, or 1.75 degrees Fahrenheit, above the 20th century average, Rocky Bilotta, climatologist for the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, told reporters.美国国家海洋和大气管理局国家环境信息中心的气候学家洛基·毕洛塔告诉记者，今年5月陆地和海洋的平均温度之高位居史上第三名，表面温度比20世纪的平均水平高出约0.97摄氏度。Temperatures were above average throughout most of North America, South America and Africa. Parts of Western Europe, Northwestern Russia, Southeast Asia and the Arctic also experienced warmer than average temperatures this month, Bilotta said.毕洛塔介绍，北美、南美和非洲的大部分地区的温度都超过了平均值。西欧、俄罗斯西北部、东南亚和北极的部分地区5月也经历了比平均水平更高的温度。The warmest global record for the time period between March and May was also reached, according to NOAA.美国国家海洋和大气管理局指出，3月至5月期间的温度也达到了史上最高水平。2023 is very likely to rank among the 10 warmest years on record, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information statistical analysis that was released in April. Should warmer ocean and air surface temperatures continue, 2023 could become the warmest year on record.环境信息中心4月发布的统计分析报告也显示，2023年很可能会成为史上十大最热年之一。如果海水和大气的表面温度继续升高，2023年可能会成为有史以来最热的年份。Scientists anticipate that the current high temperatures could increase in the coming weeks and set record-shattering numbers, which could spell disaster for coastal communities all over the world.科学家预期，未来数周海洋的这种高温天数会增多并可能打破纪录，这可能会给世界各地的沿海社区带来灾难。Warmer ocean waters can contribute to more powerful tropical storms and impact marine life. In addition, a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture and can increase potential flooding events. Melting sea ice in the Arctic is also causing sea levels to rise, which is eroding coastlines.海水温度升高会引发更猛烈的热带风暴并影响海洋生物。此外，湿热的空气含有更多水分，这会增大发生洪水的风险。北极融化的海冰也会导致海平面升高，从而侵蚀海岸线。Earlier this week, thousands of fish washed up at the Quintana Beach County Park on Texas' Gulf Coast, likely due to warming waters, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Kills and Spills team.本周早些时候，在美国得克萨斯州墨西哥湾沿岸的金塔纳海滩县公园，数千条死鱼被冲上海滩。得州公园和野生动物厅捕杀和泄露小组表示，这可能是由水温升高导致的。"Fish kills like this are common in the summer when temperatures increase," the department said in a statement. "If there isn't enough oxygen in the water, fish can't 'breathe'."得州公园和野生动物厅在声明中称：“夏天温度升高时这种鱼群死亡事件很常见。如果水中没有足够氧气，鱼就不能‘呼吸'。”Ocean英 /ˈəʊʃn/美 /ˈoʊʃn/n.海洋Temperature英 /'temp(ə)rətʃə/美 /'tɛmprətʃɚ/n. 温度Marine英 /məˈriːn/美 /məˈriːn/adj. 海的，海产的，海生的

In 1896, the cities of St. Louis and East St. Louis were enjoying an economic boom that led to skyscrapers, mansions, and a 'tornado-proof' bridge connecting the two cities. That progress was unfortunately paused at the end of May, when an F4 tornado went straight through the downtowns of both cities. On this episode, Ella and our special guest host discuss architecture, bridges, tornado damage, and a building made of popsicle sticks. Sources for this episode include: “The Great Cyclone of 1896” Digital exhibit at St. Louis Public Library “Tornadoes in the Past”, The Tornado Project, 1999  “The Great Cyclone at St. Louis and East St. Louis, May 27, 1896, Being A Full History of the Most Terrifying and Destructive Tornado In The History Of The World”, by J Curzon, 1897 “On This Day: The Great St. Louis Tornado of 1896”, staff writer for NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information website, 2017 “It all Happened in 20 Minutes: In 1896, The Great Cyclone Ripped Through St. Louis”,  T. O'Neill, St Louis Post Dispatch, 2022

Most of us have defining moments that made us fall in love with the world, space, and the environment. It is most often this love and connection that starts us on a path for sustainability and activism against climate change. Dorian Janney is the Education and Outreach Coordinator for NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission and in today's episode she shares her story and the science of her job with us. In her present role, she educates in multiple settings and across various grade levels with a focus on science, technology, and real-world applications of GPM. She is a member of the GLOBE program and is an active mentor.  As the GPM Education and Outreach Coordinator, Dorian Janney focuses on providing educational and informational data to students, educators, and everyday people. She brings people from all walks of life together to maximize NASA's resources, information, and data. In this episode, join us as Dorian Janney walks us through how GPM data is acquired, its significance, what the scientific community is noticing, and on how we as listeners and activists can make a real impact and assist NASA and other organizations in data collection and communication.  Highlighted links from today's episode:  The GLOBE App (assist in making environmental observations)  https://observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app  The National Centers for Environmental Information: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/  Global Climate Change (NASA's data on Climate Change): https://climate.nasa.gov/  Global Climate Change (NASA's collection of ideas and possible solutions for Climate Change): https://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/earth-science-in-action/?page=0&per_page=40&order=publish_date+desc%2C+created_at+desc&search=&href_query_params=category%3Dapplied_science&url_suffix=%3Fcategory%3D147&category=147  The Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters information and data: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/  GPM Data: https://gpm.nasa.gov/data  GPM Precipitation Education (Who is using GPM Data): https://gpm.nasa.gov/education/whos-using-GPM-data  GPM Mission (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission TRMM): https://gpm.nasa.gov/missions/trmm   

