The Stream, June 7: High-Tide Flooding in the U.S. Doubled In Last 30 Years, Study Finds

The Global Rundown

A new report reveals that high-tide flooding in the United States has doubled in the past 30 years. Wales offers 200 million pounds ($268 million) in funding toward the world’s first tidal lagoon project. Tasmania earmarks 14 possible hydropower sites in an aim to double its renewable energy capacity. Data shows that tropical cyclones around the world are moving more slowly than they did 60 years ago. Amid crippling drought, Australian farmers express frustration over dismissive climate comments made by the National party.

“My family has been on properties out in Western Australia for over 100 years. We can say this has well and truly moved beyond natural cyclical patterns.” –Verity Morgan-Schmidt, a farmer in Western Australia and CEO of Farmers for Climate Action, in reference to the impact of climate change on weather conditions across Australia. May 2018 has been the third-driest May on record in the country. Despite the extreme weather, lawmakers in Australia’s National party have questioned whether the drought should be attributed to climate change, fearing that the issue will become overly politicized. The Guardian

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By The Numbers

14 Number of pumped hydropower sites that have been earmarked in Tasmania. The Australian state hopes to be the “battery of the nation” by doubling its renewable energy capacity through hydropower and wind farms. The hydro sites could generate up to 4,800 megawatts of energy. The Guardian

£200 million ($268 million) Amount of funding that Wales has offered to help build the world’s first tidal lagoon project. If built, the horseshoe-shaped lagoon would lie in Wales’ Swansea Bay and capture tidal power as part of a renewable energy scheme. Britain is still deliberating whether it will undertake the £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) project. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

A new study finds that tropical cyclones across the globe are moving about 10 percent more slowly than they did in the late 1940s and 1950s. The slowdown is causing storms, like last year’s Hurricane Harvey, to dump more rain as they make landfall. The New York Times

On The Radar

A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that high-tide flooding in the United States is happening twice as often as it did 30 years ago. The study estimates that the phenomenon will likely become even more frequent in coming decades as sea levels continue to rise. Minneapolis Star Tribune

Kayla Ritter

Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter