A massive, multi-hazard storm unprecedented for mid-December in the Plains and Upper Midwest affected nearly 100 million people from New Mexico to Wisconsin on Wednesday into Wednesday night.
Why it matters: The latest storm is yet another demonstration that the dial on the extreme weather meter has gone all the way to 11 during 2021. Many of the events this year, including this one, bear the hallmarks of climate change.
Private investment into climate technologies is surging, but there's misalignment between where the money is going and areas with the highest potential for slashing emissions, a new report finds.
Driving the news: PwC is out with a wide-ranging look at climate tech funding and deals. Venture capital and private equity investment surged in the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021 (the end of the period studied), totaling $87.5 billion.
Prominent climate movement veterans have set up a major new foundation with a mission to steer big, near-term policy decisions in nations with large carbon emissions.
Driving the news: Climate Imperative is emerging publicly today and with a planned budget of $180 million annually over five years. The California-based foundation began making grants in the spring of 2020.
The Biden administration unveiled plans Thursday to replace all lead water pipelines over the next decade.
Why it matters: The White House estimated that up to 10 million households connect to water through lead pipes and service lines and 400,000 schools and child care centers are at risk of exposure to lead in their water. Exposure can cause multiple adverse health effects, including brain and nervous system damage.
An expansive storm is unleashing an array of hazardous weather to a broad swath of the lower 48 states — with winds reaching 85 to 100 mph from Colorado to Iowa, along with record warmth that's fueled an ongoing derecho moving into Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Why it matters: The storm set all-time high temperatures for the month of December on Wednesday, as readings soared into the 70s all the way to the Iowa-Minnesota border. Its winds had knocked out power to some 500,000 customers in 10 states Thursday, with outages climbing in Iowa and Kansas, per poweroutage.us.
At least 39 tornadoes touched down in more than six states Friday into Saturday, as a powerful storm system moved across the Central and southern U.S., the National Weather Service has concluded. Those numbers will fluctuate, and are likely to increase, in coming days, the agency cautioned.
The big picture: The outbreak left at least 88 dead, dozens injured and caused billions in damage. NWS survey teams continue to assess damage to assign intensity ratings to individual tornadoes, and several have turned out to be on the high end of the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
President Biden on Wednesday visited tornado-ravaged Kentucky, calling what affected families in hard-hit Mayfield and other areas are going through "a God-awful mess."
The big picture: During his visit, Biden amended the federal disaster declaration he previously approved, making federal funds for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, available to cover 100% of the total "eligible costs" for for 30 days, the White House said.
The National Weather Service and emergency officials recommend that you be vigilant and make plans should you need to act quickly and seek shelter during tornados.
A carbon capture and storage (CCS) startup billing itself as the industry's first "vertically integrated super developer" has raised $30 million in Series A funding.
Driving the news: Carbon America this morning announced the funding from investors including Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, ArcTern Ventures, Energy Impact Partners and others.
The Biden administration and allied climate activists are hoping to transform today's relatively high energy costs from a political risk into an asset as they push for passage of sweeping climate legislation.
Driving the news: Axios got the first look at a new ad buy premiering in the D.C. media market today from the group Evergreen Action.
Global clean energy investment hit record levels in 2020 despite the pandemic, but the overall rise masked a decline in developing countries, new data shows.
Driving the news: The research firm BloombergNEF, in a summary, said investors "retreated hastily from less developed markets to refocus on wealthier countries as the Covid-19 pandemic spread."
Several U.S. states were under threat from more extreme weather overnight, as heavy rains in Southern California caused flooding and mudslides — triggering mandatory evacuation orders and sparking rescue operations Tuesday.
Threat level: A "rapidly strengthening storm system" was set to generate high winds from the Southwest to the Upper Midwest, with gusts "up to and in excess of 75 mph in some areas," per the National Weather Service. The Southern and Central Plains face "abnormally high temperatures" and the threat of wildfires, the NWS said.
The Kentucky Division of Occupational Safety and Health Compliance will investigate Mayfield Consumer Products after tornados ravaged Mayfield, Ky., and killed at least eight of its factory workers over the weekend, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said Tuesday.
Why it matters: An investigation is launched whenever a worker dies on the job, but multiple employees have told news outlets they were warned they'd be fired if they left their shifts early as the tornado approached.
