Posted on 13 July 2019 by John Hartz

Editor's Pick

Climate Change Fills Storms With More Rain, Analysis Shows

A flooded street in New Orleans on Wednesday. Credit Ryan Pasternak

When a tropical storm is approaching, its intensity or wind speed often gets the bulk of the attention. But as Tropical Storm Barry bears down on the Gulf Coast in the coming days, it’s the water that the storm will bring with it that has weather watchers worried.

The National Weather Service is calling for roughly 10 to 20 inches of rain to fall from late Thursday night through Saturday. The average rainfall for July in New Orleans, which is in the path of the storm, is just under six inches.

And Tropical Storm Barry, which may become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall, will drop rain on already saturated land. On Wednesday, the region was hit by severe thunderstorms, which dropped as much as seven inches of rain according to preliminary National Weather Service data.

“Climate change is in general increasing the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall storms,” said Andreas Prein, a project scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research. 

Climate Change Fills Storms With More Rain, Analysis Shows by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Climate, New York Times, July 11, 2019

Links posted on Facebook

Sun July 7, 2019

• The Dutch Are Building a Barricade Against Climate Change (PHOTOS) by Teake Zuidema, text and photography, Nexus Media, June 28, 2019
• Russia frozen on climate change, Opinion by Andrey Gurkov, Deutsche Welle (DW), July 6, 2019
• Big Oil's ‘Natural Climate Solutions’ Feasibility Overblown, Critics Say by Kendra Chamberlain, DeSmog, July 6, 2019
• Unprecedented Arctic megafires are releasing a huge amount of CO2 by Adam Vaughan, Environment, New Scientist, July 3, 2019
• The health impacts of climate change and why calls for action are growing louder by Olivia Willis, Health, ABC News (AU), July 6, 2019
• Greta Thunberg is inspiring climate action. But in some countries her message is falling on deaf ears by Ivana Kottasová, CNN, July 7, 2019
• A New Poll Shows That Trump’s Handling of Climate Change Is Deeply Unpopular by Rebecca Leber, Environment, Mother Jones, July 7, 2019
• The California coast is disappearing under the rising sea. Our choices are grim by Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2019

Mon July 8, 2019

• Drought and climate change blamed for the death of centuries-old sandalwood trees by Shannon Corvo, ABC News (AU), July 6, 2019
• The Koch Brothers and the Tar-Sands by John McMurty, Environment, SP The Bullet, July 5, 2019
• Treat climate change like the crisis it is, says journalism professor, Interview by Gillian Findlay, The Sunday Edition, CBC Radio, July 7, 2019
• Florida’s Utilities Keep Homeowners From Making the Most of Solar Power by Ivan Penn, Energy & Environment, New York Times, July 7, 2019
• Trump officials deleting mentions of ‘climate change’ from U.S. Geological Survey press releases by Scott Waldman, E&E News/Science Magazine, July 8, 2019
• Without climate action, economic growth 'will be reversed', economist warns by Laurie Goering, Thomson Reuters Foundation, July 3, 2019
• Trump avoids climate change in speech on environmentalism by Arden Farhi & Kathryn Watson, CBS News, July 8, 2019
• Health groups sue over Trump rollback of Obama-era emissions rule by Rebecca Bietsch, Policy, The Hill, July 8, 2019

Tue July 9, 2019

• Oregon governor ready to take lead on divisive climate plan by Sarah Zimmerman, AP News, July 1, 2019
• We Can Get the 2030 Agenda Back on Track – With More Empowered, Inclusive, & Equal Partnerships, Opinion by Ulrika Modeer & Susanna Moorehead, International Press Service (IPS), Jul 5, 2019
• The Zero Hour Youth Climate Summit Is Happening In Miami — Here's What To Know by Lani Seelinger, Bustle, July 6, 2019
• Trump’s Misleading Claims About His Environmental Record, Fact Check by Linda Qiu, New York Times, July 8, 2019
• Glacial melting in Antarctica may become irreversible by Adam Morton, Environment, Guardian, July 9, 2019
• It’s the End of the World as They Know It by David Corn, Environment, Mother Jones, July 8, 2019
• One climate crisis disaster happening every week, UN warns by Fiona Harvey, Environment, Guardian, July 7, 2019
• Trump’s ‘environmental leadership’ is sending us to a climate disaster, Opinion by Eric Holthaus, PostEverything, Washington Post, July 9, 2019