The number of billion dollar weather disasters in the United States has jumped in recent years. Lead Scientist on the NOAA quarterly report, Adam Smith, talks about how they arrive at those figures, what types of disasters are most expensive, and what part of the country is most vulnerable. We want to hear from you! Have a question for the meteorologists? Call 609-272-7099 and leave a message. You might hear your question and get an answer on a future episode! About the Across the Sky podcast The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team: Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia. Episode transcript Note: The following transcript was created by Adobe Premiere and may contain misspellings and other inaccuracies as it was generated automatically: Hello, everybody. I'm meteorologist Sean Sublette and welcome to Across the Sky, our National Lee Enterprises weather podcast. Lee Enterprises has print and digital news operations in 77 locations across the country, including in my home base in Richmond, Virginia. I'm joined by my colleagues from across the sky, Matt Holiner in Chicago, Joe Martucci at the Jersey Shore. Our colleague Kirsten Lang continues to take a little time off in Tulsa for a few weeks. Gentlemen, we've got a great guest this week. We've all heard about the billion dollar disasters report. Adam Smith from NCI. That's Noah. National Centers of Environmental Information is joining us to talk all about this, because this this is fascinating stuff. I mean, some of this can get very complex and deep into the weeds. So Adam does a really good job, I think, talking about how they come up with this data and why it's relevant. Yeah. And most of us across the country have been hit by some billion dollar disasters since they've been tracking this year, going back to, I believe it was 1980. So it's something that probably has impacted you, whether you remember it or not. So we were happy to have Adam on in the end to drop his knowledge on us here for our podcast. And really what caused us to reach out to Adam is when they came out with their report at the beginning of May, looking at just the for the first four months of the year, we've already had $7 billion disasters and that's the second most all time if they've started keeping records in 1980. And probably what's more remarkable is if you look at the average number of billion dollar disasters for the entire year from 1980 to 2022, it's $8 billion disasters in the entire year. And we've already had seven in the first four months. So that is not what we want to see. But that's been the recent trend because if you look at just the last five years, 2018 to 2022, we've had $18 billion disasters on average. So in the last five years the average is 18. When you go back to 1980, the average is eight. So there is a clear uptick in the number of billion dollar disasters. So we had to get Adam on that talk about, yeah, fortunately he was telling us so much of this was driven by a very recent uptick in tropical cyclones slash hurricanes. We also talk about the droughts. You know, there's long term drought that until this past winter has been plaguing the western United States. So we get into all those things. We'll also talk about, you know, some of the intricacies of this and why it's sometimes the data is misinterpreted. So we'll get to all of that as we begin our conversation with Adam Smith at the National Centers for Environmental Information. And we welcome Adam Smith, visible scientist at the Climate Sciences and Services Division at the Noah National Center for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina. He is the lead researcher for the quarterly Billion dollar Disasters Report, and he has been involved in the nexus of climate and weather risk for more than a decade. Adam, welcome and thank you for taking the time with us on the podcast. Thank you for having me. So I wanted to started at the big level because a lot of this stuff is kind of esoteric or for the home listeners, home viewers. So take us at a top down level. Our is this kind of stuff quantified in terms of this disaster? Is this amount of money? This disaster is this amount of money? You aggregate this up. So at the bigger level, how was this done? So to do this type of analysis require is a broad array of public and private sector partners. For example, the insurance and reinsurance industry, of course, even the catastrophe modelers also federal agencies like FEMA, USDA, the National Interagency Fire Center, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Energy Information Administration, and at the state level, of course, state agencies and management authorities, they have a lot of data pre and post disaster. And so we're looking at quantify in total direct losses across about 16 different asset classes using the combination of that public and private sector data. So this would be insured, under-insured and uninsured damages to homes, to businesses, to government buildings like schools, the contents of all of these structures. Even time element losses such as business interruption or loss of living quarters. When you're out of your home lost, being repaired or rebuilt. But there's other assets even that the private sectors that often pay attention to as comprehensively, for example, public assets, roads, bridges, levee systems, even the Department of Defense, military bases, electrical grids are also something we look at as far as damage that's also a public private partnership and damage to to vehicles, to boats, to offshore energy platforms. And finally, the agriculture sector, of course, is heavily impacted by heat waves, cold waves and drought. So we look at crops, livestock being calls that increase in particular with drought damage to commercial timber, often with hurricanes in the southeast and wildfire fighting suppression costs. So those are the 16 different asset classes that we have homogeneous data over space and time. Going back many decades. That's consistently available. But it's equally important to know what we are not able to capture. So that would be things like non-market losses to environmental damage, environmental degradation, a natural capital, those type of losses, mental and physical health care related costs, which are likely substantial in the downstream ripple effects outside of a hazard region. There's also not quantified, so you could say this is a conservative but solid baseline estimate. Another piece of the puzzle would be one of the first key transformations we make would be the reciprocal of the insurance penetration rate, which varies by asset, by region and by hazard. Because we're looking at hurricanes, severe storm events like tornado hail and high wind events, heat waves, cold waves, winter storms, wildfire drought and urban flooding and river basin flooding. And some of those are very discrete events. And M.S., a day to day, three days like a severe storm complex or a hail storm. But some we treat more seasonal like droughts and wildfires because they're often slow onset events that get more impactful, particularly in the fall as the West dries out, as we've seen many times in recent years. Hey, Adam, it's Matt. So looking through April of this year, there were seven confirmed $2 billion assets. But what I noticed is underneath that, you lost three more potential billion dollar disasters. And I'm just curious, what is the difference there? Why are there three additional ones that could not be confirmed yet? You have seven confirmed billion dollars of three additional ones that cannot be confirmed yet. So what's the what does it take to become a confirmed billion dollar disaster versus these preliminary ones? Yes, that's a great question. This is this is a new feature we just added in recent months based on user feedback and requests. So that has to do with the data latency across all these different public and private data sources. We partner with the data latency, basically a fancy word for how long it takes a data to mature and stabilize. That varies based on the size and the impact, the intensity of an event. So we like to probe. Probably one month is about the bare minimum for the smallest billion dollar disaster event, like a hailstorm in Colorado, for example, whereas hurricanes could take many months, you know, six months or more. As we've seen in Florida, often times the claims process continues and continues. So this provides this section you're talking about the potential billion dollar disaster events. It kind of pulls back the curtain a little bit to say what events are we looking at as far as the data maturity that may be added to the list in the coming months? And correct me if I'm wrong, but if those three were confirmed, that would put us at ten through the first four months of year, which would be a new record because the current record is $8 billion disasters in 2017 and 2020, right? That would be correct. So these are not yet confirmed, but if they were all confirmed, we would be on a record base. That's correct. I mean, I'm going to parlayed and said more of a, let's say, 30,000 feet view of this where we've been over the past couple of decades with these billion dollar disasters. And I'll note, I know you adjust for inflation so the numbers are accurate in terms of something in 2000 is the same as now. But also furthermore, you know, where are we seeing what types of events are giving us our biggest increases and as are anything that we've seen, decreases that over time as well, a lot of these different hazards have had frequency and cost trends that are really going in the wrong direction in terms of they're getting worse for different parts of our nation. So if you can remember, the last three hurricane season is 2020 through 2022 were quite active. I believe we had more Category four and Category five landfalling hurricanes on record in that period than most of what the record shows and heard. That and hurricanes to the point are the most costly of these extremes we measure and it makes sense are big, powerful storms. So we have a lot of assets, a lot of population in harm's way along the Gulf Coast, in the southeast. We've also seen a lot of inland flooding events, urban planning events, more in the 20 tens decade than we had in the 1980s, nineties and 2000s combined. It implies, of course, we have more population, more exposure, but climate change is putting its thumb on the scale for some of these extremes, like heavy rainfall in the eastern U.S. As we know, the costliest flaperon equation, everyone see increase in temperature. The water vapor increases and therefore it adds to the heavy rainfall potential, which we've seen. But of course, how we build, where we build the vulnerabilities there, the floodplains, those all go into the to the equations as well. But if we go to the West Coast, you know, we've seen four of the last six wildfire seasons have been pretty off the scale in terms of cost, really almost an order of magnitude more costly than the average wildfire season in place. Yeah, just over the last four decades. Last year in 2022, thankfully, wasn't quite as bad in much of the West, with the exception of a few states like New Mexico and and some of the north central northwestern states. Yes. So so there's a lot of trends are going in the wrong direction. But what I like to highlight is, well, we can learn from this. We can learn from one way wrong, what we can do better in the future because we know these extremes. We're going to continue with exposure, with vulnerability, with climate change, all in the mix. And so I think the key is to learn from them and to mitigate future damages. So looking at 2022, for example, the most costly events were a hurricane in impacted, you know, southwest Florida, but trapped across Florida. And so it had the trifecta of impacts, a storm surge, the very high winds, but the flooding also well inland and really across Florida, many places that are not properly insured for flood insurance. And so that was in excess of 100 billion is is in the top some of the top most costly hurricanes on record. But I think that what sneaks under the radar a bit was the the drought from 2022. It was very expansive and expensive from California to the Mississippi River. This was a $22.2 billion event, really is the most costly drought in the U.S. in a decade, dating back to 2012, which was a very impactful drought. We may still remember. So and drought also people focus on agriculture, aspects of the impacts of drought. But there's also the the the loss of hydropower in parts of the West and California in particular. And as we know, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, they were dredging parts of the Mississippi River to help open up the flow because the low flow was reducing the commerce, the traffic up and down the river. So, yeah, all these impacts from an impact from an asset point of view and from a socioeconomic point of view are multidimensional. And so we have to address our vulnerabilities. Yeah. Before we toss to break, I want to go back to the drought situation in the West because that is such a long evolution event. How our are you able to say, you know, well, this fits into this timeframe, You know, there's one drought or did the drought, you know, you know, we know it's a multi-year, almost multi-decade old drought or they ratification. So how do you decide, okay, well, the drought we're going to fit into this quarter or this specific calendar year, How do you kind of get through that? For example, back in was the 2016 or 2017, there was like a flash drought that impacted North Dakota, South Dakota and maybe Montana, I believe. And it was a more bust, a smaller, isolated, but a very intense drought, you know, d3d for drought conditions, which are the most severe, but since the year 2000, what we've seen more often is just large swaths of the West with, you know, half a dozen to a dozen states that are heavily impacted throughout their growing season of their primary crops, anywhere from D2 to D3 to D4 impacts. And a lot of the states are giving drought designations based on weather is data in the East or G-3 or higher in the West. And so we track, you know, using s and other great drought data and USDA crop insurance data. We track how the maturity of the the crop season correlates with the the drought intensity. You know, often what we've seen is drought in Tennessee with heat in the summer and early fall will spike right when the crops are most vulnerable. And so therefore it amplifies the crop loss and the damages. Also, we see certainly for the larger area droughts and the long duration droughts, which we've seen much since year 2000. In the West, different states will struggle with wildfire cattle feed costs. So we look at cost per ton for things like corn or hay, silage and just that the delta between that year's drought impact price increase versus the five year state cost per ton increase for those feeding commodities. So there's a lot that goes into it and drought is one of the more complex assets to to analyze for as an event. Yeah, because everybody gets a little bit differently I'm sure. All right. So we'll take a little bit of a break. And on the other side, we'll dig a little bit deeper into the weeds about some of the pitfalls and irregularities and difficulties in quantifying this information with Adam Smith from Noah and CGI on the Across the Sky podcast. Stay with us. And we're back on the Across the Sky podcast. Our guest is Adam Smith, the Noah National Centers of Environmental Information, talking about the billion dollar disasters, reports that that come out about every quarter. And I'm I want to talk a little bit about the methodology. So, you know, even when we adjust for inflation, it seems like growing population, that coincident increase in wealth development along the coasts, more people building on property. How do you handle all those things in the report? Historically, inflation using CPI, you A-Z as a means for doing so is what we do, and we adjust that monthly based on the end date of an event or for drought. We use the begin date. But I think a fair question has come up in recent years about adjusting for things like housing population, other assets in harm's way, because we do know that people are moving to the south and the southeast in the west, which are really hot spots for different hazards hurricanes, severe convective storms, drought, flooding, you name it. And so we are actually embarking barking this late summer into fall and looking at some of the different assets and trying to add some additional adjustments. We do actually normalize for things like population or state level GDP. In our mapping section, you can look at any combination of years, any combination of hazards, any individual disaster. Of the 355 separate billion dollar disasters over the last 44 years, you can look at state level analysis that does normalized by population GDP. We just haven't taken that through all of the different pools throughout the entire site. But we're going to do more work on that front. I think one of the challenges, though, is a lot of the literature does talk about using, you know, population density or housing density as ways to normalize. I think that's a start, but I don't think that's a complete answer because we are looking at 16 different asset classes that are highly variables in terms of their spatial distribution, how much the concentration and the value of those have changed where they've happened. So we really need to come up with a more robust strategy to deal with the normalization in a in a really comprehensive way. But we have partners at Treasury, federal agencies and academia that are also looking at similar questions. So this is an active area of research. And Adam know has been keeping track of these billion dollar disasters since 1980. But it does raise the question of why 1980? So why is that the start point and could we look back farther than 1980? Is it possible can we try and calculate, well, how many billion dollar disasters that were in the seventies or sixties, or is there something that's preventing that? Yes, in 1980 when we started doing this work, and I think the reinsurance companies like Munich Reinsurance and Sports Reinsurance have actually looked back pre 1980. But in the United States, looking at the public and private sector data, 1980 in terms of the beginning of a decade is really where we get the first consistent snapshot of the comprehensive homogeneous data over space and time. This was a good starting point. For example, I think the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program data really doesn't really get going until the late seventies, if I'm if I'm not mistaken. But, you know, if you look at some really extreme events like tornado outbreaks, which we had many in the 1970s, because they were so impactful, they killed so many people, they were there historical events, you could do some analysis. I think the caveat would be pre 1980, the farther you go back in time, the larger the error bars would be in terms of the uncertainty of the data in the assumptions and the impact those assumptions would make on the analysis. And so what got you interested in getting into these EO, registering these billion dollar disasters or even working within NCI memory? Always interested and, you know, climate and this kind of information. What what was your journey that brought you here? Yes. So I've worked at NCI since really beginning Charles in five. And this this was kind of a legacy project actually predated my time, of course. But the way it was structured, the data that went into it was it was a comprehensive it wasn't peer reviewed, it was embedded. It was it was not quite as comprehensive as it could have been. So we spent probably five years working at mini partners, developing different data relationships and understanding and writing some papers, having conferences, and then kind of made it more robust and did a reanalysis. But I think in terms of my involvement with it, I've always been kind of a, a natural interdisciplinary thinker. I like I like thinking in that problem space, chaos and uncertainty don't really scare me as much as it might other people. And so I think it's a challenge and it's in frankly, it's just interesting. It's fun to do. And as we've seen over the last seven years, from 2016 through 2022 and 43, these billion dollar disasters have cost over $1 trillion of damage to the United States. It took about 34, 35 years from 1980 through about 2014 to get the first trillion before we got the second trillion in the last seven years. So the point being, you know, there's a lot at stake here in terms of understanding the spatial dimensions of impact, the socioeconomic vulnerabilities and trying to bring that as just one of many different federal data tools to help people unpack and better understand the a data analysis and our tools, not the be all end all. There's been a proliferation of different tools, like FEMA's National Risk Index is a great one, but there's there's probably half a dozen in the last two years. So we're just trying to do our part. And it's a very it's an interesting and active space to research. Now, I have another question for for people who really are not overly familiar with this. Adam, if you could kind of enlighten folks I know everybody's under everybody can understand what insurance is, but can you talk about what reinsurance is? Because that's a term that gets tossed around a lot that I don't think gets a lot of its a lot of explanation. So something like Munich Re Would you would you reference early what what is reinsurance. So yeah, reinsurance is effectively insurance for insurance companies. It's it's when really impactful events like a hurricane Ian hits Florida and causes tens of billions of dollars of insured loss that's so impactful. And so far on the distribution potential as a rare event that insurance companies wisely back up their investments with paying for additional insurance, which are often global bodies like Munich Reinsurance. Willis Reinsurance. But even the public sector, like FEMA's national Flood Insurance Program, has wisely recently started investing more and more in reinsurance layers to basically backstop the federal government payouts for flood insurance. Because as we've seen with hurricanes in particular, like Harvey, like Ian, like Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the costs quickly run up into the billions in terms of just the insured flood losses alone. But the uninsured flood losses are several times often the the insured losses from these events. And Adam, of course, looking at the big picture, we're seeing the number of billion dollar disasters going up. But I wonder if we could dive in a little bit more and talk about regionally, what are these? Are we seeing a particular region that's seeing more events than in the past and also as far as that type of event? So are we seeing a trend in the type of events that are causing billion dollar disasters compared to the eighties and nineties and what we're seeing now? So as far as types of events go in peculiar regions that are really seeing a particular uptick. So looking at the state scale, Texas, Florida and Louisiana would be the top three states In terms of the impact, yeah, Texas is close to $400 billion of total losses from these billion dollar disasters 1980 to present. Florida is also close to 400 billion. Louisiana is above or around 300 billion. And you can dive into all this data online. But if you were to normalize that by population or state GDP, you would see Louisiana certainly has the most acute impacts because they have a much smaller population, much more GDP, economic size than either Texas or Florida. And you can think back to 2020. We had, I think, four or five landfalling hurricanes make landfall and in Louisiana. So it lengthens and makes more costly the cleanup effort. But we saw the same thing last year in Florida with Hurricane Ian hitting. And then four or five weeks later, Hurricane Nicole hitting the other part of Florida and some similar counties had impacts. So this is an example of compound extremes with cascading impacts. And we're seeing that in the Gulf Coast. We're seeing that in in California with wildfire seasons lengthened due to the kind of semi persistent drought. Thankfully, that a lot of that drought's been diminished early in 2022 from absolute rivers. But anyway, we go from drought to wildfire to mud flow. Debris flows in the mountainsides from the burn scars in California. So you get this compound linkage that amplifies the impacts in the national Climate Assessment has has targeted this as a topic and really amplified and put a spotlight on it. So, yeah, certainly certain regions of the country are have been struggling in recent years in terms of high frequency events. And in Austin, these events hit similar areas and populations and even places like Louisiana, people are actually moving out of parts of Louisiana because I think it's just it's just too much to deal with. One thing I kind of, I guess, struggle with my head is that, you know, we're having Morty's billion dollar disasters. At the same time, I feel like there's never been more importance on messaging and emergency management here. Can you link the two? Because we would think that we're trying to be a more weather ready nation at that. That's a NOAA initiative, but we're still seeing Morty's billion dollar disaster. Yeah, I think that one challenges, as we talked about, people are moving of course, to different parts of the country, say they retired, they went to Florida or Texas and they may be from the northeast or somewhere in the Midwest. Well, when you move to a new place, I think it's one besides, you know, picking out where your your your location, where you want to live, you need to know your hazard. You need to know your natural born abilities, what has happened in the past. And you have so many great resources at the federal level, at the state level, academics have have published a lot of great papers looking at, you know, where the extremes and hazards are. And it's not one hazard. Often it's different, it's multifaceted. And so educating yourself in terms of what can happen, but also educating yourself and preparing in case if you are confronted with a high risk and you can actually act on it and protect yourself, your family, your business, your home, your assets. And so it does ultimately come down to the individual. But I think there's, you know, certainly an education process and understanding and some responsibility. And it's at all levels. And we have more than enough events in recent years to learn from and better prepare and for future extremes. Yeah, for sure. We get all kinds of weather across this country for, you know, everybody gets it a little bit differently. And before we let you go, I anything else you want to share where people can find this information online and anything else that y'all are working on that we should look forward to. One thing I did not mention is we worked in recent last few years with FEMA and Census, and we integrated as a county level in the census tract level a lot of socioeconomic vulnerability information and you can compare that with hazard risk or information and the billion dollar disaster information for your for your area, for your region. Yeah, just type. Billion-Dollar Disasters or weather costs in Google and it will come up. But we have many different tools and we're always trying to expand and add more nuance and depth and usefulness to the tools we we're working on developing user reports, dynamic reporting, so that can be developed and you know, like a PDF, you could just take it with you and read it separate from a web page. But there's there's just so much to do in this space. And there, you know, it's not just us, as many different research groups across the federal government, private sector and academia who are doing very valuable and important work in this area. Excellent. And again, thanks so much for joining us on the podcast and for all the work you're doing there, Noah, and give our best to you, everybody who's working there at Noah, NCI in Asheville. A lot to take in there, guys. But I mean, Adam has been doing this for a long time and by that he admits that there's no perfect way to do this for sure. But, you know, I think it's clear that as the as the climate has warmed, we are more at risk. There are more people, there are more things at risk, there's more property risk. And we're going to have to continue to guard against these kinds of weather. Sometimes are cold. Climate disasters are like environmental disasters. Kind of avoid avoid the political political nonsense with this stuff. But the end result, whether it's tropical cyclone, whether it's heavy rain, whether it is locally severe storms, whether it is the drought, flooding, all those things, we are more vulnerable than we have been in the past. And Joe, you know, you brought up the weather resignation and how I do think, you know, we're getting better at communicating and keeping people safe from these extreme weather events. But what we can't do works for, you know, is when these hurricanes are making landfall or when a tornado is tracking across ground, we can get people out of the way of the hurricane. We can get people out of the way of tornado, but we can't get their homes out of the way of these storms even there. And there can be preparations, you know, to make it. You know, we see people put a clipboard in the windows and such. But, you know, when it it's a high level event, there's going to be destruction. And I think, you know, especially, you know, in kind of what Adam mentioned, too, there's a little bit of a concern that people are moving to these places that have more climate disasters. I mean, just historically, Texas, Florida, anywhere along the Gulf Coast, the population has really been rising in the south. And that's typically where we have more of these billion dollar disasters and they're happening more often. So this is what happens. We end up getting more billion dollar disasters as people move to areas that experience more extreme weather. Yeah, and he kind of answered it when I was saying about, you know, emergency management and yeah, like we said, weather ready Nation. But to your point, you know, I mean I think Florida was the had been the fastest growing state since 2020. So a lot of those are going to the coast. Real estate is expensive in Florida. I was just in Sarasota two months ago. Prices are going up over there as well. And that ultimately outstrip the the increase in these disasters, too. And with things like rising sea levels. Yeah, you talk about hurricanes, right? I mean, yeah, if you had 12 inches more of sea level rise in 100 years, well, you know, now that that hurricane that's coming through, you know, is going to be 12 inches higher, what your storm surge and that might go in an extra block and an extra block is an extra million dollars or real estate or whatever it might be. So it's all these incremental things. And that's you know, we talk about climate change. A lot of this is coming in incremental steps. It's not the day after tomorrow where, you know, the Statue of Liberty is frozen in time. That that's how it is shown, right? Is that what happened? The Statue of Liberty? Oh, my God. They can't see me. But I have the little torch in my head now. But what it is, you know, it's these incremental steps. It's, you know, hey, the water's now half a block up the street. This storm now it's a full block up the street. The next storm, you know, and those kind of things add up dollar wise and help create some of these billion dollar disasters as well. You know, and there's a lot of focus on the, you know, tornado outbreaks and the hurricanes that are often the cause of billion dollar disasters. But you know what's interesting, I mean, so far this year, it's mainly just been some regular severe thunderstorm outbreaks, you know, that have been hail. People often forget about how costly ALA is. A lot of times people can get inside and you don't frequently die from hail. You go inside, you're fine. But the damage the hail caused that's been real costly this year and just straight line wind damage, it doesn't take a tornado. You get 60, 70, 80 mile per hour straight line winds and that does a lot of damage. So you don't need tornadoes. You don't need hurricanes at billion dollar disasters. That's really been the biggest problem so far this year. Yeah. Once that wind gets past 55 or 60 miles an hour, that's when we really start to see more physical damage to structures and the like. Gentlemen, I think that's going to be it for this week. But as as you know, and we'll let the folks at home know we've been working on another podcast next week. We're very excited to have the new director of the National Hurricane Center joining us next week, Michael Brennan. I will be here to talk about some of the new products that they've got working for the for the new hurricane season starts June 1st. I talk a little bit about about his role moving from my home state of Virginia through the ranks. NC State and on the way to the as director of the National Hurricane Center So very excited to have Director Brennan join us next week. Joe, I know you've been working on a couple other things that you want to kind of ease the audiences to some things I know you've been working on. Yeah. So we'll start off with we did a collab with Front page Betts on our Lee Enterprises family, so I had my said, Son, we're talking about sports betting and the weather and then we said it last week. It's something of a personal hero of mine, George Shea, Major League eating Commissioner, coming out to talk about the Nathan's hot dog eating contest. That's going to be our July 3rd episode. Talk about SEO Shawn. What better SEO do we have than is putting out on July 3rd a podcast about hot dog eating contest and the weather. And I'll tell you what, I've been to the hot dog eating contest before. It is definitely weather definitely makes a difference because I love having been there and seeing it on TV all these years. Those hot and humid days, just kind of hazy, different than those nice day for it's 82 degrees on the corner surf and still well in Coney Island, New York. Thanks. Thanks for that visual. I'll try not to have nightmares about it. I appreciate it. While I think about it, I would just do it this way. I think we're gonna take the reins on this day by. But yeah, we got a lot coming up and you know, we appreciate everyone listening and subscribing. You know, over the past year we've only been doing this for like 13 months. It feels like we've been doing it forever, but I bet we've been doing for 13 months. So really appreciate all of you tuning in. If you know someone who likes weather, if you know someone you interesting climate, tell them about it too. You know, we'd really appreciate it. That's a labor of love, to be sure. Go ahead. Go ahead, Matt. No. Yeah, we just started last April. I can't believe it's been over a year, but we are past the year mark. We have over 52 episodes now. So with APA, if you are, you have plenty of material to go back and listen to. If you're new to the podcast, we have plenty of episodes of scroll back in our history and I'm imagine there'll be a topic at some point. You'll scroll past. You want to click on and we'll have more and more in the weeks ahead. So again, thank you for joining us. Thank you for listening, Thank you for subscribing and don't miss our conversation next week with National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan on the Across the Sky podcast. But for now, I'm Sean Sublette, the Matt Holiner in Chicago and at the Jersey Shore, our buddy Joe Martucci, and this hot dog eating contest that will see you next time for the Across the Sky podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lee Weather team goes across the pond to Europe for this episode for a discussion about an unusual type of storm. They look like a hurricane, have nearly the same characters of a hurricane, and now even have names like hurricanes. Called medicanes, they're the Mediterranean Sea's biggest weather beast.  