Search Climate Insights Directory

The Private Equity Stakeholder Project and associated community organizations are requesting a meeting with TPG Capital to address the aggressive foreclosure activities of Rushmore Loan Management Services. The letter highlights Rushmore's role as a major owner of repossessed residential properties in Puerto Rico and its high foreclosure rates on mortgages acquired from Freddie Mac and HUD in Florida and Texas. In response to the impacts of Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Harvey, the authors demand an immediate halt to all foreclosure proceedings in these affected zones.

The report evaluates the US coal fleet's economic viability against alternatives like natural gas and renewables, finding that 38% of the 2016 fleet faces an uncertain near-term future due to being either uneconomic or announced for retirement. It also estimates that emissions reductions from 2008 to 2016 provided $250 billion in public health and climate benefits. A proximity analysis indicates that while many coal plants are located in low-income and minority communities, the demographic distribution of the fleet has not changed significantly during the transition.

The document highlights how Hurricanes Irma and Harvey triggered toxic spills and explosions at industrial sites and Superfund locations in Texas and Florida. It specifically cites the Arkema chemical plant explosion and benzene contamination in Houston's Manchester neighborhood. The text argues that these disasters are exacerbated by the Trump administration's delays of the Financial Assurance Rule and the Chemical Disaster Rule, as well as insufficient federal regulation of coal ash ponds. It emphasizes that low-income communities and communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of these environmental hazards.

The text examines how regional governments and cities can maintain climate ambitions despite national withdrawals from international agreements, such as the US's proposed exit from the Paris Agreement. It highlights the Under2MoU as a global sub-national alliance and details Baden-Württemberg's legal and strategic approach to climate neutrality, while noting that regional success remains dependent on supportive national and EU frameworks.

The text emphasizes that while climate change is a global challenge requiring national commitments like the Paris Agreement, effective action is often anchored at the subnational level. It highlights the Under2MoU alliance, co-founded by Baden-Württemberg and California, as a model for regional leadership. The author, Franz Untersteller, details Baden-Württemberg's specific goals—including a 90% emission reduction by 2050—while noting that regional success is limited by the need for stronger regulatory frameworks from the German federal government and the European Union.

The briefing presents a business case for applying R-PACE financing to new residential construction to achieve net-zero energy (NZE) goals. It identifies key market barriers—such as high up-front costs and split incentives between builders and buyers—and proposes a policy framework to integrate R-PACE into new builds. RMI's analysis across six U.S. states suggests that NZE homes can be delivered with no additional up-front cost to the buyer, providing annual energy savings that exceed the PACE assessment payments.

The document argues that federal light-duty vehicle standards set by the EPA and NHTSA provide significant financial and environmental benefits to Florida, including billions in savings and job creation, while reducing global warming emissions.

A coalition of environmental and animal welfare organizations urges the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to withdraw proposed incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs) for five industrial seismic surveys off the U.S. East Coast. The document argues that NMFS used outdated scientific thresholds to underestimate the 'take' of marine mammals, failed to account for cumulative impacts of multiple surveys, and ignored significant harm to prey species and acoustic habitats. It specifically highlights the risk to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, asserting that the proposed activity could be a "tipping point" for the species' survival. The coalition further claims that the proposed mitigation measures, such as seasonal closures and visual monitoring, are insufficient and not based on the best available science.

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies several California communities, including Alameda and San Mateo, that face 'chronic flooding'—defined as high tides flooding 10% or more of usable land at least 26 times per year—by the end of the century. Under a high-emission scenario, these impacts could arrive by 2080. Critical national security infrastructure, such as the Naval Station San Diego, is also at risk. The document argues that limiting global warming to 1.8°C could prevent any California community from reaching the chronic flooding threshold by 2100 and urges immediate policy reforms regarding coastal development, disaster funding, and population relocation.

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies numerous Florida communities at risk of chronic flooding—defined as high tides flooding 10% or more of usable non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. Under an intermediate sea-level rise scenario, five communities will face chronic flooding by 2035 and 53 by 2100. High-risk areas like Miami Beach and Cayo Biscayne could see 60% and 50% of their area chronically flooded by 2060, respectively. The document argues that limiting global warming to approximately 1.8°C could save between 13 and 71 Florida communities from such flooding by the end of the century. Recommended actions include updating flood risk maps, reforming insurance premiums, funding FEMA programs, and implementing population relocation strategies for chronically flooded areas.

