Heat and wildfire smoke force residents to seek respite – and buy cooling systems and air purifiers, if they can afford them. Wildfire smoke had painted the sky orange last week when Sam, a Bay Area resident, plugged in his newest purchase: an air filter with a car adapter that would turn his minivan into
The wildfires devastating huge areas of California are still roaring out of control, with more than two million acres of land devastated and more than 14,000 firefighters fighting the blazes across the state. The latest fires have already made this the state’s worst wildfire season on record – and what are typically the most dangerous
In the last decade, amid drought and searing heat, California has entered the ‘era of megafires’ and has become the ‘examplar for climate change extreme events today’ There’s an idea that when the climate crisis begins, we will know it. Movies present it as a moment when the world’s weather suddenly turns apocalyptic: winds howl,
The year 2020 continued to make history as a terrible time as America received its first-ever warning of firenadoes. “The Reno office of the National Weather Service warned Northern California of a fiery tornado Saturday afternoon that had sprung up near a large, fast-moving wildfire in the Sierra. That’s right: A firenado,” the Sacramento Bee
A community sports centre in the central Victorian town of Hepburn has been given a solar and battery makeover that will slash the facility’s power costs while also bolstering its role as a dedicated place of last resort in the event of a bushfire. The 25kW solar array and 13.5kWh Telsa Powerwall 2 battery
As utilities turn off power to prevent wildfires, more homeowners are looking to install battery backup systems The threat of chronic blackouts is sparking a rush to install battery backup systems as California homeowners try to avoid disruptive power cuts related to wildfires. Blackouts are increasingly a part of life as Pacific Gas and
The next several months could bring hurricanes, floods and fire, on top of the pandemic currently raging through the country. How do you shelter in place during an evacuation? Two and a half years ago Hurricane Maria ripped open homes across the southern Puerto Rican city of Ponce, destroying the rickety electrical grid and sending
Experts concerned young people’s mental health particularly hit by reality of the climate crisis Over the past few weeks Clover Hogan has found herself crying during the day and waking up at night gripped by panic. The 20-year-old, who now lives in London, grew up in Queensland, Australia, cheekbyjowl with the country’s wildlife, fishing
Even as the country fights bushfires, it can’t stop dumping planet-warming pollution into the atmosphere. Australia is caught in a climate spiral. For the past few decades, the arid and affluent country of 25 million has padded out its economy—otherwise dominated by sandy beaches and a bustling service sector—by selling coal to the world.
Research from a now defunded Australian adaptation centre has found social barriers are the biggest obstacle to effective action Talking to a fourth-generation grazier west of Townsville a few years ago, Prof Stephen Williams says he “made the mistake” of mentioning climate change. “He said it was bullshit, but we kept talking,” the James