The Lee Weather team speaks to Kostas Lagouvardos, Research Director at the National Observatory of Athens. Lagouvardos has studied medicanes since the 1990s, is the foremost authority on the storms, and became the first person to name them. Naming is now done by the Greek government, similar to how hurricanes are named in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  After a powerful storm, Ianos, caused death and devastation in September 2020, his research published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society sparked more interest in the topic.  We want to hear from you! Have a question for the meteorologists? Call 609-272-7099 and leave a message. You might hear your question and get an answer on a future episode! About the Across the Sky podcast The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team: Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia. Episode transcript Note: The following transcript was created by Adobe Premiere and may contain misspellings and other inaccuracies as it was generated automatically: Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of the Across the Sky podcast, Lee Enterprises National Weather Podcast. We are in 77 newsrooms all across the country, all corners of the country, but we are not talking about the United States today. We are going across the pond over to Europe and the Mediterranean Sea to talk about Medicaid. Sounds like a hurricane. All north is like a hurricane, but it's what they see in the Mediterranean Sea. We are going to chat with Dr. Kostas legal bartels research director from the National Observatory in Athens, Greece. All about it. You know, guys, I was I'll get through the Bolton the American Meteorological Society. Shout out to the American Meteorological Society. They they do wonders for the weather community. We love being a part of it. And I saw this this piece called Eno's A Hurricane in the Mediterranean. I said, Jesus said, you know, I feel like this would be a good podcast topic because a lot of us can relate to Hurricane. We've either been in one or we've seen plenty of it, you know, on our screens, but it's a little different. You don't expect hurricanes in the Mediterranean and there's some differences. But Kostas is going to talk to us about those differences. You know, I think I think he did a good job explaining it. But I'll turn it over to my weather friends here across the country, Sean Sublette, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Matt Hollander over in the Midwest West. I'll start with you, Matt, here. Did you know much about medications before this topic? No, not until you brought it up. I was like. Hurricanes in the Mediterranean, that that's new to me. But this isn't a new thing. And I would been doing like, Oh, no, these have occurred before. But the difference is it really caught everybody's attention in 2020 when they had an intense well, they actually reached Category two hurricane strength most of the time was going tropical storms. There have been a few they've been a Category one strength. But a lot of times they stay out in the water. And so they're not impacts land. They tend to be weak. But that seems to be changing and that's what we're back. And I'm on the podcast because they had one that made landfall with category due strength. Then suddenly there are big impacts and it looks like there might be a trend that way in the increasing intensity. So we might have to start paying attention to them a little bit closer in the future. And so you seem to know about everything weather at all time. You're you're the expert here of the three of us that did you know about it? I had heard of medications. One of the things that I'm not as well versed on is, is the formation of them. I think we all understand what a tropical cyclone is. It's deriving its energy from from warm water. Right. But there are other kind of physical restrictions going on. You know, the Mediterranean Sea is smaller than than the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The geography is different. You've got you've got islands poking in from all directions. You've got Italy jutting southward from the continent. And the other thing that that I wasn't well versed on either was how warm does the Mediterranean get? My own mind, I thought, well, it ought to get pretty warm. Does it get as warm as the Gulf of Mexico? So we talked a little bit about that. So there are some restrictions going on here physically. So those were the things that I was was most curious about, you really addressed those? Well, I thought I think he he did a good job with this. You know, there is a little bit of a accent here. You know, we are talking to the Coast Guard who lives in Greece. But I'll tell you what, he knows almost as much English as all of us. And he Dupuy knows a lot more English than I know Italian. So I'll give him credit to that. But fantastic interview. We're going to dive right into it here. Here is Coast us talking all about Medicaid in the Mediterranean. And now we welcome on Dr. Kostas Legal Bartos. He is the research director for the National Observatory of Athens and the Institute for Environmental Research in Athens, Greece. It is just about noon our time here in America. He is joining us this evening. He's got to go to dinner afterwards, but we appreciate you coming on the podcast here today, Kostas, and talking to us all about Medicaid. Thanks you for thanks for the invitation. It is an honor for me to be part of this discussion and explain what's happening right. And we're very happy to have you. And we're happy to go international, too, as well as as we talk about this. So we talked a little bit about this in the introduction, about the medications before we had you on here. But you know, the story that you focused on and your and your research study was called and I say in or. Right, you know, is that the right way? Yes, I've got this. So you title it this a hurricane in the Mediterranean. And yeah, this storm was strong. I mean, you know, for people who are here in the United States listening, I mean, this took place in September of 2020. Unfortunately, four people died, 1400 landslides in two days from this. And maximum sustained winds were 98 miles an hour. To give you an idea of how strong that is, that's like a Category two hurricane. So this was immensely strong. And I want to we will get into that storm. But from my understanding, you've been studying these medications since before since the 20th century. So for over 20 years now. So what got you interested in this is this little field of medications. What got you interested in? I the thing is that is part of the major weather events that we investigate well above to investigate all you made the case, but also severe storms. So severe thunderstorms or even heatwaves because unfortunately, the heat wave also is a it's a it's a natural disaster. Then assignment either. But then they we got to the main event when I was young and I started my work in the observatory at the time, the first satellite images of Sandy was in 1995 and they remember it was it's very it's almost 30 years ago and it was happening. Fascinating because it was like something was that something like as more hurricane at this moment in the middle of the Mediterranean? And it was one of the first made the game as we investigated the thing that I and then a lot of people were scientists. We do that in right and response Spain, Italy and Greece started investigating against and but now we have after this period of almost 50 years of a long track and investigating video games for many scientists in Europe and then with the running more of a grant do that that investigator that that we investigated in full and the last one because it was the big this happened was us it we were we put a lot of in the V.A. because first of what was affected Greece and then because we we realized from the beginning of information that something might be coming next days. Got a little bit later on this one. And finally, was it the event after midday? And according to the wreckage, have so far because of the most intense with attack go to sustained winds if we begin to suffer symptoms. Kate, were you in Greece when this was happening? What was it like actually being there? Yeah, I guess I got a question because we have three, three years ago in 2000, they have another one, similar one, which is repeated, smaller, less infamous. But it was a little bit peculiar because it affected more or less the same areas. Muscle north in Africa to Greece and then back to again south. But this one was fine and it was very, very powerful watching for casualties in central place. And as you said, landslides flattened in many areas. Bay and wind. So storm shelters in the west of this that it's all over Italy, Italy and Greece. And so it was a good opportunity to because now have many, many tools to investigate of more satellite. It will expand later on of the chance to cover groups up in like of a passing. This may be a very good models of many more surface observations you know that to follow the evolution of the middle game and see what what's happening and understand what's happening inside them middle the plane which is not it had a bishop note to them all. And Kostas, to put things in perspective for our audience, what is the frequency like for these meditations? Like how often do they occur? How rare of a situation is this novel? More or less. Well, I know the two per year, the Mediterranean, most of them are the Western, but there are only two with Spain by that island, Sicilian, Corsica. But also we have very little in Greece like are. It's very seldom the nonexistent to God awful but it being some decent other that I thought were outside groups and the Middle East and one or two per year with some of them are moving on over the water so there's not a threat for people or revolve how many islands that are so and affected and maybe things. And then I have this shrine of sur continent of Greece that those of the islands these and if and probably the problems in this area and the but the two on one or two. But again the intensity of this all of these yeah. Not was something was never seen so far and maybe that that causes Sean here in Virginia. So when we think about tropical cyclones here and the eastern part of North America, you know, we think about the classical hurricanes and how they can grow to such a large size, I imagine there they're going to be spatial constraints there in the Mediterranean. But are these exclusively will core tropical cyclones, are they hybrids? And the other question I have for you is a warm does the Mediterranean get during the warmest part of the summer? Yeah. These are this mitigates their warm core shaking but they are not be finished with the hybrid games they are not interested so much BBC surface temperature of surface temperature than and it could go up up to 28 degrees but 6 to 8 but this not the the main mechanism a miserable cover up at low cold air aloft warming here of course the bottom have a flow of moisture from the sea surface towards the cyclone of condensation. The release of Egypt will have a warm core, the yellow surface and so which they look like hurricanes, but the mechanism is not actually the same. The second one of the not the same size as diameter of the tentacle, where between one and 200 kilometers it's mean 1/10 of a big added problem besides a full develop. But for the size of the transmission, they that big enough. But as I said before, we're not we don't have so far mindset of the end and a concrete definition of a video game. And also all the mechanism related events have worked very well to not because we don't have or the tools we need to investigate them and figure down the public have added anyhow all their plans crossing eye damage to make their measurements, the least drop zones and have on this mission. Unfortunately, this does not exist but the Mediterranean. And so we rely on models, but also on satellite imagery which it. Yes. Oh yeah. Knows we're very lucky because you have the passage of from a US to Japan satellite the global precipitation mission Japan and have very very good snapshot 3D structure weather from the radar the ongoing satellite that will that are very very likely because you have a very good image from GPM satellite during the intense phase of of this maybe so you're really getting like you said, from satellites and you know, observational been on the ground here. And you know, you kind of point out how crucial our hurricane hunters are and our aircraft is within the United States to track these storms. They provide, you know, a wealth of data every time they go out there. It's not cheap, but it's worth it to help, really. You know, like, you know, guys, you were kind of looking to get a full picture of the storm. My question is, are there either government agencies or universities out there that are talking about getting some hurricane aircraft into these storms? Is that is that something is there a push for that over across the pond here in Europe, there is a great interest, but I don't think that we have an in mean we have some research airplanes in Europe. Okay. But it's a little bit difficult to because the phenomenon is a little bit yeah that's a problem they give us or on CO2 per year they want to get it can have a good chance of group had an enemy became atoll but this is a problem but I think we have we must do it because we can also use this type of measurement also for normal low pressure system, but also that are not very powerful from meteorological bombs, that are not very dense, but also they up very high, sustained winter. They can provoke problems in the but the the case we need data to better understand because any member of one of our work on the Pacific Oceans to provide for us the public and also to do the authorities get with the metservice. And I remember when we went to the last seven days and in the beginning was a cluster of thunderstorms on all the other on the coast of Africa and then we started the discussion according to the model, if these are going to be develop at big amid the or not, it's quite a limited similar with discussion of risk for job of a tropical depression coming from Africa. If this we began to gain out of the after to do best and the to be honest it was inside us but in working with the preventative the day and then when we show from the satellite image digital that made the cables from this spiral of the clouds spiraling around the center of the cloud area, the middle like is more chaotic. And then the second one, as I mentioned, which will be the path if this medication will affect Greece or not, which part? And it was then scheduled in the accused or this things because people were following forecast provided by Greek forecasters. See what we do copying the next one to this because started this municipalities were what we want in some case because something is there and it was present and like yeah of the world okay so like apocalypse issued with from Apocalypse Now the apocalypse were from for from there was up nothing is on my media but it was a based and the we have to put a plan that what will happen when they maybe ten and make landfall to the western part of Greece south of but it will stay over the sea so there's no problem. It was a difficult situation from the forecasting point of view. And yeah, we still see challenges here in the United States with forecasting and messaging impacts. And, you know, we see these all the time. So it's a shared concern all across the globe. It sounds like you're worried again, some more about Medicaid's here. We're going to take a quick break and we'll come back to you on the Across the Sky podcast. All right. And we are back here with the Across the Sky podcast. New episodes every Monday, wherever you get your podcasts or on your favorite newsroom's website, here we have Sean Sublette. I'm Joe Martucci, Matt Hollander. Here we are here with Costas Overdose from the National Observatory of Athens and Greece. We were talking about medications. Matt, I know you had a question to Leah, and also I'm going to kick it over to you, buddy. What do you got? Yeah, I want to know what you know kind of goes into the preparation for these storms. Obviously, they're not super frequent, but they do occur. So I kind of want to know what the attitude is for people who live along the Mediterranean and maybe how it's changed some now that we've had a significant one that hit in 2020. So kind of describe the the level of preparation and the attitude the folks along med during a had before and after that storm it comes to these medications. Yes well I, I think that the I.R.A. changed the mentality of people against the were speaking about natural disasters in general because it was something we was being it because for casualties some cases become more than for casualties for now for example see years ago from supercell thunderstorm said casualties but the as you understand and this is not only the number of casualties, but also the extent of the event was covered most recent, not so big in many, many places. So I think many people remember in loss and this big both again those and that as in as I would say as yeah a fed for the future that we discuss a little bit later on that but the risk and this kind of oh this weather is weather should be strong Nike air knows we be sampling of the future will be more frequent. This is not true but we will discuss a little later on them. But I talk because it was a long process. You have this formation of the last one of the class and the formation of the initial stage of the meditation, and there was a that many discussions to focus this to the public, what will happened. And there were some corporations I they think that we avoid the many problems, especially in the western part of the island, because it was a preparation for this, for this because it was a September mid September, which is for still a tourist excursion of many tourists about boards on sailing boards or vacation homes. And but they were avoided big problems and maybe a lot of casualties because we have a good preparation of this or this event. But for many people, this was admitted, Jane, and that is shameless with any pain. It gave it gave them the fear that something very bad and this fear made them more precautions and they took some precautions. Had we avoided many casualties, mainly due to this cell room, when you have a but something very bad will happen. And as we understand, because a lot of discussion that we it's something I would be game something like American pretends like we like in the Atlantic we try to expand that this is not something different. It's violent, but it's more and it's something that I've read that show that when we have some kind of event there and as you said with the wounded, Jeff admitted, what is it that goes into the focus? I want to ask about the name. So you had an ear nose here. How are the who is naming these storms? A We started in the observatory to give names to storms in 2017. And the mayor the name and that was given by okay, by myself and as the head of the group of well let me project that the lives of my daughter. So we fought to the same strategy, if we name it, many names alphabetically. So we gained to I. And so again, everything. Yeah, not with Latin down and I think it was a good name that after that this is a little they gossip but they will tell you that that we're here for that. Yes. When we started giving names, some colleagues from the National Metservice, they were not very they said that is not very common in Europe. But they are doing that. And. Yes, but but Europe. And we should know giving names for big storms is something that helps people to be more prepared to guess the problem. And but the one year ago they decided to follow this procedure and they started giving names by themselves. And that's one of its every is now giving names for storms in Greece. But we paved the way, I think, and we started we make this initiative give names stops. And I think it's it's proven that it's good not only for us because we remember the cases, because for the general public, we're giving names, providing them with an event people pay attention to this event. This sounds a lot like winter storm naming here in America. I don't know if you're familiar, Kostas, but the National Weather Service does not name winter storms. However, the Weather Channel does. So it's a little different. You that's where you. Yeah, it all talks about. So, you know, you're a university and it's the government. So it's a little different than a private in a public service here. But it's kind of amazing how quickly the the government took over the naming. I don't know if it happens that for ideas of naming in the beginning, because I have some colleagues that I think do the social media good Facebook. What why are doing it that it's not in America and the we tried to pressure them but this is something good and finally they understood that and they started naming this storm this as well. But we said, no, we're not have but what he meant because they make it go region but gave we stepped back and say okay go ahead you name the but the main idea that we have to use us flew with us on autumn storms I think the most correct got it Yeah I'm totally on board with that. So let me ask you this. As as the awareness of the systems has has risen a bit over the past few years, and we know that that the climate is warming. What do you kind of foresee or what does the science tell us about these storms taking shape in the Mediterranean in terms of their frequency or intensity potentially in the years or even decades to come? Before that, we have a look what's happened the last 30 years, and we see that we're coming frequency of not a month or two per year with no significant trend decreasing or increasing. This is because you have measurements. And then to compile the climate projections based on high resolution climate models. And we have some colleagues from other countries that make some publications and they show that over the next decade the frequency will not increase or decrease, but the the intensity will and we expect maybe the same number, not better, but a year of gains. But maybe we'd be deaths at high temperature if I say surface temperature and the we see. But that's why understand that these projections, it's something that they can work up because one will do. But more powerful and more powerful. This one and this one was category four both in were three. And this would be a problem because the major parts of this minute gaze out over the sea bass. But I spoke of many islands of the meter down in those of people living there, and especially people navigating more ships from one island to gather that these would be a problem. But the have bigger and smaller, stronger, more dense made the gains. But I believe that the using them modern technology, satellite and more sophisticated ones that would be able to provide much forecast for the path and the intensity of them into the future. And coast us. I think I think we'll leave off with this. I have one more question for you. Have you spoken with the National Hurricane Center here in America about this topic? Have you had or even just any conversation with them? Don't know that it may be too late. It's a mistake from my side, from our side to do that. In fact, you make last thing. I think that it's a fascinating topic and it's a great it's not good to say fascinating, but something that these people can make a lot of fun disaster. But from a broad scale point of view, something that you which is very affected and will ever things and they were happy as I said before we'll have new satellite will provide data that 20 years ago was unthinkable and so this is good for the future because I think that mainly with more towards small rural remote sensing data and and metrological models will be able to better understand the mechanism of the mitigation, therefore, but to mitigate what caused us. Thank you so much for joining us here on an evening for you. I know you're going to dinner you so enjoy dinner, but we appreciate the information about medications. And have you ever make it over to the United States? Give us a call. We'll do something in person. Okay. Thank you. Thanks. Thanks again for the kind every patient. Okay. We're very happy to oblige. And thank you very much. We're going to take one more break while some closing thoughts on the Across the Sky podcast. Thanks again to Kostas for coming on. It was fantastic to never want to walk around our schedule here a little bit. Now we have a seven hour time difference between the East Coast, the U.S. and Greece. But we thank him for his knowledge. And you know, I know it was a little funny at the end where he was like, I was the one who decided to name the storms. Yeah, he kind of that set off a trend where we're now the equivalent of the National Weather Service or the National Hurricane Center is issuing names for these storms. So a heavy hitter in the weather world, really, if you put it that way. What did you take away from this? Matt? Yeah, it would be cool if I could name a storm that that bad does so. And he said, that's like, Oh, actually I named. I was like, oh that's, that's pretty cool. I got, I got to give credit there. But you know, the other thing that stood out to me is that, you know, in the communication realm, like people do like the names of these hurricanes and then there's a debate on if we should be naming the winter storms or not either. But I think that might this is probably coming up in discussion because of the intensity. And that's what was interesting, because it kind of follows what we're seeing in the Atlantic, too. There's some uncertainty about the frequency. It doesn't seem like there's a steady trend and an increase in number of storms that we have had some active seasons and the elastic. But what the climate models are telling us is that what does seem to be like is an increase in the intensity. And that's why they had the first one ever make it to Category two strength before. And really that's what really matters, because if these things are weak, then it's not a big deal. But when they're tense, that's when the impacts go up. So if there's an increase in intensity, even if the frequency doesn't go up, that means there's the bigger potential for impact. So it's definitely going to be something that I think people are going to be keeping our closer eye on as we move ahead in the future. Yeah, I agree with that. Most of the most of it is is intensity more than frequency, right. If you think back to to the basic thermodynamics of it all, you know, you are going to have warmer water and so you are going to have more fuel for we're not just any tropical cyclone, but do you think Extratropical or these hybrid storms sometimes are called subtropical storms. They're still getting energy from warm water. So I do think there's something to be said for that. And they're going to put down heavier rain and you've got some pretty some pretty steep terrain there and the islands and right around it in the Mediterranean. So, you know, flooding, flash flooding, mudslides, those things are still going to have to be to be dealt with in the years and decades to come. Yeah, I think he said it was about, you know, every I think what do you say how in terms of frequency bout or a year is that what he said. Well, I think he said maybe a couple a year, but you know, two, three, four That's that's still not a lot. No. Like in the south, like here in the Atlantic basin we're typically looking at at least ten or 15 of something every year. Yeah, right. Exactly. And there's multiple countries is expanding to beyond Mediterranean. So it's not that often that one country is seeing, you know, just Medicaid come on through here. But, you know, thanks again to Kostas. We went international with this one and we'll try to bring some more people around the globe to you on the across the sky podcast. So coming up, the hits keep on coming here. So next week we have Adam Smith from NOAA's National Centers of Environmental Information to talk about weather disasters, billion dollar weather disasters to be exact. We have a big fish for the 29th episode. We have the director of the National Hurricane Center. We also have might that is from front page bats that's in collaboration with us at Lee Enterprises. Talk about sports betting and baseball as well. And then I am super, super, super excited for this one. Now, this one's not going to be able to third, but we have Jorge Jay from Major League eating the Nathan's hot dog eating contest, a personal hero of mine in some ways, the biggest hype man on planet Earth. We're going to have him come on to talk about the hot dog eating contest and the weather. So we really try to bring you everything weather related on the Across the Sky podcast. I think we might be the most diverse weather podcast out there in terms of guests, I don't know, Sean, and maybe you agree with me or not, if we're talking about Major League eating, yeah, we've reached a new level. That's what it's going to be an interesting one. We add some kind of level. There's some kind of level we've reached there, but I'm not exactly sure how I would describe that level. Right. We'll leave that. We'll leave that to you. The list we will leave that to the listeners to decide what level you have aspired to or sought to. When we talk about a hot dog eating contest, that that's right. And as we go into July where we believe here's the link. We'll be back with us to from paternity leave as we as we welcome her back. And she's doing very well with her two new baby as well. So I want to wrap up on that note and we will be back with you next Monday with Adam Smith. Take care, everybody.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experiencing a natural disaster or other emergency events can be incredibly stressful. Even after the immediate danger has passed, the impact can still be felt by those who had to endure the event. Why is this relevant now? Well, the frequency and intensity of these events are increasing each year. For instance, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information from 2017-2021, there were 17.8 weather/climate disaster events that exceeded $1 billion per year compared to 12.8 per year in 2010-2019. Additionally, there have been at least 15 events with each loss exceeding $1 billion to affect the United States in 2022.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2022, the world experienced major climate-related disasters ranging from flooding and hurricanes to drought and extreme heatwaves. Moreover, 2022 was the sixth-warmest year on record, according to scientists at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.  NOAA just issued its annual report on climate trends in the U.S. for 2022, which includes a review of the major climate-driven weather events that each cost at least $1 billion. NOAA reported 18 separate billion-dollar weather events that collectively cost more than $165 billion — the third-highest tally since 1980 — and resulted in hundreds of deaths.   To learn more about NOAA's findings and the high price of climate-related disasters, in this episode of the ESG Insider podcast we talk with scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, or NCEI. They are Karin Gleason, NCEI's chief of climate monitoring, and Adam Smith, an applied climatologist at NCEI.  "Much of the world operates on a 20th-century infrastructure and economy, but now we're living in a 21st-century climate. And so the inefficiencies of those two realities are becoming more clear as we move into the future," Adam tells us.  "We have our work cut out for us to better mitigate against future damages that we know will continue," he says.  We'd love to hear from you. To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.hall@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com).    Photo source: Getty Images    Copyright ©2023 by S&P Global    DISCLAIMER     By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

