The White House has launched a fresh attempt to speed domestic electric vehicle production while allaying labor fears about the transition from gasoline to plugs.
Catch up fast: The Energy Department plans to provide up to $10 billion in loans and $2B in grants to help automakers convert factories to produce EVs, plug-in hybrids and more.
"Doomsday" seed vaults are becoming an increasingly popular tool in the race to insure global crop and agricultural production against the damaging impacts of climate change.
Why it matters: In an era of simultaneous climate disasters, long-term solutions that bolster the future of food supply are gaining momentum among governments, scientists and small-scale farmers.
Hurricane Idalia's dramatic intensification during the 24 hours leading up to landfall was largely predicted, based on increasingly advanced computer modeling and data from NOAA and Air Force hurricane hunters.
The big picture: The storm illustrates how the National Hurricane Center's forecast capabilities are largely keeping pace despite climate-change-related trends in rapid intensification.
The stresses of marine heat waves, which are currently at record levels globally, are revealing some parts of the ocean are notably resilient, while others are susceptible to the pressures of a warming world.
Why it matters: The ocean's points of no return, when it can no longer sustain the billions of people it supports, are difficult to determine.
Many Florida manatees may be at risk after Hurricane Idalia slammed the state's Big Bend region as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday, conservancy groups have warned.
Why it matters: Before Idalia hit Florida, experts were "cautiously optimistic" the manatees were recovering from a major recent die-off event, during which 25% of the entire manatee population perished since 2020.
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, getting the power back on as quickly as possible will be one of the most pressing challenges — and any major delays will once again call into question the resilience of the country's aging electrical infrastructure.
Why it matters: Power outages can be one of the longest-lasting and dangerous results of major hurricanes, sometimes persisting well after any storm surge and high winds subside.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida's Big Bend on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, bringing destruction in its wake.
The big picture: Idalia weakened to a tropical storm later Wednesday, but the National Hurricane Center warned it would bring heavy rains, flooding and other extreme weather hazards across the U.S. Southeast through Thursday.
Tropical Storm Idalia was producing "very heavy rains" over North and South Carolina and causing "significant" flooding Wednesday night after earlier making landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, per the National Hurricane Center.
Threat level: Idalia weakened to a tropical storm about 5pm ET, but the NHC warned it would pummel Southeastern states with extreme weather, damaging winds and heavy rainfall through Thursday, making flash and river flooding likely across the region — and many places have already been inundated.
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