Wed July 10, 2019

• Putting people's fundamental rights at the core of climate solutions, Opinion by Kumi Naidoo & Jennifer Morgan, Thomson Reuters Foundation, July 9, 2019
• As the World Heats Up, the Climate for News Is Changing, Too by Marc Tracy, Media, New York Times, July 8, 2019
• Molly Scott Cato: ‘It’s the wealthy who are causing climate change’ by Anna Bawden, Society, Guardian, July 9, 2019
• Breaching a “carbon threshold” could lead to mass extinction by Jennifer Chu, MIT News Office, July 8, 2019
• Want to do something about global warming? Talk about it with your family and friends by Julia Rosen, Science, Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2019
• AOC, Sanders Call for ‘Climate Emergency’ Declaration in Congress by Kristoffer Tigue, InsideClimate News, July 10, 2019
• A hurricane is forecast to strike Louisiana on Saturday with up to 18 inches of rain by Bryan McNoldy  & Jason Samenow, Capital Weather Gang, Washington Post, June 10, 2019
• Higher and Further Education Institutions across the globe declare Climate Emergency, Press Release, UN Environmental Programme, July 10, 2019

Thu July 11, 2019

• Are plants conscious? The debate rages on by Malavika Vyawahare, Mongabay, July 9, 2019
• Climate change is affecting crop yields and reducing global food supplies by Deepak Ray. The Conversation US, July 9, 2019
• Louisiana may get hit by a hurricane this weekend. New Orleans is already flooded. by Brian Resnick, Energy & Environment, Vox, July 10, 2019
• Intelligence aide, blocked from submitting written testimony on climate change, resigns from State Dept. by Julie Eilperin, Climate & Environment, Washington Post, July 10, 2019
• U.S. Policy-Makers Must Do More to Protect Intelligence Analysis from Political Suppression by Caitlin Werrell & Francesco Femia, The Center for Climate & Security, July 10, 2019
• Can Lindsey Graham help improve the GOP’s image on the environment? by Emma Dumain, McClatchy DC Bureau, July 10, 2019
• New research shows that Paris Agreement goals might not save the Arctic by E A Crunden, Think Progress, July 10, 2019
• Alaska Chokes on Wildfires as Heat Waves Dry Out the Arctic by Bob Berwyn, InsideClimate News, July 1, 2019

Fri July 12, 2019

• Small Temperature Bumps Can Cause Big Arctic Methane Burps by Chelsea Harvey, E&E News/Scientific American, July 10, 2019
• Global heating: London to have climate similar to Barcelona by 2050 by Fiona Harvey, Environment, Guardian, July 10, 2019
• New Orleans faces a never-before-seen problem with Tropical Storm Barry by Dakin Andone, Paul P. Murphy & Brandon Miller, CNN, July 12, 2019
• US philanthropists vow to raise millions for climate activists by Matthew Taylor, Environment, Guardian, July 12, 2019
• How the Trump Administration Is Torpedoing Climate Science, Opinion by Phillip B Duffy, Observation, Scientific American, July 9, 2019
• Climate emergency: New hope, or just empty words? by Gero Rueter, Environment, Deutsche Welle (DW), July 9, 2019
• 'Climate Despair' Is Making People Give Up on Life by Mike Pearl, Environment, Vice, July 11, 2019
• Yes, climate change can be beaten by 2050. Here’s how. by Alanna Mitchell, Climate Crises, Maclean's Magazine, July 11, 2019

Sat July 13, 2019

• Indoor carbon dioxide levels could be a health hazard, scientists warn by Nicola Davis, Environment, Guardian, July 8, 2019
• UN fund removes veto power over climate projects by Megan Darby, Finance, Climate Home News, July 9, 2019
• The Case for Declaring a National Climate Emergency by Carolyn Kormann, News, The New Yorker Magazine, July 11, 2019
• Climate Change Fills Storms With More Rain, Analysis Shows by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Climate, New York Times, July 11, 2019
• ‘A floodier future’: Scientists say records will be broken by Wayne Parry, AP News, July 10, 2019
• Analysis: How Trump’s rollback of vehicle fuel standards would increase US emissions by Zeke Hausfather, Carbon Brief, July 10, 2019
• Non-peer-reviewed manuscript falsely claims natural cloud changes can explain global warming, Claims Review Edited by Scott Johnson, Climate Feedback, July 12, 2019
• The climate change policy with the most potential is the most neglected by David Roberts, Energy & Environment, Vox, July 11, 2019