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies numerous New Jersey communities facing 'chronic flooding'—defined as high tides flooding 10% or more of usable non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. Under an intermediate scenario, 21 communities will face this by 2035, increasing to over 100 by 2100. Under a high scenario, 73 communities are exposed by 2060 and 131 by 2100, including Newark and Elizabeth. The report argues that reducing global warming could save 28 or more communities by 2060 and 45 to 73 by 2100. Recommended actions include updating flood risk maps, reforming insurance premiums, funding FEMA programs, and implementing population relocation strategies.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies numerous Florida communities facing 'chronic inundation'—defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. Under an intermediate sea level rise scenario, five communities will face this by 2035 and 53 by 2100. In a high scenario, Miami Beach and Key Biscayne could see 60% and 50% of their areas chronically inundated by 2060, respectively. The report argues that limiting global warming to approximately 1.8°C could spare between 39 and 71 Florida communities from this fate by 2100. To address these risks, UCS advocates for halting risky coastal development, enhancing disaster response frameworks like FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and creating new policies for managed retreat and relocation.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) defines 'chronic inundation' as tidal flooding affecting 10% or more of a community's usable land at least 26 times per year. Under a moderate (intermediate) scenario, nearly 170 communities will reach this threshold by 2035, increasing to over 270 by 2060 and nearly 490 by 2100. A high scenario projects up to 670 communities affected by 2100, including over 50 populous cities such as New York City (four boroughs), Boston, and Oakland. The report highlights that socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods are disproportionately affected and argues that aggressive emissions reductions aligned with the Paris Agreement could spare hundreds of communities from this fate. Adaptation options include defending (seawalls, levees), accommodating (elevating homes, pumps), and managed retreat.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies that all of Georgia's oceanfront communities face chronic inundation by 2100 under an intermediate sea level rise scenario. The report highlights that Savannah and Brunswick will see significant land area loss by 2045 and 2060, while suggesting that limiting global warming to 1.8°C could spare some communities. It advocates for a science-based approach to adaptation, including updating flood maps, reforming insurance, and creating relocation programs.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies significant risks of chronic inundation for New Jersey coastal communities, with 21 communities expected to be affected by 2035 under an intermediate scenario and over 100 by 2100. The report highlights that major metropolitan areas like Newark and Elizabeth face substantial land loss by 2100 and suggests that limiting global warming to 1.8°C could spare dozens of communities from this fate. To address these risks, UCS advocates for phasing out risky coastal development, enhancing disaster response funding, and creating new policies for managed retreat and relocation.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies numerous North Carolina communities facing 'chronic inundation'—defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year—by 2035 and 2100. Under an intermediate scenario, 13 communities will face this by 2035 and 36 by 2100; under a high scenario, 43 will be affected by 2060 and 63 by 2100. The report emphasizes that curtailing warming could spare between 23 and 37 communities from chronic inundation by the end of the century. Recommended actions include updating flood risk maps, reforming insurance, enhancing FEMA funding, and creating programs for managed retreat and relocation.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies numerous Texas communities at risk of 'chronic inundation'—defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. Under an intermediate scenario, two communities (Bolivar Peninsula and Sabine Pass) will face this by 2035, increasing to 17 by 2100. In a high scenario, Galveston faces chronic inundation by 2030 and Port Arthur by 2070. The report argues that limiting warming to approximately 1.8°C could spare several communities from this fate and calls for updated flood risk maps, reformed insurance, and funded relocation programs.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies that multiple Virginia communities face 'chronic inundation'—defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year—by 2100. Under an intermediate scenario, three communities will be affected by 2035 and 21 by 2100; under a high scenario, 38 communities will be exposed by the century's end. The report highlights specific risks to Poquoson, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton, and military installations like Joint Base Langley-Eustis and Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex. It argues that limiting global warming to approximately 1.8°C could spare 16 to 30 communities from this fate by 2100. Recommended responses include phasing out risky coastal development, enhancing FEMA's mitigation grants, and creating new programs for retreat and relocation.

The 2016 assessment reveals a significant decline in elephant ivory availability in historical physical markets like New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, potentially due to state-level bans. However, the market appears to be pivoting toward online platforms and states without strict regulations, such as Washington, DC and Oregon. The report documents 1,589 items in physical retail and 2,056 items across six online platforms, noting widespread confusion among vendors regarding legal exemptions and a trend of mislabeling ivory as 'bone' or 'mammoth' to evade detection.

The authors describe the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement as a historical, economic, and geopolitical error that could slow global progress but may also act as a catalyst for other nations and US subnational entities to maintain climate commitments.