Axios

A team of 40+ USDA scientists has listed the most significant looming challenges facing water resources and agricultural production nationwide.

Why it matters: Their newly-released plan unlocks a 30-year roadmap for mitigating some of the leading issues imperiling water sustainability before they become full-blown crises.

There is a 66% probability that global average surface temperatures will exceed the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target during one of the next five years, the UN's World Meteorological Organization warned Wednesday.

Why it matters: This projection, coming ahead of COP28 in Dubai, could be a wake-up call to world leaders about the fast pace of climate change.

Government and commercial interest and investment are spurring a new industrial base for the space industry.

Why it matters: The transformation will set up the space economy for the coming decades, playing a major role in just how much the industry can grow.

A stifling heat wave enveloping the Pacific Northwest and western Canada is expected to expand this week, threatening more temperature records.

The big picture: The weather map looks "strongly reminiscent" of late June 2021, which produced a deadly excessive heat event in the Pacific Northwest, experts say.