Let’s not forget that the military and security sectors are often the first responders to environmental crises. As they struggle to manage multiple and parallel issues, the burden could limit their ability to meet any one challenge. Keep Reading
The year-to-date (YTD) average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 53.0 degrees F (1.8 degrees above the average), making it the 14th-warmest YTD on record. California, Nevada and Oregon each saw their warmest YTD. Keep Reading
The southern portion of the Great Salt Lake is at a new historic low, with average daily water levels dropping about an inch below the previous record set in 1963, according to U.S. Geological Survey information collected at the SaltAir gauge location. Keep Reading
The SaltAir gauge has a current average daily value just 2.4 inches, or 0.2 feet, above its historic low. The USGS maintains a record of Great Salt Lake elevations dating back to 1847. Keep Reading
From 2008 to 2018, natural disasters have cost the agricultural sectors of developing economies more than $108 billion in damaged crop and livestock production. Beyond the damage to countries’ economies, the consequences for food security and nutrition are profound. Keep Reading
The lingering effects of conflict, economic shocks, and recurrent environmental hazards, such as drought and the worst flooding in more than a century, have resulted in more than nine million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Keep Reading
Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center — a division of the National Weather Service — are also closely monitoring persistent drought during the winter months ahead, with more than 45% of the continental U.S. now experiencing drought. Keep Reading
September will be remembered as a month of extremes: Historic wildfires burned across the West, unprecedented tropical activity churned up the Atlantic, and parts of the country saw record heat. Keep Reading
The climate emergency generated by global warming, is exacerbating existing risks to international peace and security, while also creating new ones. Keep Reading
The very fact that you are reading an article about Earth Day here at Homeland Security Today is a reflection of how far our understanding has reached since the first Earth Day in 1970. Keep Reading
With the western United States and northern Mexico suffering an ever-lengthening string of dry years starting in 2000, scientists warn that climate change may be pushing the region toward an extreme long-term drought worse than any in recorded history. Keep Reading
Recent water-related tragedies in Syria, Africa’s Sahel region and elsewhere present the prospect of darker times ahead, but there are many things we can do right now to improve the chance for a soft landing and a brighter future. This won’t happen on a business-as-usual path, however. Keep Reading
Including 2017's hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, 38 tropical cyclones impacting the U.S. have caused at least $850.5 billion in total damages. Keep Reading