Climate change didn’t cause Hurricane Sandy on its own, but that doesn’t mean that global warming doesn’t have an impact on extreme weather. Why we need to climate -proof our cities
Disasters
Hurricane Sandy Will Put a Rickety Power Grid to the Test
The U.S. power grid is a 20th century technology powering a 21st century country. Why Hurricane Sandy will stress it to the limit
Landfall: Why New York City Could Get the Worst of Sandy’s Wrath
As the hurricane approaches landfall, scientists say that the areas to the north and east of Sandy’s eye will get the worst of coastal flooding and storm surges. And that’s bad news for New York City
Frankenstorm: Why Hurricane Sandy Will Be Historic
The name may be funny—Frankenstorm—but be advised: Hurricane Sandy is no joke
Frankenstorm: Why Hurricane Sandy Could Be the Perfect Storm, Part II
You can call it the Frankenstorm, or the Snowicane, or the Snow’easter or just plain old Sandy. But whatever you name it, the mega-storm that now seems likely to blast much of the East Coast next week could be a natural disaster …
Why the Drought Won’t Be Getting Better Anytime Soon — and Why This One Won’t Be the Last
The droughts gets broader and deeper, covering more than three-fifths of the continental U.S. And scientific studies show that this sort of drought could only be the beginning
How the Drought of 2012 Will Make Your Food More Expensive
They call drought the slow-motion disaster, and for good reason. While earthquakes and volcanoes strike in a moment, and hurricanes unfold over a few days, a drought is simply a day without rain that becomes two days without …
Climate Change Plays a Role in Wildfires—But Not the Only One
The West is burning. The early weeks of summer have been marked by brutal forest fires in states like Montana, Wyoming, Utah and most of all Colorado, where that state is grappling with the worst fires in its history. According …
Wildfire: Out of Control Flames Force Thousands From Their Homes in Colorado
Summer, which officially began last week, has hit Colorado pretty hard—not, unfortunately, with beach days and lemonade, but with raging wildfires such as the Waldo Canyon inferno that has scorched some 6,200 acres of land …
Why a Warm Winter Equals Early Wildfires
A wildfire inside the confines of a major city is nothing new in the U.S. It’s a little strange , though, when that city isn’t Los Angeles—constantly threatened by the dry Santa Ana winds of autumn—but rather, New York City. …