New research shows Exxon Mobil understood the dire consequences of burning fossil fuels decades ago — with scary accuracy. Yet, the company continued to mislead the public about the effects of climate change. We’ll discuss the billions in damages attributed to more frequent extreme weather events. And, a dungeon masters’ revolt! Dungeons & Dragons players united to preserve the spirit of the game. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Assessing ExxonMobil's global warming projections” from Science “Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters” from the National Centers for Environmental Information “The Dungeons & Dragons' OGL 1.1 Tightens Grip On Competition” from Gizmodo “‘People are leaving the game': Dungeons & Dragons fans revolt against new restrictions” from The Guardian “Amid widespread backlash, D&D maker scales back ‘open’ license changes” from Ars Technica Tweet from @ttjourneys “CNET Has Been Quietly Publishing AI-Written Articles for Months” from Gizmodo Get smart on “Spare” from the Make Me Smart newsletter “Spare review: The weirdest book ever written by a royal” from BBC News “Thousands of Airline Passengers Affected by FAA System Outage” from The New York Times “Disney will soon require workers to be in-office four days a week” from Marketplace We can't do this show without you. Keep sending your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART.

New research shows Exxon Mobil understood the dire consequences of burning fossil fuels decades ago — with scary accuracy. Yet, the company continued to mislead the public about the effects of climate change. We’ll discuss the billions in damages attributed to more frequent extreme weather events. And, a dungeon masters’ revolt! Dungeons & Dragons players united to preserve the spirit of the game. Plus, we’ll play a round of Half Full/Half Empty. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Assessing ExxonMobil's global warming projections” from Science “Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters” from the National Centers for Environmental Information “The Dungeons & Dragons' OGL 1.1 Tightens Grip On Competition” from Gizmodo “‘People are leaving the game': Dungeons & Dragons fans revolt against new restrictions” from The Guardian “Amid widespread backlash, D&D maker scales back ‘open’ license changes” from Ars Technica Tweet from @ttjourneys “CNET Has Been Quietly Publishing AI-Written Articles for Months” from Gizmodo Get smart on “Spare” from the Make Me Smart newsletter “Spare review: The weirdest book ever written by a royal” from BBC News “Thousands of Airline Passengers Affected by FAA System Outage” from The New York Times “Disney will soon require workers to be in-office four days a week” from Marketplace We can't do this show without you. Keep sending your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART.

The last day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere was September 22nd, and cooler temperatures will surely be welcomed by many. Europe and China recorded their hottest-ever summers since recordkeeping began in 1880, according to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. Meanwhile, the US recorded its third-hottest summer by the same metric. Our recent report, “How to Choose, Use and Better Understand Climate Risk Analytics," researched and written in partnership with the Urban Land Institute (ULI), is an excellent overview of the challenges faced by first-time consumers of climate data. The paper outlines physical climate risk basics, identifies differences between data providers to be aware of, and raises a call to action to standardize the outputs in ways that are most meaningful and useful for real estate, with transparency that enables apples to apples comparisons across models. Once the data is in hand, the next step is to manage the risks at two levels: at the property level, through evaluating both existing and potential new hardening strategies to be more resilient against particular hazards; and at the portfolio level, through assessment of exposure concentrations and consideration of how climate risk informs overall portfolio construction strategies. And lastly, we must continue to monitor these risks on a regular basis, because one thing we know for sure is that our climate will continue to change, and more disruptive and damaging seasons like the hot summer of 2022 are likely to recur. Learn more at lasalle.com/research

Rafael Monge Vargas is an economist with broad experience in different fields related to environmental information. He is working with the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica as Director of the National Center of Geoenvironmental Information. They coordinate the National System of Environmental Information and the National Land Use, Land Cover and Ecosystems Monitoring System. He was part of the team that produced and published the first State of the Environment Report of Costa Rica in 2018. www.minae.go.cr www.ceniga.go.cr www.sinia.go.cr www.simocute.go.cr Twitter: https://twitter.com/rafaelmongecr Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafaelmongecr/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rafaelmongecr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafaelmongecr/ ------

Speaking of dubious holidays, it’s Do a Grouch a Favor Day which seems quite appropriate for these times. It’s also Innovation Day and National Almond Day, both of which I am skeptical are actual holidays. Who gets to decide? I hope you’ll decide that every installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement is worth spending time on a brief civic holiday. I’m your host, Sean Tubbs. On today’s program:While Charlottesville Parks and Rec still working to open one pool, they’re seeking to outsource operations of anotherA former Albemarle officials will help administer broadband expansion in her new position at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce releases a report touting various collaborationsA committee recommends that Broadus Wood Elementary keep its name And a quick snapshot of the General Assembly with one month down, one month to go Patreon-fueled shout-out to LEAPWhen you think of romance, you might not immediately think of energy efficiency - but the folks at LEAP think keeping your family comfortable at home is a great way to show you care during the month of love. Your local energy nonprofit wants to make sure you are getting the most out of your home all year round, and LEAP offers FREE home weatherization to income- and age-qualifying residents. If someone in your household is age 60 or older, or you have an annual household income of less than $74,950, you may qualify for a free energy assessment and home energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing. Sign up today to lower your energy bills, increase comfort, and reduce energy waste at home!Climate report: January was sixth hottest on recordThis past January was the 6th hottest in 143 years of recorded climate history, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). January was also the 445th consecutive month with above-average temperatures. The data is collected by the National Centers for Environmental Information. (read the release)Snow cover in the northern hemisphere is about average as was tropical activity. However, the polar sea ice coverage was at the second-smallest in January in 44 years of record. Another study from NOAA reports that the United States coastline will see at least a foot rise in seal level by 2050. That amount would usually take a century, but the new Sea Level Rise Technical Report uses the latest data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report said the increased water level will mean heavier flooding inland and states that reduction in greenhouse gas emissions could slow the rise. General Assembly: One Day After Crossover Someone who happened to take a look this morning at the statistics for the 2022 Virginia General Assembly would have seen signs of Crossover Day, the day when hundreds of bills fail because they were not approved by the House in which they originated. As of 8:25 this morning, 959 out of 2,543 introduced bills have now failed. That number is up sharply from the 351 on Monday morning. The figure will likely shoot up higher now that the Republican controlled House of Delegates will consider bills that passed the Democrat controlled Virginia Senate, and vice versa. There are 597 House bills pending in the Senate, and 489 Senate bills waiting for action in House committees. The House has passed one Senate bill. That’s SB739 which would allow parents permission to have their children not wear masks to stop the spread of COVID-19 while on school property. Governor Youngkin is expected to sign that legislation later this afternoon but amended it to state that this new parental power school won’t go into effect until March 1 for those school systems that want to continue the mandate.Today the Virginia Department of Health reports another 3,030 new cases today and the percent positivity is up slightly to 11.4 percent.Chamber of Commerce releases collaboration reportThe second anniversary of the pandemic is approaching and almost every organization across Virginia have been transformed in some way. The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce has released a report highlighting some of the partnerships it has undertaken during the challenging times. These include Venture Central, a project to help encourage regional entrepreneurship fueled by a $300,000 grant from GO Virginia. Other parties include Albemarle, Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia. There’s also the Leadership Charlottesville program, where people from different positions come together for a series of lessons and training about the community. The program was not held in 2021 due to the pandemic but will relaunch this September with support from the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence. A sneak peak is being held on March 9 where you can learn more about the application process. Another Chamber initiative is the Charlottesville Area Development Roundtable (CADRE) which works to influence land use policy. Last year their work was focused on the Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted by Council in November. This year that group will work on the zoning rewrite that is now underway. Other Chamber programs include the Minority Business Alliance, the Hospitality Professionals Roundtable, and the Defense Affairs Committee. On Friday, the Chamber will present their first ever State of the Community at the CODE Building. Registration has been closed. Parks update: No date yet for Smith Aquatic reopening Charlottesville’s Smith Aquatic and Fitness Center has been closed for nearly two years, but not all of that is related to the pandemic. When everything shut down in March of 2020, the facility had been expected to be closed for at least $1.8 million in repairs to try to finally fix lingering air quality issues. Smith had been expected to open back up last year, but the work wasn’t complete. The goal is for it to open this spring. Vic Garber is the deputy director of the Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Department. “We are still working diligently with facilities maintenance to make sure that all of the boxes are checked and to make sure that once we open that darned thing it is going to be safe, it is going to be a good experience, and I would like to say a magical experience,” Garber said. Work is also underway to make sure the pool can be staffed. Garber said several new lifeguards have been hired this month. He said there was no date yet for when Smith will open.Last summer, the outdoor pool at Meade Park was closed due to staffing issues. This Monday, the city issued a request for proposals for companies to take over the operations of the pool. “We’re striving to get more staff,” Garber said. “We need more than just a handful of lifeguards to get Onesty open. We need 60 to do that safely and effectively.” If the city proceeds to go in that direction, the vendor would be responsible for hiring that staff and for maintaining the pool. “There are five or six really well-acclaimed vendors in the nation that do that,” Garber said. “They go in. They actually do it in Fredericksburg. They do it in Asheville, North Carolina.”This would just be for Onesty Pool, which Garber said is the busiest facility in the city’s pool system. “Because of all of the whistles and bells that we have and blind spots, we need more guards there than any place,” Garber said. Proposals are due on March 15. There are renovations underway at Onesty to repaint all of the water features and to update the 13-year-old facility. There’s been a sharp uptick in usage of the city’s parks in the past two years. Riaan Anthony is also a deputy director of parks and recreation. “I am looking at creative ways in terms of how do we meet the demand because trends have dramatically shown us that once the pandemic started, people started using the parks more and more and more,” Anthony said. “And the trend has just continued.”That means more wear and tear on the parks, and Anthony said there’s a need to keep standards up. He’s considering outsourcing several services such as horticulture and landscaping because there is a struggle to fill existing positions. If you’re interested in a new job or know someone, take a look at the city’s jobs board. Anthony also said that the city needs to replace several playgrounds as they are over 20 years old. “According to the [Certified Playground Safety Inspector] standards, 20 is your cut off,” Anthony said. “You need to replace it. That’s like the last end limit and we have a few.” First up will be Meade Park and Belmont Park. Anthony said public input sessions will be held to get feedback from community members. A nonprofit group is fundraising to build a playground in Pen Park, as we learn from parks planner Chris Gensic about Bennett’s Village.“Bennett’s Village, which is a nonprofit group that’s proposing to fundraise and construct and effectively donate to the city an all-inclusive, all ages playground,” Gensic said. Gensic said there will be a public input process for that as well on March 15. There will be a public input meeting for Tonsler Park on March 22. Gensic is a member of the stakeholder group planning for a pedestrian and bike bridge over the Rivanna River to connect Pantops and Woolen Mills. The deadline is approaching for an application for Smart Scale funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation and there are two potential sites for where the western end of the bridge will land. “And we’re discussing pros and cons and getting public input from a variety of people about if it landed at Riverview Park what would be the pros and cons of that that?” Gensic said. “If it landed at Market Street down by the Woolen Mill, what would be the pros and cons of that?”To learn more about the options, visit the Thomas Jefferson Planning District’s website. You’ll find a survey there. The Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization will hold a special meeting on March 10 at 1 p.m. to review the options and make a selection. Shoutout to UVA Lifetime LearningIn this subscriber supported shout-out honoring Black History Month, fifty years after the Civil War and Emancipation, there was still a great need to educate Black people in the rural areas in the south, including Albemarle County. From 1912 to 1932, Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald built more than 5,300 schools, including the St. John Rosenwald in Cobham, northeast of Charlottesville. This school educated Black children until 1954, and fell into disrepair but still survives. Efforts to restore the school as a community center are bearing fruit, and on Thursday, February 17, UVA Lifetime Learning will feature two speakers who will help tell that story and the importance of honoring the past while preparing for the future. Join St. John alumna Rebecca Kinney and preservationist Jody Lahendro at 3 p.m. Visit engage.virginia.edu to sign up for this virtual event! Broadus Wood Elementary School may retain nameA committee that is evaluating whether the name of Broadus Wood Elementary School should be changed is recommending that it remain. In October 2018, the Albemarle School Board directed Superintendent Matt Haas to review all the names in the division to see if they still are consistent with school values. Broadus Ira Wood was a farmer who donated the land for the Earlysville area school in 1905 and the committee felt “he advanced education opportunities for African American and rural students.” The Albemarle School Board will consider their recommendation later this month. Paul H. Cale Elementary School became Mountain View Elementary School on July 1, 2020. Sutherland Middle School was renamed Lakeside Middle School a year later, but Virginia L. Murray Elementary retained its namesake in 2021. The Community Public Charter School is now the Community Lab School. Jack Jouett Middle School will become Journey Middle School on July 1.Former Albemarle finance official now working for regional bodyThe Thomas Jefferson Planning District is one of 21 such entities in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is charged with assisting “local member governments, partners, and stakeholders with a variety of technical and program services.” Active projects include the aforementioned Rivanna River bridge as well as the Urban Rivanna Corridor Plan. Last year, the agency adopted a regional housing plan that offered tailored recommendations for each of the six jurisdictions. The TJPDC is also the lead agency for the Regional Internet Service Expansion project, a $288 million public-private partnership to expand broadband involving several counties, the Rappahannock and Central Virginia Electric Cooperatives, and Dominion power. The project will be administered by Lori Allshouse, who spent many years as a top management and budget official in Albemarle County. “Lori is a seasoned and dedicated public administrator who has a track record of building and maintaining partnerships and years of experience working with local, state and federal funded programs, projects, and initiatives,” said Christine Jacobs, the executive director of the TJPDC. Allhouse said she’s glad to be on board.“I just want to say throughout my career in Albemarle County I have always been super impressed by the commission, with its staff and the leadership and all its done for its member jurisdictions in the regional community where we all live,” Allshouse said. Learn more about the RISE project in this article by Allison Wrabel in the Daily Progress.The work is consistent with the TJPDC’s vision.“The vision is to be the intersection of ideas, partnerships, and support, creating a cohesive regional community,” Jacobs said. “The comparative advantage of the TJPDC is that we can help bring together different jurisdictions in order to coordinate across jurisdictional lines.” Other organizations got their start under the TJPDC umbrella. These include Jaunt, the Piedmont Housing Alliance, the Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development, the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless, and the Jefferson Area Board for Aging. Support the program!Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

