Lauren Sommer

Lauren Sommer appears in the following:

With Extreme Fires Burning, Forest Service Stops 'Good Fires' Too

Monday, August 09, 2021

Controlled burns help reduce wildfire risk by clearing out overgrown vegetation. The U.S. Forest Service is suspending them, concerning fire scientists.

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'Good' Fires Can Help Slow Wildfires, But The Forest Service Is Too Busy To Use Them

Monday, August 09, 2021

Federal agencies are doubling down on stopping extreme wildfires. They're also limiting the use of fire to help with fire prevention, which is concerning some fire scientists.

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Western Wildfires Have Destroyed More Than Last Year, And It's Not Even Peak Season

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Extreme heat and on-going drought have made Western wildfires a national challenge this summer, with smoke moving from coast-to-coast. The peak of fire season isn't even here yet.

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Google Plans To Expand Its Campus — Which Might Become Unsafe As Sea Levels Rise

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

In Silicon Valley, Google has acquired billions of dollars of property that's at risk for flooding as sea levels continue to rise. That's raising questions about whether it's safe to build at all.

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Coastal Residents Question Where Funds Will Come From To Fight Rising Sea Levels

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Facebook's campus on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay is at risk from rising sea levels. So is a nearby low-income community. That's raising questions about who should be paying for climate change.

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Who Will Pay To Protect Tech Giants From Rising Seas?

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Coastal cities need billions of dollars to build defenses against sea level rise. Tensions are rising over where that funding will come from: taxpayers or private companies with waterfront property?

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The Drought In The Western U.S. Is Getting Bad. Climate Change Is Making It Worse

Wednesday, June 09, 2021

A record dry year is creating extreme drought in the West. But even if it rains, climate change will continue to shrink the water supply for millions of people.

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A Hotter Climate Is Shrinking The Water Supply In The Western U.S.

Tuesday, June 08, 2021

Severe drought is spreading after a record dry year in the Western United States. Climate change is only making water shortages worse.

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Hurricanes, Drought And Fires: The U.S. Has An Intense Summer Ahead

Tuesday, June 01, 2021

Atlantic hurricane season kicks off on June 1, and it's supposed to be a slightly above average hurricane season. In the Western U.S., there's already a serious drought and elevated fire risk.

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Fearing Their Kids Will Inherit Dead Coral Reefs, Scientists Are Urging Bold Action

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Hotter oceans are putting coral reefs in peril worldwide. Scientists are warning that to save them, heat-trapping emissions must fall, and reefs will need more protection and restoration.

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Biden Administration Strikes A Deal To Bring Offshore Wind To California

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

For years, the Navy has objected to offshore wind farms on the California coast. The Biden administration announced a deal for new projects, crucial to achieving its climate change policy.

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Got Mud? For Coastal Cities, Humble Dirt Has Become A Hot Commodity

Saturday, May 01, 2021

Coastal communities will need massive amounts of mud and dirt to protect their shorelines from rising seas. One federal agency has it, but most is disposed of instead of reused.

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How The U.S. Could Halve Climate Emissions By 2030

Friday, April 16, 2021

Environmental groups and business leaders are pushing President Biden to cut U.S. emissions 50% by 2030. The question is: what kind of climate policies will work that fast?

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In Hotter Climate, 'Zombie' Urchins Are Winning And Kelp Forests Are Losing

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Kelp forests along Northern California have almost vanished. Divers and scientists are racing to stop purple sea urchins from taking over critical habitat.

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One Of Biden's Biggest Climate Change Challenges? The Oceans

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Climate change is hitting the oceans hard, both warming and acidifying the water. Ocean scientists are hoping the Biden Administration dives in quickly to address it.

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How Giant Batteries Are Protecting The Most Vulnerable In Blackouts

Monday, March 08, 2021

Power outages are increasingly common, putting everything from clean drinking water to medical equipment at risk. Some communities are installing solar power and large batteries to protect themselves.

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How Fast Are Oceans Rising? The Answer May Be In Century-Old Shipping Logs

Monday, March 01, 2021

A century ago, the shipping industry recorded the daily ebb and flow of tides. Now, those records are becoming crucial for forecasting how fast sea levels are rising in a warming climate.

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How Fast Will Biden Need To Move On Climate? Really, Really Fast

Tuesday, February 02, 2021

Scientists say the next decade is crucial for slowing climate change. To catch up, President Biden's environmental policies will have to move faster than any in history.

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A Look At The Future Of Biden's Climate Change Policies

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

President Biden has made climate change a focus of his first week in office. But it could take years before many of the executive actions he's highlighted to tackle the issue have a noticeable impact.

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Biden To Move Quickly On Climate Change, Reversing Trump Rollbacks

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

President Biden has set his sights on more than 100 Trump administration environmental rollbacks as well as plans to rejoin the international climate accord.

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