Axios

Hurricane Helene is growing unusually large for a Gulf of Mexico storm, and is now rapidly intensifying.

Why it matters: These two characteristics are making it a unique threat to millions of Floridians and people in surrounding states as it moves north-northeastward today and Thursday.

Solar power has always had one pesky limitation: It needs daylight.

• But what if it didn't?

State of play: That's the question being asked by Reflect Orbital, a startup that recently raised $6.5 million led by Sequoia Capital.

NEW YORK — Oil companies' investments in low-carbon energy sources are falling short of their rhetoric, International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol tells Axios.

Why it matters: The comments are a shot across the bow ahead of the next UN climate summit.

NEW YORK CITY — The mood at Climate Week NYC and the UN General Assembly blends excitement about low-carbon energy growth with stress about geopolitical headwinds.

State of play: Al Gore's remarks at Axios House Climate Week/UN General Assembly on Monday capture this vibe.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring the western Caribbean for the formation of what is expected to become Tropical Storm Helene — and then Hurricane Helene — midweek.

Threat level: With record-warm Gulf waters, the storm is forecast to rapidly intensify into a Category 3 hurricane before hitting Florida's Big Bend region Thursday.

Hurricane John made landfall along Mexico's southern Pacific coast as a Category 3 storm after rapidly intensifying on Monday night, per the National Hurricane Center.

The big picture: The major hurricane made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph just to the south-southwest of Marquelia, in the state of Guerrero, the NHC said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is suing the Biden administration for classifying the dunes sagebrush lizard in May as an endangered species.

The big picture: The sand-burrowing lizard is native to a portion of the oil-and gas-rich Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico and Paxton in a statement Monday called the designation an "unlawful misuse of environmental law" and a "backdoor attempt to undermine Texas's oil and gas industries."

The shipping industry is at a critical juncture, poised to undergo a sustainability transformation that could redefine global trade.

Why it's important: Maritime shipping, responsible for transporting nearly 90% of globally traded goods, is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions due to its reliance on fossil fuels like diesel.

Amazon is striving to decarbonize parts of its business globally in an effort to progress its climate goals, chief sustainability officer Kara Hurst told Axios' Niala Boodhoo at Axios House Climate Week/UN General Assembly in New York City on Monday.

Why it matters: The company runs one of the biggest logistics and transportation networks in the world.