We talk to Doug Kluck, Climate Services Director for the Central Region at NOAA's National Centers For Environmental Information in Kansas City, Missouri, about how to inform local and regional decision making, how severe flooding led to a webinar series on climate risks, and trust-building with tribal communities.Episode transcriptHosted by Rex Horner and Kelly SavoieProduced by Brandon M. CroseEdited by Peter TrepkeTheme music composed and performed by Steve SavoieVisit AMS Career Resources on the web!Contact us at skypodcast@ametsoc.org with any feedback or if you'd like to become a future guest.Copyright © 2022 American Meteorological Society

In February 2021, a severe cold weather event, known as Winter Storm Uri, caused numerous power outages, derates, or failures to start at electric generating plants scattered across Texas and the south-central U.S. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the power supply for about 90% of the load in Texas, ordered a total of 20,000 MW of rolling blackouts in an effort to prevent grid collapse. According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), this was “the largest manually controlled load shedding event in U.S. history.” More than 4.5 million people in Texas lost power—some for as long as four days. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information reported that the event resulted in 226 deaths nationwide and cost an estimated $24 billion. There has been a lot of finger pointing surrounding the blackouts that occurred. Several studies have been done into the causes, including one spearheaded by FERC, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), and NERC's regional entities. The key finding from the FERC/NERC report was that a critical need exists “for stronger mandatory electric reliability standards, particularly with respect to generator cold weather-critical components and systems.” The study found that a combination of freezing issues (44.2%) and fuel issues (31.4%) caused 75.6% of the unplanned generating unit outages, derates, and failures to start. But Bernard McNamee, a former FERC commissioner, and current partner with the law firm McGuireWoods and a senior advisor at McGuireWoods Consulting, suggested the study missed the real cause of the problem. Speaking as a guest on The POWER Podcast, McNamee said, “I think the reality is, is that there was a market design problem in Texas, and that was that, as you had more subsidized resources driving down the overall cost of power, you're not providing enough financial incentive for other dispatchable resources to harden their systems—winterize their systems—to be available when the wind wasn't blowing or the sun wasn't shining.” McNamee didn't blame power generators for being ill-prepared. He suggested they simply made decisions based on cost-benefit analysis. “Why would you [spend money on weatherization] if you're a natural gas company or generator and you think you're going to make most of your money, you know, five to 10 days in the summer? You're not expecting to operate in the winter and make money, [so] why would you spend the capital that you're not going to be able to recover?” McNamee asked. “I think that the market design is something that has not been talked about enough [and] was one of the leading causes of what happened,” McNamee said. “I think what happened in the winter storm in Texas, and what happened in August of 2020 in California, were really warning signs for the rest of the country about how we really need to pay attention to market design, and maybe costs that aren't being priced into the market but that are necessary for reliability.” However, McNamee also doesn't blame the growth of renewable resources for the problem. “It doesn't mean that wind and solar are bad. They provide some great benefits,” he said. “It's not that one resource is good or bad. It's thinking about how does the system all work together, so it's there when you need it 24/7. And it can't be, ‘Well, on average, the power will be available.' It's got to be available every moment.”

In 2021, the world saw many major climate-related disasters ranging from wildfires, to flooding and hurricanes. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, recently released its annual climate trends report, providing an important snapshot of the physical risks from climate change in the U.S. The report also puts a price tag on those risks: U.S. weather and climate-related disasters reached $145 billion in 2021. In this episode of ESG Insider, Climatologist Karin Gleason of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information explains how climate change is amplifying extreme weather events by making them happen more often, last longer, and cause more damage. And Karin's colleague, Climatologist Adam Smith, says 2021 further proves that the world must both adapt to the physical risks of climate change and mitigate future impacts by curbing greenhouse gas emissions. As for physical risks, "it's a socioeconomic question about how can we make ourselves more resilient collectively, whether it's the individual level, homeowner level, a town, even at the state and the federal levels." We'd love to hear from you! To give us feedback on this episode or share ideas for future episodes, please contact hosts Lindsey Hall (lindsey.white@spglobal.com) and Esther Whieldon (esther.whieldon@spglobal.com). Photo credit: Getty Images

Learn everything about what is not food and discover ways to begin avoiding fake foods. We arm our listeners this week with defenses against poor decision making by talking about the inner mechanisms behind why harmful food products exist.  We discuss why we have such a hard time breaking free of fake food in our efforts to live healthfully, and reveal how we have come to be raised in a world where children are often conditioned to be emotionally attached to harmful food choices for reasons you may not expect. This episode is also a big tease! - you'll hear us discussing the whole time how we are supposed to be building up to describing what food is, but in reality we spent so long covering what isn't food that we decided it should stand on its own merit, and now we have a 4 part series in the making!  This is our most important conversation to date on the show, and its dense with information and perspectives on nutrition you aren't likely to find anywhere else - so don't miss it!! Time Markers: @start - 12:21 - Introductions, and defining your dreams by knowing your nightmares @12:21 - 29:41 Why we should care about what we eat and where its from - Cellular Membrane Integrity, Gut Health, and Food as Environmental Information @29:41 - 40:10 The Pitfalls of Diet Idolatry - How our needs constantly change on an individual and seasonal basis @40:10 - 48:02 Why we should care about how to define food @48:02 - 57:24 More Variety! Real food means cooking your own, and that means fostering creativity, curiosity, and excitement in your life @57:24 - 1:05:37 We don't know how we feel until we have something to compare to our baseline @1:05:37 - 1:43:18 What Food Isn't, why its last in our budgets, and what cooking in low socioeconomic groups used to look like @1:43:18 - End: On what's to come in this most important series on food

Professor Áine Ryall speaks with Fred Logue, Principal of FP Logue Solicitors. The Centre for Law and the Environment and the UCC School of Law acknowledge the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs Communicating Europe Initiative 2021.

This seminar takes place in the context of Ireland and Norway's 2021-22 membership of the UN Security Council. It seeks to provide national, regional and global outlooks that relate to national security, well-being and prosperity. While focusing on the three main institutions for peace and security – UN, EU and NATO – the panel of experts also offer national perspectives. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney T.D., provides opening remarks at this seminar. The panel includes: Jacqui McCrum, Secretary General of the Department of Defence Ambassador Øystein Bø, Permanent Representative of Norway to NATO Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces Dr Kari M. Osland, Senior Research Fellow for Peace, Conflict and Development at NUPI About the Speakers: Jacqui McCrum joined the Department of Defence as Secretary General in August 2020. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Secretary General in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Previously, she was the Director General and Accounting Officer in the Office of the Ombudsman, Offices of the Information Commissioner and Commissioner for Environmental Information, among others. Ambassador Øystein Bø was appointed as Norway's Permanent Representative to NATO in 2018. Previously, he was a Senior Advisor in the Section for Security Policy and North America and served as State Secretary for the Norwegian Ministry of Defence from 2013. Lieutenant General Seán Clancy is the newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. Previously, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff served in appointments including Squadron Commander, Chief of Air Staff Support in Air Corps Headquarters and Director of the Strategic Planning Branch on the Chief of Defence's Staff. Dr Kari Osland is a Senior Research Fellow in the Research Group for Peace, Conflict and Development at NUPI. Her work focuses predominancy on conflict dynamics, insurgencies, peace operations and peace building. Dr Osland has provided consultancy work to the UN, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the Norwegian Policy Directorate. She has work experience in the Balkans, Afghanistan and in Africa (Niger, South Sudan, Sudan).

July 2021 has become the hottest month ever recorded, according to new global data released on Friday by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information. This comes on the heels of a report by the Inter Government Panel on Climate Change that added incontrovertible evidence that human activity such as burning fossil fuels has exacerbated adverse climate change. And in our tech conversation today, we talk to the founders of LocoNav

IT success stories at SBA during the pandemic Sanjay Gupta, chief technology officer at the Small Business Administration, looks back at how his organization implemented the Paycheck Protection Program during the pandemic Analyzing data from NOAA climate reports Deke Arndt, director of the Center for Weather & Climate at the National Centers for Environmental Information at NOAA, discusses the exponential growth in climate data volume and his organization's process for analysis Reviewing the White House supply chain plan Christopher Yukins, professor at George Washington University Law School, discusses the recently developed plan for supply chain resiliency and the mechanisms in place to implement it

