The Coastal States Organization represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories, and Commonwealths on ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource issues.
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NOAA Releases 'Climate Stripes' StoryMap, Illustrating U.S. Climate Trends by State and County | |
Climate Stripes for the contiguous United States from 1895 - 2023 (Image credit: NOAA) | |
NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information has released a StoryMap, titled "Climate Stripes." This work was inspired by the work of British climate scientist Ed Hawkins, who in 2018 created a collection of graphics that have become known as “Climate Stripes.” These bar-code-like images turn a location’s annual climate data into a row of colored stripes. Each stripe shows one year's temperature or precipitation compared to the long-term average—red bars for warm years, and blue for cool ones; green for wet years, and brown for dry ones. The darker the color, the bigger the difference from average. Inspired by Hawkins’ images, NOAA's Climate Stripes collection is based on the NOAA climate record for U.S. states; counties; Washington, D.C.; and selected stations in Hawaii.
In the above image, [...] the annual average temperature of the United States has warmed at a rate of 0.16 degrees Fahrenheit per decade between 1895 and 2023. The darkest red bar that appears near the right side of the temperature image is the current warmest year on record for the country—2012, when the annual average temperature was 55.28 degrees Fahrenheit, 3.26 degrees warmer than the 20th-century average of 52.02 degrees Fahrenheit.
The StoryMap also links to more data about climate change across the US, including the Climate Explorer , part of the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. The StoryMap is an excellent resource for immediate, visually powerful climate change data. Read more here.
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In the States and Territories | |
Ambitious Living Shoreline Project Combats Coastal Land Loss in South Carolina
With $6.8 million from NOAA, The Nature Conservancy will build a 2,000-foot-long living shoreline near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. The organization will also help low-income landowners implement living shorelines on their properties. Joy Brown, Resilient Communities Program Director for The Nature Conservancy, connected with an important strategic partner—the Department of Defense—to create a living shoreline in South Carolina. “At a climate resilience meeting in 2022, Joy Brown told me she was trying to get a NOAA grant for living shorelines,” says Gary Herndon, Natural and Cultural Resources Manager for Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. “I said, ‘You know what? I think I know the perfect spot for what you’re doing. Erosion is impacting housing units adjacent to Laurel Bay near the base. Some trees already have their roots exposed and are starting to topple over and die.’” The 2,000-foot-long living shoreline will be a model for future projects with the Department of Defense and other major coastal players. This spring, volunteers from the local community, the Marines, and the Sustainability Institute’s Environmental Conservation Corps began building the shoreline. The living shoreline will be composed of almost 42,000 “oyster castles,” four-walled interlocking concrete blocks that attract oyster larvae. Read more here.
The Union of Concerned Scientists Predicts Extensive Coastal Flooding is in Florida's Future
A new scientific report suggests more and more U.S. coastlines will see regular flooding as a consequence of climate change. The report was released June 25th by the Union of Concerned Scientists and has particularly serious ramifications for the state of Florida. Erika Spanger, report author and the director of strategic climate analytics at the Union of Concerned Scientists, says, "Florida is one of the highest risk states when it comes to climate change between the heat you're experiencing, the flooding you just endured in June, now possibly a record hurricane season brewing. Floridians have been hit hard already just this year. And the flooding of critical infrastructure my report is talking about is that 'sunny day' flooding that you're seeing in locations. And it's not a question of 'if' but a question of 'when.'" Spranger highlights that the report "helps to break down the 'when' so we can see it coming and get ahead of this reality because no one wants their community surprised by disruptive flooding." Read more here.
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Hurricane Beryl Leaves Millions in Texas Without Power Amid High Heat and Humidity
2.7 million homes and businesses in Texas lacked electricity as of July 10, 2024, down from a peak of over 2.7 million on Monday, according to PowerOutage.us. State officials faced questions over whether the power utility that covers much of the area had sufficiently prepared. High temperatures Tuesday climbed into the 90s (above 32.2 Celsius) with humidity that made it feel even hotter. The National Weather Service described the conditions as potentially dangerous, given the lack of power and air conditioning. Read more here.
New French Quarter Management District Programs Recycles Glass to Aid Coastal Restoration Efforts
New Orleans residents and visitors can now drop-off glass and other recyclable materials at the Louisiana Jazz Museum [...] as part of a new program designed to improve the quality of life for all who live, work or visit the French Quarter. Glass Half Full, a Louisiana nonprofit, recycles glass “waste” into sand and gravel for disaster relief, coastal restoration and eco construction. Each French Quarter site will accept glass, aluminum, paper/cardboard, and plastics #1 and #2. Read more here.
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Making the Great Lakes Accessible for People with Mobility Disabilities
When Lorri Kovitz, a dedicated member of the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association (NWIPA), lost her leg to cancer, she inspired NWIPA president Dan Plath to enhance Indiana paddling accessibility. He learned about the EZ Launch, a type of universally accessible kayak launch that could be built on one of NWIPA’s popular paddling locations on Trail Creek in Michigan City, Indiana. He began pursuing a grant for an EZ Launch through the Trail Creek Watershed Committee. Though Lorri passed away before the EZ Launch was installed, the Lorri Kovitz Accessible Kayak Launch [...] provided inspiration for [...] planning, fundraising, and installation of EZ Launches throughout northwest Indiana. Since 2015, NWIPA and its more than 2,000 members have established seven universally accessible boat launches to help people of all abilities enjoy water sports—[...] making Indiana the most accessible canoe and kayak location in the world. Read more here.
