Today in WaterWise News:
Weather tied to over 600,000 deaths over 2 decades ♦ Climate change pledges ♦ Oil prices up after Turkey, Russia jet incident ♦ Siberian Craters ♦ Americans skeptical about climate change? ♦ Beach nourishment funding for counties ♦ Ventura County concern over Malibu ♦ Oak Island cuts storm water flow ♦ Clinton's Ethanol woes ♦ Dredging in Lake Eerie ♦ Flooding risk from incoming storms
Extreme Weather Tied to Over 600,000 Deaths Over 2 Decades
New York Times - Weather-related disasters in the past two decades have killed more than 600,000 people and inflicted economic losses estimated at trillions of dollars, the United Nations said on Monday, warning that the frequency and impact of such events was set to rise. Read more.
The Climate Change Pledges Are In. Will They Fix Anything?
New York Times - Nearly 200 countries will meet in Paris in early December to work on the global agreement addressing climate change. By 2025, the United States has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent from 2005 levels. Read more.
Oil Prices Rise After Turkey Shoots Down Jet on Syria Border
Wall Street Journal - Oil prices rose on Tuesday after the Turkish military shot down a Russian jet fighter along the Syrian border and the dollar weakened. Read more.
Remember those weird Siberian craters? Scientists say they may have an underwater version
Washington Post - A recent scientific paper may have just cast new light on mysterious happenings on the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia, where the appearance of numerous large craters in the permafrost has been attributed, at least by some, to the venting of large pockets of methane gas, possibly in a dramatic or sudden way. Read more.
Why are so many Americans skeptical about climate change? A study offers a surprising answer.
Washington Post - Climate change has long been a highly polarizing topic in the United States, with Americans lining up on opposite sides depending on their politics and worldview. Read more.
Beach nourishment funding a ‘serious problem’ for county, beach towns
Port City Daily - The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners has pledged to work with the county’s beach towns of Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach to work on short-term funding for coastal storm reduction projects, also known as beach nourishment, in the absence of state or federal help. Read more.
Ventura County officials concerned about Malibu’s Broad Beach sand project
Ventura County Star - In about a year, a few hundred trucks a day will likely start rumbling from quarries between Moorpark and Fillmore loaded with sand to replenish eroded Broad Beach in Malibu, home to wealthy Hollywood and business elites. Read more.
Oak Island Project Cuts Stormwater Flow
Coastal Review - A project designed to cut down stormwater flow into waterways around this Brunswick County town is proving to be a success. Read more.
Clinton’s Iowa dilemma
Politico - The Obama administration is set to take sides in the titanic lobbying battle over ethanol between the corn and oil industries — just eight weeks before the presidential caucuses in corn’s sacred ground of Iowa. Read more.
Lake Erie dumping of Cuyahoga River dredge? No! No! No!
Cleveland - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has posted its annual public notice seeking permission to turn Cleveland harbor into a toxic waste dump. Read more.
Officials warn of flooding from coming storms
Palo Alto Online - If a 1998-level El Nino storm barrels into the Bay Area this winter, Palo Alto and East Palo Alto residents and city staff will be left literally holding the sand bag, officials said at a flood-information meeting on Nov. 19. Read more.