Glenn van Zutphen and award-winning author Neil Humphreys are joined by Mr Lim Yee Wee, Business Analyst, IT Department, National Environment Agency (NEA) to talk about the launch of the new myENV mobile app that provides integrated information and services for the environment, water and food. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Click to listen to episode (4:53)  Sections below are the following:Transcript of AudioAudio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesSourcesRelated Water Radio EpisodesFor Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of March 15, 2021.  This is a revised repeat of our episode on tornado safety, last done in March 2019. SOUNDS – ~ 4 sec – thunderstorm on April 20, 2015, 9 p.m., Blacksburg, Va.This week we feature a severe-weather mystery sound. Have a listen for about 20 seconds, and see if you can guess what this sound might mean on a warm, stormy day or night, particularly in spring and summer, but possible in any season.SOUNDS - ~ 20 secIf you guessed a tornado warning, you’re right!  You heard Virginia Tech’s warning siren, first during a tornado drill in March 2011, and then—along with rain and thunder—during a real tornado-warning for the Blacksburg area in the early morning of April 28, 2011. Virginia’s statewide tornado drill for 2021 was on March 16.  The annual springtime drill is a chance for schools, agencies, businesses, and families to learn about tornadoes and to practice tornado-emergency plans.  Information about the drill and other tornado information is available from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, online at vaemergency.gov/tornadoes.Whether by siren, broadcast, phone, or some other way, if you receive an actual tornado warning for your location, here are some recommendations from the National Weather Service. *Take shelter in the nearest substantial building, in the basement or on the lowest floor in a windowless, interior room.  Stay off elevators, because you could be trapped in them if the power is lost. *Be ready to crouch down and protect your body, especially your head, from flying debris with a mattress, pillows, or other material.*Don’t stay in a mobile home; instead, quickly seek a more substantial building.*If you caught outdoors and can’t get to a substantial building, lie flat and face down in a ditch or some other low spot, away from trees, and cover your head with your hands.  In such a place, be alert for rising water.  Don’t seek shelter under bridges because doing so provides little protection and can increase traffic risks.*Don’t stay in a vehicle if you can get to a substantial building or to another safer spot.  But if you are caught in a vehicle by extreme winds or flying debris, park the car as quickly and safely as possible, out of traffic lanes; stay in the car with the seat belt on; put your head down below the windows; and cover your head with your hands and whatever protective material is available.*And finally, monitor conditions on a mobile device, weather radio, or other information source, and stay in your safe location until the danger has passed. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, the U.S. areas with the greatest frequency of tornadoes are the south-central area known as “Tornado Alley” and the Gulf Coast states.  While Virginia doesn’t have the frequency of tornadoes seen in those areas, NOAA indicates that the Commonwealth averaged 18 tornadoes per year between 1991 and 2010.  So please, do what you can to be ready for tornadoes, by becoming informed, making a plan, and having a way to get the message when a tornado watch or warning is issued. SOUND - ~5 sec –repeat of Virginia Tech warning siren SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This episode is an update of previous episodes on tornado preparedness (Episodes 102, 3-13-12; 204, 3-10-14; 256, 3-3-9-15; 358, 3-6-17; and 463, 3-11-19).   The audio files for those episodes have been archived.  For help with the 2019 version, Virginia Water Radio thanks David Wert, former Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service's (NWS) Blacksburg, Va., Forecast Office; and Phil Hysell, current Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Blacksburg NWS Office.Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. IMAGES Storm-report map for March 13, 2021, showing the tornado outbreak in Texas. Map from the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Service, accessed online at https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/event.php?date=20210313, on 3/16/21.Heavily damaged house in Pulaski, Virginia, on April 14, 2011, following an April 8 tornado in the area.Sign marking an area in the Virginia Tech (Blacksburg campus) Squires Student Center designated as an emergency shelter for hazardous weather, March 11, 2019.Tornado southwest of Howard, South Dakota, August 28, 1884.  This is believed to be one of the oldest known photograph of a tornado, possibly changed from an original, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  Photo accessed from the NOAA Photo Library, online at https://www.photolib.noaa.gov/; specific URL for the image was https://www.photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/National-Weather-Service/Meteorological-Monsters/Tornadoes/emodule/643/eitem/2777, as of 3/16/21. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT TORNADO SAFETY Following is information quoted from “Tornado Safety,” by Roger Edwards at the National Weather Service/Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, accessed online at https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html, 3/12/21.Prevention and practice before the storm At home, have a family tornado plan in place, based on the kind of dwelling you live in and the safety tips below.  Know where you can take shelter in a matter of seconds, and practice a family tornado drill at least once a year.  Have a pre-determined place to meet after a disaster.  Flying debris is the greatest danger in tornadoes; so store protective coverings (e.g., mattress, sleeping bags, thick blankets, etc) in or next to your shelter space, ready to use on a few seconds' notice.  When a tornado watch is issued, think about the drill and check to make sure all your safety supplies are handy.  Turn on local TV, radio or NOAA Weather Radio and stay alert for warnings.  Forget about the old notion of opening windows to equalize pressure; the tornado will blast open the windows for you!  If you shop frequently at certain stores, learn where there are bathrooms, storage rooms or other interior shelter areas away from windows, and the shortest ways to get there.  All administrators of schools, shopping centers, nursing homes, hospitals, sports arenas, stadiums, mobile home communities and offices should have a tornado safety plan in place, with easy-to-read signs posted to direct everyone to a safe, nearby shelter area.  Schools and office building managers should regularly run well-coordinated drills.  If you are planning to build a house, especially east of the Rockies, consider an underground tornado shelter or an interior ‘safe room.’ Know the signs of a tornado Weather forecasting science is not perfect and some tornadoes do occur without a tornado warning. There is no substitute for staying alert to the sky.  Besides an obviously visible tornado, here are some things to look and listen for: *Strong, persistent rotation in the cloud base. *Whirling dust or debris on the ground under a cloud base—tornadoes sometimes have no funnel! *Hail or heavy rain followed by either dead calm or a fast, intense wind shift. Many tornadoes are wrapped in heavy precipitation and can't be seen. *Day or night: Loud, continuous roar or rumble, which doesn't fade in a few seconds like thunder. *Night: Small, bright, blue-green to white flashes at ground level near a thunderstorm (as opposed to silvery lightning up in the clouds). These mean power lines are being snapped by very strong wind, maybe a tornado. *Night: Persistent lowering from the cloud base, illuminated or silhouetted by lightning—especially if it is on the ground or there is a blue-green-white power flash underneath. During a tornado In a house with a basement: Avoid windows.  Get in the basement and under some kind of sturdy protection (heavy table or work bench), or cover yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag.   Know where very heavy objects rest on the floor above (pianos, refrigerators, waterbeds, etc.) and do not go under them. They may fall down through a weakened floor and crush you.  Head protection, such as a helmet, can boost survivability also.In a house with no basement, a dorm, or an apartment: Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor, small center room (like a bathroom or closet), under a stairwell, or in an interior hallway with no windows.  Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down; and cover your head with your hands.  A bath tub may offer a shell of partial protection.  Even in an interior room, you should cover yourself with some sort of thick padding (mattress, blankets, etc.), to protect against falling debris in case the roof and ceiling fail.  A helmet can offer some protection against head injury.In an office building, hospital, nursing home or skyscraper: Go directly to an enclosed, windowless area in the center of the building -- away from glass and on the lowest floor possible.  Then, crouch down and cover your head.  Interior stairwells are usually good places to take shelter, and if not crowded, allow you to get to a lower level quickly.  Stay off the elevators; you could be trapped in them if the power is lost.In a mobile home: Get out!  Even if your home is tied down, it is not as safe as an underground shelter or permanent, sturdy building.  Go to one of those shelters, or to a nearby permanent structure, using your tornado evacuation plan.  Most tornadoes can destroy even tied-down mobile homes; and it is best not to play the low odds that yours will make it.  This mobile-home safety video [online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeOsOxecOaw&feature=player_embedded] from the State of Missouri may be useful in developing your plan.At school: Follow the drill!  Go to the interior hall or windowless room in an orderly way as you are told.  Crouch low, head down, and protect the back of your head with your arms.  Stay away from windows and large open rooms like gyms and auditoriums.In a car or truck: Vehicles are extremely risky in a tornado.  There is no safe option when caught in a tornado in a car, just slightly less-dangerous ones.  If the tornado is visible, far away, and the traffic is light, you may be able to drive out of its path by moving at right angles to the tornado.  Seek shelter in a sturdy building, or underground if possible.  If you are caught by extreme winds or flying debris, park the car as quickly and safely as possible -- out of the traffic lanes.  Stay in the car with the seat belt on.  Put your head down below the windows; cover your head with your hands and a blanket, coat, or other cushion if possible.  If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, leave your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.  Avoid seeking shelter under bridges, which can create deadly traffic hazards while offering little protection against flying debris.In the open outdoors: If possible, seek shelter in a sturdy building.  If not, lie flat and face-down on low ground, protecting the back of your head with your arms.  Get as far away from trees and cars as you can; they may be blown onto you in a tornado.In a shopping mall or large store: Do not panic.  Watch for others.  Move as quickly as possible to an interior bathroom, storage room or other small enclosed area, away from windows.In a church or theater: Do not panic.  If possible, move quickly but orderly to an interior bathroom or hallway, away from windows.  Crouch face-down and protect your head with your arms.  If there is no time to do that, get under the seats or pews, protecting your head with your arms or hands. SOURCES Used for Audio Seth Borenstein, Tornado forecasting improves, but still deaths keep coming, AP News [Associated Press], March 5, 2019. Kevin Myatt, Weather Journal: It just takes one tornado to be deadly, Roanoke Times, March 5, 2019. Roger Edwards at the National Weather Service/Storm Prediction Center (Norman, Okla.), “The Online Tornado FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes,” online at https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/index.html#Safety.  This site has links to many tornado topics, including tornado safety. National Weather Service, “Weather and Water Events Preparedness Calendar,” online at https://www.weather.gov/safety/events_calendar.  This page lists events, such as tornado preparedness days, by state). NOAA/National Centers for Environmental Information, “U.S. Tornado Climatology/Average Annual Number of Tornadoes 1991-2010,” online at https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-information/extreme-events/us-tornado-climatology; and “Tornado Alley,” online at https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-information/extreme-events/us-tornado-climatology/tornado-alley. Anna Norris, What To Do if You See a Tornado While You're Driving, The Weather Channel, February 25, 2016.  UStornadoes.com, “Annual and monthly tornado averages for each state,” online at https://www.ustornadoes.com/2016/04/06/annual-and-monthly-tornado-averages-across-the-united-states/. Virginia Department of Emergency Management, “Tornadoes,” online at https://www.vaemergency.gov/tornadoes. For More Information about Severe Weather and Weather Preparedness American Red Cross, “How to Prepare for Emergencies,” online at http://www.redcross.org/prepare; or contact your local chapter. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “Weather Radio All Hazards” network, online at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/. National Weather Service, “National Weather Service Safety Tips,” online at http://www.weather.gov/safety. National Weather Service, “Severe Weather Awareness Week for Virginia, March 16-19, 2021,” online at https://www.weather.gov/akq/SevereWeatherAwareness. National Weather Service/Storm Prediction Center, online at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/.  The Storm Prediction Center’s daily storm-report maps and notes are available online at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/; from that link, you can also access the Center’s archive of maps and reports going back several years.  U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “Plan Ahead for Disasters,” online at. https://www.ready.gov/. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Weather/Climate/Natural Disasters” subject category. Following is the link to an episode on tornado research: Episode 342, 11-14-16. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode’s audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-5: Earth and Space Systems 2.6 – There are different types of weather on Earth. 2.7 – Weather patterns and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surroundings. 4.4

The thing about science is that it's true whether you believe it or not. Like, I could peer over the rocks of the Grand Canyon and proclaim that gravity is fake news, but if I lose my balance and fall into the wide-open mouth of that North Rim, I'm gonna die. Climate change is real, even if some people don't want to admit it. And we all have it within our power to make a difference by reducing our family's carbon footprint. When we talk about becoming more “eco-friendly” or “going green,” what we're talking about is shrinking our carbon footprint. Your carbon footprint, according to The Nature Conservancy, is “the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by [your] actions.” Everything you do either directly or indirectly that creates waste or pollutes the environment contributes to your carbon footprint. It's virtually impossible to bring your footprint to zero, but that shouldn't stop you from taking steps to make your impact on the environment smaller. The Work We Already Do “After registering unusually high temperatures across the globe, May 2020 tied with 2016 as the world's warmest May on record,” according to scientists at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. “The heat wasn't just limited to May. The three-month season (March through May) and the year to date (January through May) ranked second-warmest in the 141-year global record.” Most of us know we need to make changes, and many of us have already begun making over our routines to be more eco friendly. Maybe you've ditched bottled water in favor of a reusable tumbler, or you bring reusable bags to the store instead of putting your groceries into plastic ones. Better yet, you might have said “sayonara” to plastic straws – I mean, why not when there are so many fun reusable straws you can use? And I bet you recycle if it's available in your area. That one's a no-brainer! The great thing about all these swaps is that they're pretty painless. It's not much of a burden to carry some shopping bags with you, is it? But many of us get stuck when we try to go a step further beyond those popular changes. So here are 7 more ideas to reduce your carbon footprint without losing your mind. They're easy, inexpensive, and you'll feel good knowing you're doing your part to save the planet. Listen in for 7 SUPER EASY ways to up your eco-friendly game. Follow: @katiegrayofficial (https://www.intagram.com/katiegrayofficial) Show Notes & More: https://wp.me/pchJpD-ki --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/startgrowpivot/support

From St. Petersburg, Angelina Davydova, Environmental journalist and head of the German Russian Office of Environmental Information, graciously joins us to give us the surprising facts on environmental activism, protests, and reforms in Russia. She talks about the very real effects of climate change in that part of the world, including the fires in Siberia, the record high temperatures, and the meteorological phenomena in Vladivostok. This was an eye-opening but uplifting conversation in many ways. We learned a lot and we hope you will too! ABOUT THE GUEST https://cdn.theconversation.com/avatars/99966/width238/3pqxrntc-1375095811.jpg Angelina Davydova is a renowned journalist, civil society expert, educator and change-maker with more than 20 years of experience in Russian and international media, international non-governmental organizations, think-tanks and the academy. Her main focus is on climate and environmental policies, efforts and solutions. She is regarded as an expert in Russian climate/environmental policy, “green” civil society initiatives and grass-root movements, environmental/climate journalism and communication, sustainable and resilient urban development. She is regularly contributing for Russian and international media outlets, while also editing a quarterly “Environment and Law”. In addition to this, she is also a director of an NGO “Office of environmental information” (based in St.Petersburg, Russia) and an expert with the DRA e. V. (Berlin). She teaches at the St. Petersburg State University (School of Journalism), the European University in St. Petersburg, School of Architecture March (Moscow) and gives guest lectures and seminars in universities in Germany and the USA. Since 2008 Angelina Davydova has also been an observer of the UN Climate Negotiations (the UNFCCC). She has graduated from The St.Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance in 2000 and completed a number of international educational and professional development programs, including the Thomson Reuters Foundation programme in Oxford University (2006), City of Hamburg Young Leaders Internship Program (2009), Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program (UC Berkeley, California, 2012) and Humphrey Fellowship (UC Davis, 2018-2019. Angelina Davydova is a member of the Global Reference Group (Bread for the World, development and relief agency of the Protestant Churches in Germany) and a virtual fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (DC, 2020-2021). She is a member of the World Future Council since October 2020. https://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/p/angelina-davydova/ Check out Angelina's journalism here: https://www.reuters.com/journalists/angelina-davydova NOTE: This episode was recorded on November 23rd, 2020 via Zoom. CREDITS Co-Host/Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig Co-Host/Assistant Producer: Zach Johnson Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew) Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect: Twitter @RehnquistTom) Associate Producer: Lera Toropin Assistant Producer: Samantha Farmer Assistant Producer: Katherine Birch Associate Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate Recording, Editing, and Sound Design: Michelle Daniel, Charlie Harper Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Main Theme by Charlie Harper and additional background music by Charlie Harper, Ketsa, Scott Holmes, The Polish Ambassador, Michelle Daniel Trio) Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com DISCLAIMER: Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin. https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/9/9a59b135-7876-4254-b600-3839b3aa3ab1/P1EKcswq.png Special Guest: Angelina Davydova.

 Click to listen to episode (4:11) Sections below are the following:Transcript of AudioAudio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesExtra InformationSourcesRelated Water Radio EpisodesFor Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 1-8-21. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of January 11, 2021. SOUND - ~6 sec This week, rain and thunder open an episode about the recurrence in 2020 of a record-breaking rainy year in parts of Virginia.  We set the stage with some music using rain imagery and metaphors.  Have a listen for about 30 seconds. MUSIC  - ~30 sec – Lyrics: “Buy for me the rain, my darlin’, buy for me the rain.  Buy for me the crystal pools that fall upon the plain.  And I’ll buy for you a rainbow and a million pots of gold.  Buy it for me now, babe, before I am too old.” You’ve been listening to part of “Buy For Me The Rain,” performed by the Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand Band.  For much of 2020 throughout Virginia, there was no need to “buy” any rain, because it fell in amounts well above normal.  2020 was the second year in the past three that annual total precipitation—that is, rainfall plus the water equivalent of frozen precipitation—far exceeded normal values across Virginia.  The current normal values are based on observations from 1981 to 2010. This past year was a rapid follow-up to the extraordinarily wet year of 2018, when five National Weather Service observation locations in Virginia set all-time annual precipitation records.  2020 didn’t quite equal that soaker year, but still in the past 12 months, two Weather Service locations—Lynchburg and Roanoke—set records, as they both also did in 2018.  At 12 Weather Service locations across the Commonwealth, 2020 amounts were at least about 8 inches above the normal values, which range across the state from around 40 inches in southwest Virginia to over 46 inches in Norfolk.  The Lynchburg site in 2020 was more than 28 inches above its normal, and the Roanoke site was more than 21 inches above. When it comes to what Virginia gained this past year in rainfall, and the resulting additions to surface water and groundwater supplies, the Commonwealth definitely got its money’s worth. Thanks to Andrew VanNorstrand for permission to use part of his band’s version of “Buy For Me The Rain.”  We close with some more music, with a title that’s just right for Virginia’s rapid repeat of a rainy year.  Here’s about 15 seconds of “Rain Refrain,” by Torrin Hallett, a graduate student at Lamont School of Music in Denver. MUSIC  - ~17 sec – instrumental SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The rain and thunder sounds were recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on September 28, 2016. The version of “Buy For Me The Rain” from the 2012 album “Andrew and Noah Band” on Great Bear Records is copyright by Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand, used with permission of Andrew VanNorstrand.  The song was written by Steve Noonan and Greg Copeland (Warner-Tamerlane, BMI); more information about releases of this song is available online at https://secondhandsongs.com/work/119556/all.  More information about Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand is available online at https://andrewandnoah.bandcamp.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio in Episode 532, 7-6-20. “Rain Refrain” is copyright 2016 by Torrin Hallett, used with permission.  Click here if you’d like to hear the full piece (43 seconds).  Torrin is a 2018 graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio, and a 2020 graduate in Horn Performance from Manhattan School of Music in New York.  As of 2020-21, he is a performance certificate candidate at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver.  More information about Torrin is available online at https://www.facebook.com/torrin.hallett.  Thanks to Torrin for composing the piece especially for Virginia Water Radio.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 480, 7-8-19, on water cycle diagrams.  Following are other music pieces composed by Torrin for Virginia Water Radio, with episodes featuring the music. “A Little Fright Music” – used in Episode 548, 10-26-20, on water-related passages in fiction and non-fiction, for Halloween.“Beetle Ballet” – used in Episode 525, 5-18-20, on aquatic beetles.“Chesapeake Bay Ballad” – used in Episode 537, 8-10-20, on conditions in the Chesapeake Bay.“Corona Cue” – used in Episode 517, 3-23-20, on the coronavirus pandemic. “Geese Piece” – used most recently in Episode 440, 10-1-18, on E-bird. “Ice Dance” – used in Episode 556, 12-21-20, on how organisms survive freezing temperatures.“Lizard Lied” – used in Episode 514, 3-2-20, on lizards. “New Year’s Water” – used in Episode 349, 1-2-17, on the New Year. “Spider Strike” – used in Episode 523, 5-4-20, on fishing spiders.“Tropical Tantrum” – used most recently in Episode 489, 9-9-19, on storm surge and Hurricane Dorian.“Tundra Swan Song – used in Episode 554, 12-7-20, on Tundra Swans.“Turkey Tune” – used in Episode 343, 11-21-16, on the Wild Turkey. Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGESShown below are the preliminary maps of Virginia precipitation approximately for 2020 (actually January 5, 2020, through January 4, 2021) from the High Plains Regional Climate Center, online at https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps.  The maps show total precipitation (in inches), departure from normal precipitation (also in inches), and percent of normal precipitation for the 12-month period ending January 4, 2021. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT VIRGINIA PRECIPITATION IN 2020 The table below has details on precipitation in 2020 at 10 National Weather Service (NWS) observation locations in or adjacent to Virginia.  The information in the table is from the following sources: “Observed Weather/Annual Climate Report” from the Blacksburg, Va., National Weather Service Forecast Offices, online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=rnk, for Blacksburg, Bluefield, Danville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke; “Observed Weather/Annual Climate Report” from the Morristown, Tenn., National Weather Service Forecast Office, online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=mrx, for Bristol; “Local Data/Records/Top 10 List Precipitation” from the Wakefield, Va., National Weather Service Forecast Office, online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/local_data.php?wfo=akq, for Norfolk and Richmond; “Local Data/Records/Washington Monthly Precipitation (since 1871)” and “Dulles Monthly Precipitation (since 1960)” online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/local_data.php?wfo=lwx, for Reagan National Airport and Washington Dulles Airport. [Information not found for Charlottesville and Wallops Island.] According to the NWS, as of January 2021 precipitation values from 2020 are still preliminary; that is, they haven’t undergone final quality control by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC, now called the National Centers for Environmental Information) and therefore are subject to revision.  Final, certified climate data are available from online at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov.  Normal values currently used by the NWS are based on the period from 1981 to 2010.  The NCDC released these normal values in July 2011.  For information on the normal values, see the “Climate Normals” Web page at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/land-based-station-data/land-based-datasets/climate-normals. 2020 Precipitation Compared to Normal Values at 12 Virginia Locations R = record annual high for the given location. Location notes1 - The Bluefield location is the Mercer County, W. Va., airport, near the Va.-W.Va. state line.2 - The Bristol location is the Tri-Cities Airport in Tennessee, about 20 miles from Bristol, Va./Tenn.3 - The current Washington, D.C., location is Reagan National Airport is in Arlington County, Va.4 - Wallops Island is in Accomack County, Va.5 - Washington-Dulles Airport is in Loudoun County, Va. SOURCES Used for Audio Ian Livingston, Dozens of sites in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest have already logged their wettest year on record, Washington Post, 11/28/18. National Weather Service, “Snow Water Equivalent and Depth Information,” online at https://www.weather.gov/marfc/Snow. National Weather Service Forecast Office Web sites: *Baltimore-Washington, online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=lwx), for Charlottesville, Washington-Dulles Airport in Loudoun County, and Washington-Reagan National Airport in Arlington County;*Blacksburg, Va., online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=rnk, for Blacksburg, Bluefield, Danville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke;*Morristown, Tenn., online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=mrx, for the Tri-Cities Airport, about 20 miles from Bristol, Va.-Tenn.;*Wakefield, Va., online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=akq, for Norfolk, Richmond, and Wallops Island (Accomack County). Jason Samenow and Ian Livingston, Drenched city: 2018 is now Washington’s wettest year ever recorded, Washington Post, 12/15/18. U.S. Drought Monitor, “Tabular Data Archive/Virginia,” online at https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Data/DataTables.aspx?state,VA. U.S. Geological Survey, “Virginia Active Water Level Network,” online at https://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/statemap.asp?sc=51&sa=VA. U.S. Geological Survey, “Water Watch/Virginia/Streamflow Time Series Plot,” online at https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?id=real&sid=w__plot&r=va. For More Information about Precipitation in Virginia and Elsewhere Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHaS), “Virginia Daily Precipitation Reports,” online at http://www.cocorahs.org/state.aspx?state=va. High Plains Regional Climate Center, online at https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps).  This site provides maps of total precipitation and percent of normal precipitation for various periods of time going back five years.  Virginia is in the Southeast region.National Weather Service/Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, online at http://water.weather.gov/precip/.  This site offers maps of precipitation nationwide or by state, with capability to show county boundaries, and archives available for specific days, months, or years. National Weather Service/Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center, “NOAA Atlas 14 Point Precipitation Frequency Estimates: Va.,” online at http://hdsc.nws.noaa.gov/hdsc/pfds/pfds_map_cont.html?bkmrk=va. National Weather Service/Storm Prediction Center, online at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/.  This site provides daily maps and text for preliminary reports of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail. U.S. Climate Data, “Climate Virginia,” online at https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/virginia/united-states/3216. Virginia Water Central News Grouper, “Virginia Water Status Report” monthly posts on precipitation and other water status aspects in Virginia, online at https://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/?s=Virginia+Water+Status. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Weather/Climate/Natural Disasters” subject category.

