Madeline Heim, Grist Dams across the country are aging and facing intensifying floods wrought by climate change. But the price tag to fix what’s broken is estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Residents walk through the area where the Jersey Valley Dam once operated in Vernon County, Wisconsin, …
EPA readies $2.6 billion to replace every lead water pipe in a decade
By Avery Lotz, Axios The White House and the EPA will tap $2.6 billion from President Biden’s signature infrastructure law to replace every lead drinking water pipe in the country within a decade as part of a newly unveiled EPA rule. Why it matters: The toxic effects of lead in drinking water became national …
Hurricane Helene could cost $200 billion. Nobody knows where the money will come from.
By Jake Bittle, Grist Almost none of the storm’s devastation will be paid out by insurance. Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post via Getty Images Even as the full scale of devastation in the mountainous regions of North Carolina and Tennessee remains unknown, it’s clear that Hurricane Helene is one …
New York city’s biggest geothermal building just opened on Coney Island, and you can live in it
By Elissaveta M. Brandon, Fast Company New York City’s largest geothermal development has just opened on Coney Island. 1515 Surf is located just off the neighborhood’s famous boardwalk. The 16-story, 463-unit residential tower was developed by LCOR and designed by Studio V. It sits on top of an intricate geothermal system that …
Where old-growth forests are clear-cut, there’s fire
By Erica Gies, Corporate Knights Wet’suwet’en fight to protect dwindling ancient forests in British Columbia. WET’SUWET’EN, Canada — The pilot flew over squares of clear-cuts and tree plantations, then rolled the helicopter around Hudson Bay Mountain in north-central British Columbia. We were following directions from David de Wit, the acting …
Plans for lithium extraction in one of California’s poorest regions raise concerns
Fast Company Imperial County happens to be sitting on enough lithium to produce nearly 400 million batteries. Geothermal and lithium operations near Niland, California, and the Salton Sea [Photo: David McNew/Getty Images] Imperial County consistently ranks among the most economically distressed places in California. Its Salton Sea, the state’s biggest and most toxic …
The secret ingredient in Biden’s climate law? City trees.
By Matt Simon, Grist Planting trees in cities sounds simple. Here’s why the Forest Service is spending $1.5 billion on it. Citizen of the Planet/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images You’ve probably heard that the Biden administration’s signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, gives people big rebates and tax …
Amsterdam’s gorgeous green roofs have hidden reservoirs to capture rainwater
By Adele Peters, Fast Company The city’s network of blue-green roofs have water-storing technology to help prevent flooding. [Photo: Courtesy of Orbia] If you walk up to the roof of a social-housing apartment building in Amsterdam, you’ll see a sprawling garden covered in plants. Hidden under the flowers and grass is …
Designing with Nature, Not Against – It Takes a Village (or Town)
By Syd Kitson, Sustainable Brands The continued growth and success of Babcock Ranch, the US’s first solar-powered town, serves as an inspiration for communities around the world seeking to leave a positive impact on the planet. When venturing out to create something new, there is no roadmap to follow. When …
This coastal tribe has a radical vision for fighting sea-level rise in the Hamptons
By Joseph Lee, Vox Next to some of the priciest real estate in the world, the Shinnecock Nation refuses to merely retreat from its vulnerable shoreline. There’s a modest hill in Seneca Bowen’s yard that gently slopes upward, away from an inlet that leads into southeastern Long Island’s Shinnecock Bay …