Officials and power operators in a swath of Western and Midwestern states are bracing the public for blackouts this summer caused by higher-than-average temperatures and a human-caused extended drought.
Why it matters: Heat waves and drought conditions strain power grids and available electricity supplies by increasing demand, making hydroelectric power less reliable and raising the risk of wildfires, which can damage energy infrastructure.
The level of carbon dioxide, a long-lived gas that warms the planet, in Earth's atmosphere hit a new official record this spring and is now more than 50% higher compared to preindustrial times, new data released Friday shows.
Why it matters: Carbon dioxide levels rose to a peak of 421 parts per million in May, for the highest level in human history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The increase compared to 2020 was 1.8 ppm, a slight drop from last year.
A tropical weather system forecast to become Tropical Storm Alex will bring heavy, flooding rainfall and strong winds to the Florida Keys and South Florida, including metro Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, through Saturday.
Why it matters: The heavy rains, which will also extend up the west coast of the state into Fort Myers and possibly Tampa, are likely to lead to widespread, life-threatening flash flooding. This will be the case regardless of whether the storm earns the name Tropical Storm Alex.
The White House had rather nice things to say about Saudi Arabia's role in the OPEC+ decision to unexpectedly speed oil output increases, but don't look for the new barrels to greatly cool off the market.
Catch up fast: OPEC, Russia and allied producers agreed Thursday to boost production by roughly 650,000 barrels per day in July and August, rather than 432,000 envisioned in the ongoing restoration of pandemic-related output cuts.
Global plastic waste is set to nearly triple by 2060, according to a report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development out Friday.
Driving the news: About half of the plastic waste produced globally is expected to end up in a landfill and less than a fifth is expected to be recycled, OECD found.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he is prepared to cut staff by about 10%, citing a "super bad feeling" about the economy, according to an internal email seen by Reuters.
Driving the news: Musk's email, titled "pause all hiring worldwide," was sent Thursday to Tesla executives, two days after he said that staff will be required to return to work in person.
Bipartisan Senate energy talks led by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) are essentially over, with Republican senators convinced that Manchin is close to a reconciliation deal with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), according to people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: The death of the bipartisan approach will allow Manchin and Schumer to focus on a potential deal that includes green energy tax credits and the tax increases to pay for them.
The plummet in the planet's biodiversity could be slowed by protecting and expanding key areas animals inhabit and connecting them so species can move freely. Two studies published today lay out ways to make that space.
The big picture: There's wide acknowledgment the future of Earth's biodiversity — which supports the health and well-being of the species H. sapiens — hinges on protecting more of the planet. But how much land should be conserved — and where — is debated by scientists, governments, businesses and organizations.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday proposed a new rule that would restore the rights of states and tribes to oppose energy projects that pollute their local waterways.
Why it matters: The move would reverse a consequential environmental rollback by the Trump administration, which in 2020 scaled back the power of state and tribal authorities to veto federal permits for polluting projects under the Clean Water Act.
A swirling area of thunderstorms over the northwestern Caribbean and Yucatan Peninsula is forecast to become a tropical depression or weak tropical storm Thursday as it moves toward Florida. If it becomes a tropical storm, it would be named Alex.
Why it matters: Regardless of its intensity, the storm is forecast to bring flooding rains to Cuba, parts of Mexico and South Florida as well as the Florida Keys this weekend. In fact, rainfall forecasts for Florida have been increasing for this storm.
Salient Predictions, a new provider of weather intelligence for the energy, agriculture and insurance industries, has raised $5.3 million in a seed funding round.
Why it matters: The startup claims to have developed methods that make its forecasts for sub-seasonal to seasonal time scales about twice as accurate as rival companies and government forecasts.
