Disasters

"The El Nino weather pattern should fade out by June but could be replaced by the La Nina phenomenon by the second half of the year, a U.S. government forecaster said on Thursday."

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) closed its civil rights probes into the water crisis in Jackson, Miss., saying there was “insufficient evidence” to say that the state discriminated against residents on the basis of race."

"Hundreds of the world’s leading climate scientists expect global temperatures to rise to at least 2.5C (4.5F) above preindustrial levels this century, blasting past internationally agreed targets and causing catastrophic consequences for humanity and the planet, an exclusive Guardian survey has revealed."

"The growing invasion of sargassum in the Caribbean has impacted the quality of life of the islands' residents. But local governments have failed to coordinate an international response to problem."

"The White House has unveiled tighter rules for research on potentially dangerous microbes and toxins, in an effort to stave off laboratory accidents that could unleash a pandemic."

"In a world growing increasingly accustomed to wild weather swings, the last few days and weeks have seemingly taken those environmental extremes to a new level. Some climate scientists say they are hard pressed to remember when so much of the world has had its weather on overdrive at the same time."

"As legacy publications celebrated their Pulitzer Prize wins Monday, bottles of champagne were also uncorked at Lookout Santa Cruz, a fledgling 10-person newsroom based on the second floor of a former bank on Santa Cruz’s quiet, tree-lined Pacific Avenue."

"Tribal community plans a village that’s ‘as resilient as possible’"

"Its growth driven to epic levels by climate change and fertilizer runoff, sargassum puts dozens of species — and people — at risk."

"The oil and gas industry has reaped profits without ensuring there will be money to plug and clean up their wells. In Oklahoma, that work could cost more than $7 billion if it falls to the state."