Climate

Central Texas is Flooding, Again
Let me take you back to 2018, a year that saw the second year of Trump’s Presidency; the Philadelphia Eagles winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history; the release of Marvel’s Black Panther; the end of the Kepler Space Telescope mission; and the “14 separate billion-dollar disaster events including: two tropical cyclones, eight severe storms, two winter storms, drought, and wildfires,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA.
By Amanda Starksabout a year ago in Earth
Google Inks $3 Billion US Hydropower Deal, Largest Clean Energy Agreement of Its Kind
In a transformative move for clean energy and corporate sustainability, Google has inked a $3 billion hydropower agreement in the United States, marking the largest deal of its kind in renewable energy history. This partnership underscores Google's ambition to power its data centers and offices exclusively with carbon-free energy by 2030. The hydropower deal is a cornerstone strategy to decarbonize operations and meet escalating demands for green energy.
By Kageno Hoshinoabout a year ago in Earth
New Jersey Flooding: Causes, Impacts, and Safety Tips
New Jersey flooding is a growing concern. Learn about its causes, recent events, and how to stay safe during flash floods. New Jersey flooding has become a recurring nightmare for residents, with extreme weather events causing widespread damage. From flash floods to coastal surges, the state faces increasing risks due to climate change and aging infrastructure. In this article, we’ll explore the latest incidents, causes, and safety measures to combat New Jersey flooding.
By Vincent Otiriabout a year ago in Earth
The Future of Renewable Energy
In an era where climate change presents one of the most significant threats to our planet, the transition to green energy is no longer a choice but a critical necessity. Global warming, driven by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, has created an urgent need to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources. Among these, wind energy stands out as one of the most promising and rapidly growing sectors. However, to unlock the full potential of wind power, we must overcome substantial challenges in the planning, design, and optimization of wind farms. This is where innovative companies like Norway's Vind.ai are entering the scene and changing the game (vind means wind in Norwegian).
By Sommersangabout a year ago in Earth
Environmental Protection’s Effects and Our Responsibility
The environment is not a separate issue. It is the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil that grows our food, and the ecosystems we share with countless other species.
By Irfan Aliabout a year ago in Earth
Japan's Smart Response to Climate Change
by Futoshi Tachino On a muggy midsummer afternoon in Japan, the cicadas of Kanagawa Prefecture raise their familiar chorus, yet the hum that truly defines the skyline comes from rooftops sparkling with photovoltaics and from battery arrays quietly balancing loads behind closed doors. Here, ecological hope is not an abstraction: the Japanese tradition of meticulous engineering meets an urgency carved by typhoons, earthquakes, and carbon budgets that will outlive every child born today.
By Futoshi Tachinoabout a year ago in Earth
Gaza's Desalination Pivot
by Futoshi Tachino The crucible Gaza is where climate vulnerability collides head‑on with political blockade. A joint World Water Day press release from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Palestinian Water Authority notes that 97 percent of water pumped from the Strip’s coastal aquifer fails World Health Organization standards—leaving most families to scrape by on as little as 3 to 15 litres a day (PCBS & PWA, 2024). When a July 2025 Israeli strike hit a queue of people filling jerrycans, Reuters described residents doubling back to brackish wells despite the risk of disease (Reuters, 2025). Layer the region’s projected heat on top of that. A 2021 study in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science warns that, without steep emissions cuts, parts of the Middle East and North Africa will face “super‑ and ultra‑extreme” heatwaves above 50 °C by late century (Zittis et al., 2021). With water scarce and temperatures soaring, Gaza’s humanitarian emergency easily mutates into a climate‑security tinderbox.
By Futoshi Tachinoabout a year ago in Earth
Kumi Naidoo
by Futoshi Tachino Meta Description: Discover how Kumi Naidoo, a seasoned South African activist, intertwines climate justice with human rights, leading global initiatives for sustainable change.
By Futoshi Tachinoabout a year ago in Earth
Bill McKibben
by Futoshi Tachino Meta Description: Discover how Bill McKibben, a seasoned environmentalist, is uniting generations to combat climate change through grassroots activism and policy advocacy.