Sarah Moffat is joined by Renee Wynn, former Chief Information Officer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), for an inspiring talk about how she navigated her career to become the longest-serving CIO in NASA history. Renee shares her best tips for how to be seen and heard, how to ask great questions, and why it's important to have your own personal board of directors. Ms. Wynn's insights, candor, and advice is so poignant and relevant. Renee discusses why she believes being a life-long learner is critical for any leader and how to respond, rather than react, in situations. If you're wondering about whether or not its okay to get emotional and be vulnerable at work, we talk about that, too! You can reach Renee on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-wynn-8935a24/.Renee's BioRenee P. Wynn retired April 30th as the NASA Chief Information Officer after 30-years of federal service. She recently started her own business, RP Wynn Consulting, LLC to continue to serve the federal government in a different way.As the NASA CIO, Ms. Wynn led the effort to collaborate with the complex NASA mission programs to improve NASA's global cybersecurity posture and continuously transform IT management. Ms. Wynn oversaw an IT Portfolio of more than $2B and provided global IT services to more than 60,000 customers, including operations in Russia to support launches to the International Space Station.  Ms. Wynn led the effort to overhaul NASA's cybersecurity posture and went from “high risk” to “managing risk” in 4 years, this includes space operation and communication systems.   Ms. Wynn joined NASA in July 2015 as Deputy Chief Information Officer and became the Chief Information Officer in September 2015. Ms. Wynn came to NASA from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) where she had served as the Acting CIO and Assistant Administrator for the Office of Environmental Information since July 2013. At EPA, Ms. Wynn had served as the Deputy CIO and Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Environmental Information from April 2011 to July 2013.  Ms. Wynn spent 25 years with EPA before joining NASA. Ms. Wynn had been working in the federal CIO community since 2011 and has brought her experience working on national policy matters, information systems development, program management plus legislative and budget formulation skills to good use in her role as CIO. Ms. Wynn was recently selected as a 2020 National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) Fellow.  Fellows are nominated and selected from a slate of highly qualified individuals.  A Fellow will serve for two years to support NAPA's efforts to address current and emerging issues to the government.  Ms. Wynn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from DePauw University, Indiana.

In this panel discussion, which is jointly organised by the Embassy of Ireland to Belgium, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the IIEA, three distinguished Irish women highlight their experiences in senior leadership roles and offer perspectives on how the application of the Women, Peace and Security, (WPS), agenda can enhance foreign, security and defence policy. 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and is the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. To celebrate these milestones, the panel discusses how the meaningful participation of women at the decision-making table can shape better policy and operational decisions. This event is part of the Irish Embassy's #VisibleWomen2020 initiative, amplifying the female voice and women's role in diplomacy, development, entrepreneurship and the arts. About the Speakers: Brigadier General Maureen O'Brien is the most senior woman serving in the Irish Defence Forces and the first Irish woman to achieve the rank of Brigadier General. She is Deputy Force Commander of the UN Disengagement Observer Force Mission in the Golan Heights, and has extensive overseas experience in Lebanon, Western Sahara, East Timor, Chad and Sarajevo. Jacqui McCrum is the first woman to lead the Department of Defence as Secretary General. Previously, she was Deputy Secretary General in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Director General and Accounting Officer in the Office of the Ombudsman, Offices of the Information Commissioner, and Commissioner for Environmental Information, Standards in the Public Office Commission, Referendum Commission and Commission for Public Service Appointments. Sonja Hyland is the first woman to serve as Political Director in the Department of Foreign Affairs. She has also served as Ireland's Ambassador to Ethiopia, South Sudan, Djibouti, IGAD and the African Union, and Ireland's Ambassador to Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru.

In this episode, James joins with Russian environmental journalist Angelina Davydova to host a conversation about Russia, Australia and climate change. Both countries have recently seen extreme summers, and people are increasingly awakening to the impacts of climate change. We also share large fossil fuel export industries, and governments recalcitrant to act. Featuring:Angelina Davydova - Angelina is the director of the NGO Office of Environmental Information (based in St. Petersburg, Russia), which works in the area of cooperation between Russia and other countries in the climate and environmental sectors. She is also one of the leading climate journalists in Russia, regularly contributing to Russian and international media. She also teaches at a number of universities in Russia.Dr Alexey Kokorin - Dr. Kokorin is Director of Climate and Energy Program of the WWF – Russia. He served for the World Wide Fund for Nature from 2000. From 1984 to 1999, Dr. Kokorin worked in the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology of Russian Hydrometeorology Agency and Academy of Science including as Leading Scientist (1997-1999). In 2007, he was awarded by Nobel Peace Prize in large group of authors of the IPCC reports. Professor Will Steffen - Professor Steffen is Emeritus Professor at the Fenner School of Environment & Society at ANU. He has a long history in international global change research, serving from 1998 to 2004 as Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), based in Stockholm, Sweden, and before that as Executive Officer of IGBP's Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems project. Will was the Inaugural Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute, from 2008-2012. Prior to that, he was Director of the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society. From 2004 to 2011 he served as science adviser to the Australian Government Department of Climate Change. He is currently a Climate Councillor with the Climate Council. 

Click to listen to episode (4:12) Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesExtra InformationSources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 5-29-20.TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of June 1, 2020. MUSIC – ~9 sec – instrumental This week, we feature a mysterious musical selection written for, and performed on, what might be Virginia’s most unusual instrument—and almost certainly the Commonwealth’s deepest.  Have a listen for about 30 more seconds. MUSIC - ~31 sec – instrumental You’ve been listening to part of “In the Cave,” by the Finnish group Pepe Deluxé, on the 2012 album, “Queen of the Wave,” from Catskills Records.  Pepe Deluxé’s Paul Malmström composed the music for the Great Stalacpipe Organ in Luray Caverns, in Page County, Virginia, and performed it there in February 2011.  The Great Stalacpipe Organ, invented in the 1950s by Leland Sprinkle of Springfield, Virginia, produces sounds with various tones and pitches when rubber-tipped mallets strike stalactites, one type of the underground formations for which caverns in Virginia and elsewhere are noted. As remarkable as this human invention is, it’s matched by the natural wonders found in Virginia’s over 4000 documented caves, of which caverns are spectacular examples.  Formed over millions of years by acidic groundwater acting on limestone and other soluble bedrock, caves are one of several features characteristic of karst terrain, found especially in Virginia’s western valleys and in other areas of the United States and the world.  Sinkholes, sinking streams, and Virginia’s famous Natural Bridge are other karst-related features. Caves and other karst formations are the focus of Virginia Cave Week, observed this year from May 31 through June 6.  Sponsored by the Virginia Cave Board, the observance aims to increase public knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Commonwealth’s karst heritage of remarkable areas formed by groundwater’s slow and steady dissolving action. Thanks to Catskills Records for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with about 20 more seconds of “In the Cave.” MUSIC - ~21 sec – instrumental SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 158, 4-22-13. “In the Cave” and “Queen of the Wave” are copyright by Pepe Deluxé and Catskills Records, used with permission.  More information about Pepe Deluxé is available at their Web site, http://www.pepedeluxe.com/; click on the “Album Companions” link on that page to access an article on the Great Stalacpipe Organ and the making of “In the Cave.”  A music video of the “In the Cave” is available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkvvcN6rt-I; thanks to Alexandra Thompson, a student worker in 2013 at the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, for finding that video.  This music also used in Virginia Water Radio Episode 306, 3-7-16, on groundwater generally. Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES A view inside a cave; date and location not identified. Photo from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation/Natural Heritage Division, “Karst Landscapes,” accessed online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/karst-landscapes.Barricaded opening of Adams Cave in Wildwood Park in Radford, Va., October 6, 2013. Sinkhole along the road to Radford University’s Selu Conservancy near Radford, Va., September 22, 2009. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT VIRGINIA CAVES AND THE VIRGINIA CAVE BOARD The following information is quoted from the Virginia Cave Board Web site, “Ten Questions About Caves and the Virginia Cave Board,” online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/vcbquestions, as of 5/29/20. “1. How do caves form? Most caves in Virginia were formed by a solution process, the dissolving a way of limestone rock by a weak acid carried in groundwater.  Limestone, being composed of calcium carbonate, is slowly dissolved away by the solutional effect of carbonic acid.  Limestone was formed from sediments deposited on the floors of shallow seas millions of years ago.  The formation of caves does not actually begin until the limestone is exposed to natural elements at the surface.  The formations (called speleothems) found in some caves have resulted from water seeping through limestone, dissolving calcium carbonate, and then leaving behind deposits of mineral calcite and aragonite as it passes into cave rooms and passages. “2. How many caves are there in Virginia? Over 4000.  Virginia is one of only six states in the United States with over 2,000 known caves.  Many are described in H. H. Douglas, Caves of Virginia,and J. R. Holsinger, Descriptions of Virginia Caves. Data are on file with the Virginia Speleological Survey, affiliated with the National Speleological Society. “3. Do caves have economic value? Several of Virginia's caves are renowned for their beauty and are tourist attractions, bringing thousands of visitors into the state annually.  To have a wild cave on one's property, however, probably does not increase its value and may even constitute a nuisance to the owner, although there are instances where the owner may use the cave as a water source. “4. Is there any historical significance to caves? Professional archeologists have only begun to investigate the implications of materials discovered in Virginia's rock shelters and caves, where some evidence of prehistoric habitation has been uncovered.  Indian burial caves can yield important demographic information.  In most recent history, Thomas Jefferson visited and described one of Virginia's caves and George Washington and James Madison left other signatures in Madison Saltpetre Cave.  Up until the close of the Civil War, caves in the Commonwealth were extensively mined for saltpetre (used in the manufacture of gunpowder). “5. Do caves have an educational value? With today's emphasis upon wilderness experience to develop self-reliance and appreciation of nature, there have been attempts to include caves as part of such programs.  However, this is not an activity to be undertaken without a person in charge skilled both in caving techniques and safety, as well as concern for the conservation of caves, which can easily be damaged.  Speleothems of great beauty can be broken in a careless moment, and it may be years before others will grow to replace them.  A muddy handprint or footprint can permanently mar an otherwise pristine mineral formation.  For the serious scientist, opportunities for research in the field of speleology (the science of caves) exist. Bones and artifacts found in caves are very fragile.  The matter in which they are deposited and preserved is as important scientifically as the objects themselves.  Much of the scientific value of these deposits is lost when they are disturbed by anyone but a trained professional. “6. Are caves hazardous? The hazards in cave exploration are real but exist primarily for the untrained or careless.  Training for interested novices is available throughout the Commonwealth through organized caving groups affiliated with the National Speleological Society (NSS).  The NSS sponsors a National Cave Rescue Commission, and emergency telephone numbers are available to mobilize cavers in case of a mishap.  Cavers welcome the opportunity to explain caving to other groups who may be involved in rescue programs, working toward cooperation when the need arises. “7. Does Virginia have a law to protect its caves? The Virginia Cave Protection Act was passed in 1979 to help preserve our cave resources for future generations to enjoy.  Please help!  If you are a caver, leave each cave as you found it.  If you are a cave owner, let us know of problems you may encounter.  It is our responsibility to protect and preserve these unique, non-renewable, natural resources for future generations to experience.  Caves are very sensitive environments.  The animals found in caves can easily be disturbed by man.  Bats aroused during their winter hibernation often do not survive the winter months.  Disturbance during the spring and summer months while bats are raising their young can cause the loss of young bats.  Water pollution may poison streams, thereby killing many other organisms.  Help enforce the law by reporting any and all persons in violation of the law to the cave owner or the nearest law enforcement authority.  In most states as Virginia, it is illegal to [do any of the following]: Write or mark on walls; Break or remove mineral formations; Sell or transport to other states for sale, mineral deposits and/or speleothems; Disturb or collect cave organisms, including bats; Remove or disturb prehistoric artifacts or bones; Litter or dispose of trash or refuge; or Dump spent calcium carbide. (From the Code of Virginia 10-150.11 et seq.) “8. What is the purpose of the Virginia Cave Board? The Board was established by the 1979 General Assembly and may perform the following functions: Serve as an advisory board to other state agencies on matters related to caves and karst; Inventory of publicly owned caves; Provide cave management expertise and service to other state agencies as requested; Identify significant caves in Virginia; Report on ways to assist local authorities in obtaining the assistance of experienced cavers in cave rescue situations construction; Clarify laws relative to cave ownership; Suggest ways for enforcing the Cave Protection Act effectively; Study the possibility of a state cave recreation plan; and Study how cave data might be stored through electronic data processing so as to be readily available to state agencies with a need for such information.” SOURCES Used for Audio Catskills Music, “Pepe Deluxé,” online at https://www.catskillsmusic.com/artists/25/. Mike Diver, “Pepe Deluxé ‘Queen of the Wave’ Review,” published by the BBC, 2012, online at https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/rdzb/. Friends of the Virginia Cave Board, “Virginia Cave Week,” online at http://www.vacaveweek.com/. Luray Caverns, “Welcome to Geology’s Hall of Fame,” online at https://luraycaverns.com/caverns/. Blake Madden, “Inside the Great Stalacpipe Organ: The World's Largest Instrument,” 4/15/15, published by the “Trust Me I’m a Scientist” Web site, online at http://www.trustmeimascientist.com/2015/04/15/inside-the-great-stalacpipe-organ-the-worlds-largest-instrument/. George Veni et al., “Living with Karst,” American Geological Institute Environmental Awareness Series, 2001, available online (as a PDF) at http://www.agiweb.org/environment/publications/karst.pdf. Virginia Cave Board, http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/cavehome.shtml. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, “Natural Bridge State Park,” Online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/natural-bridge. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, “Virginia Natural Heritage/Karst Program,” online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/karsthome. For More Information about Caves National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Centers for Environmental Information, “Speleotherm,” online at https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data/datasets/speleothem. National Speleological Society, online at http://www.caves.org/.  The organization’s information about White Nose Syndrome, a disease affecting bats in caves in Virginia and throughout the eastern United States and Canada, is available online at https://caves.org/WNS/. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “White Nose Syndrome Response Team,” online at https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/affiliation/5aeb30aeb91d1500104f24d0. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html). See particularly the “Groundwater” subject category. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode’s audio/transcript, sources of information, or other materials in the Show Notes. 2013 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2010 Science SOLs Grades K-6 Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change Theme 3.9 – Water cycle, including sources of water, energy driving water cycle, water essential for living things, and water limitations and conservation. Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme 4.9 – Virginia natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms. 6.9 – public policy decisions related to the environment (including resource management and conservation, land use decisions, hazard mitigation, and cost/benefit assessments). Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme 6.7 – natural processes and human interactions that affect watershed systems; Virginia watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; health and safety issues; and water monitoring. Life Science Course LS.11 – relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Earth Science Course ES.1 – current applications to reinforce science concepts. ES.6 – renewable vs. non-renewable resources (including energy resources). ES.8 – influences by geologic processes and the activities of humans on freshwater resources, including identification of groundwater and major watershed systems in Virginia, with reference to the hydrologic cycle. Biology Course BIO.8 – dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems. 2015 Social Studies SOLs Grades K-3 Geography Theme 1.6 – Virginia climate, seasons, and landforms. Grades K-3 Economics Theme 2.8 – natural, human, and capital resources. 3.8 – understanding of cultures and of how natural, human, and capital resources are used for goods and services. Virginia Studies Course VS.1 – impact of geographic features on people, places, and events in Virginia history. VS.10 – knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia. Civics and Economics Course CE.7 – government at the state level. CE.10 – public policy at local, state, and national levels. World Geography Course WG.2 – how selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth’s surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their environment and are influenced by it. WG.3 – how regional landscapes reflect the physical environment and the cultural characteristics of their inhabitants. WG.4 – types and significance of natural, human, and capital resources. Government Course GOVT.8 – state and local government organization and powers. GOVT.9 – public policy process at local, state, and national levels. Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/. Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels. Episode 250, 1-26-15 – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 255, 3-2-15 – on density, for 5th and 6th grade. Episode 282, 9-21-15 – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten. Episode 309, 3-28-16 – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade. Episode 333, 9-12-16 – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade. Episode 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade. Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school. Episode 407, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school. Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school.Episode 524, 5-11-20 – on sounds by water-related animals, for elementary school through high school.

Tonight's Guest WeatherBrain is the Chief of the Climate Monitoring Section of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, NC.  Deke Arndt, welcome to WeatherBrains!

If you are wondering where this winter’s cold temps and wintry conditions are, you’re probably not alone. Globally, this year’s January has been the Earth’s hottest January on record, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Snow trackers also point out that snow coverage in both North America and Europe are significantly lower this … Continue reading "Where is all the snow this winter?"

In the Dec 2019 edition of the CLIMAS Southwest Climate Podcast, Zack Guido is back and joins Mike Crimmins for a discussion of the fall weather that was, and the winter weather that could be. This includes a very wet November, some of the factors that might affect our winter weather patterns, and the challenge of looking further out than a week or two during an ENSO-neutral winter. Happy Holidays!  We'll be back in (Jan) 2020 for another look at SW climate and weather. November 2019 ranks from National Centers for Environmental Information - ncei.noaa.gov

In the Dec 2019 edition of the CLIMAS Southwest Climate Podcast, Zack Guido is back and joins Mike Crimmins for a discussion of the fall weather that was, and the winter weather that could be. This includes a very wet November, some of the factors that might affect our winter weather patterns, and the challenge of looking further out than a week or two during an ENSO-neutral winter. Happy Holidays!  We'll be back in (Jan) 2020 for another look at SW climate and weather. November 2019 ranks from National Centers for Environmental Information - ncei.noaa.gov

In the Dec 2019 edition of the CLIMAS Southwest Climate Podcast, Zack Guido is back and joins Mike Crimmins for a discussion of the fall weather that was, and the winter weather that could be. This includes a very wet November, some of the factors that might affect our winter weather patterns, and the challenge of looking further out than a week or two during an ENSO-neutral winter. Happy Holidays!  We'll be back in (Jan) 2020 for another look at SW climate and weather. November 2019 ranks from National Centers for Environmental Information - ncei.noaa.gov

SPEAKERS Vladislav Chernavskikh, Graduate Student, Nonproliferation Studies Program of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations Angelina Davydova, Director, German–Russian Office of Environmental Information in St. Petersburg, Russia Jake Hecla, Graduate Student, UC Berkeley Department of Nuclear Engineering Margo Poda, MBA/MA Student, International Policy and Development Program at the Middlebury Institute of International StudiesSPEAKERS This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on October 6th, 2019.

Segment #3 of 3, 3–3:30 p.m.: Next Generation Connections - Working Together Join a discussion on how our shared history and the unique legacy of Fort Ross State Historic Park can be a platform for cooperation and exchange between Russians and Americans, even amid severe challenges in relations between Washington, D.C. and Moscow. The final panel looks towards the future by bringing four young Russians and Americans from different disciplines to discuss their bilateral work and ideas for the future. A native Californian, Margo Poda chose to study the Russian language as an undergraduate at Georgetown University—her interest in the language and region stemming from Russia's unique history and culture. After graduating, Poda headed home to Silicon Valley and worked at a series of tech start-ups as a project marketing manager, focusing on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Now she has returned to school pursuing a joint MBA/MA in international policy and development at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey to further develop key business skills, concentrating on the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. Vladislav Chernavskikh is a graduate student in the dual degree in nonproliferation studies program of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). Angelina Davydova is director of the German–Russian Office of Environmental Information in St. Petersburg, Russia. Davydova received a degree in economics from St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance. Her nonprofit work focuses on developing environmental journalism in Russia and neighboring countries. She teaches at the School of Journalism at St. Petersburg State University and the Saint Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics. Jake Hecla is a graduate student at UC Berkeley in the department of nuclear engineering. He earned an undergraduate degree in nuclear engineering at MIT, where he worked on techniques for zero-knowledge warhead verification and assisted in the development of an intraoperative radiation detector with the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute. In his spare time, he works with Clean Futures Fund, a nonprofit providing support to communities near the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Notes: In partnership with the Fort Ross Conservancy and the Kennan Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaking after a recent Centre for Law and the Environment's seminar exploring recent developments in European Union Environmental Law, Dr Fred Logue describes how he worked with Friends of the Irish Environment and Right to Know to access environmental information from public authorities through litigation.

Join us as with special guest Deke Arndt, Chief, Monitoring Branch National Centers for Environmental Information at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Deke breaks breaks down why we can have confidence in the scientific consensus regarding climate change, what that means for the least among us and how we might respond. Be sure to check these great resources referenced on today's Podcast! Project Drawdown (the book title that escaped Deke's memory during the recording) Before the Flood (National Geographic/DiCaprio Documentary, currently available on Netflix) State of Climate Reports (NOAA) Exec Summary for Policy Makers: Global Warming of 1.5 C (IPCC) Laudato Si (Pope Francis Encyclical)

At the heart of our solar system is an enormous, churning ball of hot plasma. The Sun blows a stream of charged particles over our planet, creating the solar wind. Sometimes the Sun flares bursts of x-rays, or burps bursts of charged particles, which can sweep over Earth and potentially create havoc for power grids, satellites, and GPS networks. There is weather in space, and it has more consequences for civilization than you might think. Solar physicist Dan Seaton studies the Sun at the University of Colorado in Boulder and NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, where he is working to understand the Sun’s atmosphere and predict when events on the Sun will affect the near-Earth environment. In this episode, Dan explains how space weather and space weather prediction is analogous to Earth weather—and how it is not—and how what happens on the Sun can affect us here on Earth. Read a new paper by Dan and his colleagues about how solar flares disrupted radio communications during the September 2017 Atlantic hurricane relief effort.

The Environmental Protection Agency is taking the long view on how it serves its employees, state and local governments and businesses. Its customer experience council is seeking to improve the entire interaction with stakeholders from first contact to final resolution. It's starting with its own internal technology services and eventually moving to the private sector. For its effort EPA won one of the inaugural Citizen Champions of Change awards, handed out earlier this week in Washington. Jeff Wells is EPA's director of office of customer advocacy, policy and portfolio management and its chief customer experience officer for Office of Environmental Information. Cory Wagner is the associate director of customer advocacy and communications division and Dawn Banks is the deputy chief customer experience officer. They tell Executive Editor Jason Miller on Federal Drive with Tom Temin about the changes the council is bringing across EPA.

How much does climate change cost taxpayers? A report released last week by The National Centers for Environmental Information pegged that total cost at $1.5 trillion, including estimates for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Instead of working to reduce the impact of climate change the Trump administration is developing more oil and gas.

Foraminifera – tiny, single-celled marine life forms – build gorgeous houses that record how much ice there is on the planet. This video was supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation. To learn more, visit https://www.heisingsimons.org/ Special thanks to Professor Lee Kump of Penn State University and Professor Howie Spero of UC-Davis for lending their advice, expertise, and patience to the making of this video! Thanks also to our supporters on https://www.patreon.com/MinuteEarth Help translate this video: http://www.youtube.com/timedtext_video?ref=share&v=oaOfeSJZ3lY ___________________________________________ FYI: We try to leave jargon out of our videos, but if you want to learn more about this topic, here are some keywords to get your googling started: foraminifera: a class of single-celled marine organisms – protists, not animals – that live either near the surface ("planktonic foraminifera") or on the seafloor ("benthic foraminifera"). Called forams for short. climate proxy: something that tells us what the climate was like in the past, such as data from the thickness of tree rings, the composition of gases trapped in ancient ice, historical human records of annual bloom times (eg the long-recorded bloom dates of cherry trees in Kyoto, Japan), or the ratios of certain stable isotopes found in shells, corals, or other biogenic substances oxygen-18: a stable isotope of oxygen that contains 8 protons and 10 neutrons, rather than the 8 protons and 8 neutrons of "regular" oxygen (oxygen-16). The ratio of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 in seawater (and sea shells) can be used as a proxy for the global average temperature ice sheet: a permanent layer of ice covering land, as found in polar regions (and as distinguished from sea ice, like the stuff that floats at the north pole in the Arctic ocean). Combined, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets contain more than 99% of the total freshwater ice on Earth. ___________________________________________ If you liked this week’s video, we think you might also like: The Tiniest Fossils by the AMNH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLSa8cGJixQ Orbulina feeding on Artemia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYQNt52tiVU Mysterious Web Masters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0WbN34Mh7k ___________________________________________ Credits (and Twitter handles): Script Writer: Emily Elert (@eelert) Script Editor: Kate Yoshida (@KateYoshida) Video Illustrator: Ever Salazar (@eversalazar) Video Director: Emily Elert (@eelert) Video Narrator: Emily Elert (@eelert) With Contributions From: Henry Reich, Alex Reich, Peter Reich, David Goldenberg Music by: Nathaniel Schroeder: http://www.soundcloud.com/drschroeder Image credits: Cribrohantkenina inflata - Paul Pearson https://museum.wales/articles/2007-08-03/Up-close-with-nature/ Elphidium macellum, Bulimina and Calcarina hispida by foraminifera.eu http://www.foraminifera.eu/ Globigerina - Hannes Grobe http://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/our-work/biodiversity/planktonic-forminera.html _________________________________________ Like our videos? Subscribe to MinuteEarth on YouTube: http://goo.gl/EpIDGd Support us on Patreon: https://goo.gl/ZVgLQZ Also, say hello on: Facebook: http://goo.gl/FpAvo6 Twitter: http://goo.gl/Y1aWVC And find us on itunes: https://goo.gl/sfwS6n ___________________________________________ REFERENCES Hays, J. D., Imbrie, J., & Shackleton, N. J. (1976). Variations in the Earth's Orbit: Pacemaker of the Ice Ages. Science, 194(4270), 1121-1132. Abstract: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/194/4270/1121 Kendall, C., & McDonnell, J.J. (1998). Fundamentals of Isotope Geochemistry. In Isotope Tracers in Catchment Hydrology (pp. 51-86). Eds: Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. Link: http://wwwrcamnl.wr.usgs.gov/isoig/isopubs/itchch2.html#2.3 Kucera, M. (2007). Planktonic Foraminifera as Tracers of Past Oceanic Environments. In Developments in Marine Geology, Volume 1, (pp. 213-262). Link: http://pmc.ucsc.edu/~apaytan/290A_Winter2014/pdfs/2007%20Proxies%20Chapter%20six.pdf NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for Annual 2015, published online January 2016, retrieved on November 28, 2016 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201513. Sachs, J., & Steig, E. (2010) Lecture on Isotopes and Air Temperature. University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Link: http://courses.washington.edu/proxies/AirTemperatureLecture2_2010.pdf Shanahan, T. (2010). Lecture on Oxygen Isotopes. University of Texas, Austin, Texas. Link: http://www.geo.utexas.edu/courses/302c/L16-N.pdf

This week we welcome Brent Kynoch the Managing Director of the Environmental Information Association (EIA) and principle of Kynoch Environmental Management Inc. EIA had its beginnings as the National Asbestos Council and is headquartered just outside of Washington, DC in Chevy Chase, MD. Mr. Kynoch has been the Managing Director of the Association since 1996, but previously had served EIA in other volunteer roles on the Board of Directors as an officer, and ultimately as the President of EIA in 1988 and 1989. EIA has spent 30 years at the forefront in providing its members with the information needed to remain knowledgeable, responsible and competitive in the environmental health and safety industry. When Mr. Kynoch changes his hat to his "paying job," he is the President of Kynoch Environmental Management, Inc., (KEM) an environmental engineering and industrial hygiene firm also headquarted in Chevy Chase, MD. KEM provides innovative environmental solutions to general contractors, owners, property managers and the commercial real estate community to address concerns associated with asbestos, lead, indoor air quality, mold, PCBs, mercury, LEED compliance and environmental management systems. LEARN MORE about the EIA and Mr. Kynoch this week on IAQ Radio!

This week we welcome Brent Kynoch the Managing Director of the Environmental Information Association (EIA) and principle of Kynoch Environmental Management Inc. EIA had its beginnings as the National Asbestos Council and is headquartered just outside of Washington, DC in Chevy Chase, MD. Mr. Kynoch has been the Managing Director of the Association since 1996, but previously had served EIA in other volunteer roles on the Board of Directors as an officer, and ultimately as the President of EIA in 1988 and 1989. EIA has spent 30 years at the forefront in providing its members with the information needed to remain knowledgeable, responsible and competitive in the environmental health and safety industry. When Mr. Kynoch changes his hat to his "paying job," he is the President of Kynoch Environmental Management, Inc., (KEM) an environmental engineering and industrial hygiene firm also headquarted in Chevy Chase, MD. KEM provides innovative environmental solutions to general contractors, owners, property managers and the commercial real estate community to address concerns associated with asbestos, lead, indoor air quality, mold, PCBs, mercury, LEED compliance and environmental management systems. LEARN MORE about the EIA and Mr. Kynoch this week on IAQ Radio!