$10.7 Million Awarded for Great Lakes Conservation
Native habitats along Lake Erie’s coastal wetlands, Green Bay and the Montezuma Wetlands Complex will be restored after the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) allocated more than $84.3 million in North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants matched by over $139.8 million in partner funds. Ducks Unlimited (DU) had four Great Lakes Initiative (GLI) projects approved by the MBCC, including the Western Lake Erie Project I (Ohio), Lake Erie Coastal Wetlands IV (Ohio), Green Bay – Marquette Coastal III (Wisconsin) and Northern Montezuma Wetlands Complex V (New York). DU CEO Adam Putnam celebrated the NAWCA funding, stating, “While the program was designed to benefit migratory birds and their habitat, the benefits of NAWCA extend to our water supply, the resilience of our communities, the strength of our outdoor economy, and so much more. Much of that success is owed to its consistent, bipartisan support from Congress, and we’re looking forward to getting these new projects underway.” Read more here.
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Oahu Coral Group Gears Up To Help Maui’s Battered Reefs
A community-driven effort to restore coral reefs is getting underway on Maui. With funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others, Kuleana Coral Restoration is training local workers to restore degraded coral reefs, enhance fish habitat and build coastal resilience. Kuleana Coral has outplanted more than 2,500 coral fragments and colonies on Oahu. After setting up seven project sites on the state’s most populous island, the organization is developing community-based coral restoration areas on Maui and elsewhere in Hawaii. With Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, Kuleana Coral is planning to restore reefs in Kihei, a South Maui community that experiences heavy sedimentation and urban runoff during storms. The group’s strategy is to collaborate with land-based partners that help watersheds heal from mauka to makai, or ridge to shoreline. Kuleana Coral’s focus is less research-based and more hands-on, getting ordinary people out into the water and uplands to do the mauka-to-makai work that will help save Hawaii’s coral reefs from further decline. Read more here.
CEC Adopts Offshore Wind Energy Strategic Plan to Support California’s 100% Clean Electricity Future
The California Energy Commission (CEC) took a major step toward achieving the state’s 100 percent clean electricity future by adopting a comprehensive strategic plan that will guide the development of offshore wind energy, one of the largest untapped sources of renewable energy in the state. The plan outlines analysis and strategies to deploy floating turbines off the state’s central and northern coasts with a planning goal of 25,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity by 2045, enough to power 25 million homes. This transformative effort advances California's ambitious clean energy goals to deliver substantial economic benefits statewide. The plan underscores a commitment to responsible development that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and pollution impacts for the climate, in communities, to public health and to the environment, and minimizes impacts to California Native American tribes, ocean users and marine wildlife. Read more here.
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Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Thursday, July 25, 2024
August 26-29, 2024
October 6-10, 2024
October 7-9, 2024
October 28-29, 2024
November 11-15, 2024
November 12-14, 2024
January 27-30, 2025
NOAA Science Seminar Series
NOAA Digital Coast Training Calendar
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[NEW] Biden-Harris Administration Invests $120 Million to Help Tribes Build Climate Resilience
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience (TCR) announced the 2024 Annual Awards Program request for proposals (RFP), which is open starting on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, to Federally-recognized Tribes and Tribal organizations as defined in 25 U.S.C. § 5304(l) (other entities may participate as sub-grantees). This program will provide approximately $120 million (M) in funding in FY24 support for Tribal climate resiliency. Tribes and Tribal organizations will be able to apply for grants in the planning and implementation categories, which encompasses a range of activities affecting every Tribe, such as climate adaptation planning, drought measures, wildland fire mitigation, community-driven relocation, managed retreat, protect-in-place efforts, and ocean and coastal management. The BIA will provide technical assistance to support Tribes and Tribal organizations in applying for these funds, including an informational webinar, a grant writing webinar and virtual office hours to help answer questions. Proposals should be submitted via the website linked on the Annual Awards Program Solicitation page. All 2024 award applications must be submitted online by Friday, October 18, 2024. Read more here.
[NEW] EPA Launches EJSCREEN 2.3, The Community Environmental Justice Mapping Tool & Trainings
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed its annual update to EJScreen, the Agency's publicly available environmental justice (EJ) screening and mapping tool. EJScreen 2.3 makes important improvements to better meet the needs of users, including a redesigned and enhanced report, a new environmental indicator with corresponding indexes, and refreshed demographic and environmental data. The main purpose of these annual EJScreen updates is to incorporate the newest available demographic and environmental datasets. It will also features new map layers on extreme heat, modeled drinking water service areas, private drinking water wells, and EPA environmental justice grants. EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights will hold multiple trainings and office hours to help users with the update.
[NEW] The Chisholm Legacy Project Launches its Black Liberation and Just Transition Certification Program
The Chisolm Legacy Project is excited to announce the launch of its Black Liberation and Just Transition Certification Program. This transformative initiative prepares participants to lead climate justice efforts using the Just Transition framework, which guides us in moving from an extractive economy based on greed to a regenerative economy based on deep democracy, sustainability, and solidarity. The certificate program ensures that Black communities have access to resources, information, and organizations that support self-determination and Black Liberation. This program offers a justice-based foundation in community-based participatory research, governance, policy, practice, strategic communications, and advocacy strategy. Upon completion, participants will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools to serve as agents of change and stewards of justice across various levels. Apply here.
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Releases Agency Climate Adaptation Plans, Demonstrates Leadership in Building Climate Resilience
The Biden-Harris Administration released updated Climate Adaptation Plans developed by more than 20 federal agencies that expand agency efforts to ensure their facilities, employees, resources, and operations are increasingly resilient to climate change impacts like extreme weather. This work advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Climate Resilience Framework, which helps to align climate resilience investments across the public and private sector through common principles and opportunities for action to build a climate-resilient nation. These efforts are backed by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, through which more than $50 billion is being delivered to advance climate adaptation and resilience across the nation, including in communities that are the most vulnerable to climate impacts. Read more here.
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The views expressed in articles referenced here are those of the authors and do not represent or reflect the views of CSO.
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