By Futoshi Tachinoabout a year ago in Earth
Africa is Splitting
Africa is Splitting: The Slow Birth of a New Ocean Beneath the sun-scorched landscapes of eastern Africa, a geological drama of epic proportions is quietly unfolding. The very ground is tearing itself apart, heralding a future where the continent of Africa will be split in two, giving birth to a new ocean. This is not the plot of a disaster movie but a scientific reality driven by the inexorable forces of plate tectonics. The process, known as the East African Rift, is a powerful, albeit slow-motion, demonstration of our planet’s dynamic nature. At the heart of this continental cleavage is the Great Rift Valley, a vast geological trench stretching over 3,000 kilometres from the Gulf of Aden in the north down to Zimbabwe in the south. This rift is a divergent plate boundary, a place where tectonic plates are pulling away from each other. Specifically, the colossal African Plate is in the process of fracturing into two smaller plates: the larger Nubian Plate (which comprises most of the continent) and the smaller Somali Plate to the east. The engine driving this separation is believed to be a massive mantle plume—a column of abnormally hot rock rising from deep within the Earth's mantle. As this plume pushes upwards against the lithosphere (the rigid outer part of the Earth), it causes the crust to dome upwards, weaken, and stretch. This stretching results in the characteristic features seen across the region: vast, sunken valleys (grabens), towering volcanic mountains like Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, and frequent seismic activity. While the complete separation is millions of years away, the signs of its progress are already visible. The rate of separation varies along the rift, but in areas like the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia, it is estimated to be pulling apart at a rate of roughly $6-7$ millimetres annually. This may seem insignificant, but over geological time, it is more than enough to tear a continent asunder. In recent years, this slow process has made dramatic headlines. In 2018, a massive fissure, several kilometres long and dozens of feet deep, suddenly opened in southwestern Kenya, splitting a major highway and forcing families to flee their homes. This event was a stark and tangible reminder of the powerful forces at play, revealing a fault line that had been stretched to its breaking point by tectonic movement. The Afar Triangle is a particularly significant location. It is a "triple junction," the point where the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian tectonic plates meet and are all pulling away from one another. This unique geological hotspot is one of the few places on Earth where a continental rift can be seen transitioning into an oceanic rift. As the crust thins here, magma rises closer to the surface, creating a landscape dotted with volcanoes and geysers that resembles the floor of a nascent ocean. So, what is the ultimate fate of Africa? Geologists predict that in the next 5 to 10 million years, the process will reach its culmination. Seawater from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden will flood into the widening rift valley, creating a new, long, and narrow ocean basin. The Horn of Africa, along with Somalia, parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, will detach from the mainland to become a massive island continent, sometimes referred to as the "Somali Continent." The map of the world will be irrevocably redrawn. This future African island will have a new coastline facing the old continent, fundamentally altering geography, climate, and ecosystems. While this transformation is far beyond any human timescale, its beginnings are etched into the African landscape today. The Great Rift Valley is more than just a stunning natural wonder; it is a live laboratory for studying plate tectonics and a window into the planet-shaping forces that have sculpted our world for billions of years, and will continue to do so for billions more.
By Khan Shahabout a year ago in Earth
Italy’s Shifting Climate
Italy, my home away from home (or maybe just home, depending on the day!), is facing a big challenge. You know those super-hot summer days that just drain you? Well, it turns out they’re not just uncomfortable; they’re actually hitting our economy where it hurts and they are becoming more frequent. The extreme heat we’ve been experiencing isn’t just an environmental issue anymore; it’s a real economic force, and we need to talk about it. This week, Italy had over 20 cities with weather advisory (bollino rosso), due to its extreme high temperature.
By Andrea Zanonabout a year ago in Earth
Water Turns into Ice
Water is one of the most important substances on Earth. We drink it, cook with it, clean with it, and it covers most of our planet. But what happens when water gets really cold? It changes into something solid — ice. This simple but amazing process is called freezing. In this blog, we’ll explore how water turns into ice in a way that’s easy to understand for everyone, even kids and students.
By aadam khanabout a year ago in Earth