Climate Change Archives

Feds propose protection for giant salamanders devastated by Hurricane Helene

A giant salamander that evolved on the supercontinent Pangaea and outlived the dinosaurs has been proposed for federal protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The eastern hellbender would be protected under the Endangered Species Act if Friday’s submission is adopted. The slimy brown amphibian is the largest in North America and one of two subspecies in the U.S. It inhabits the rocky beds of clear, cool rivers near the Appalachian Mountains. Its population in the U.S. has rapidly declined in recent decades. Dams, industry and flooding worsened by climate change and from Hurricane Helene have threatened its habitat and ability to reproduce and find food.… Continue Reading

Shock of deadly floods is a reminder of Appalachia’s risk from violent storms in a warming climate

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Helene dumped heavy rain on a mountainous region hundreds of miles away from the coast. Some residents who live in the Appalachian Mountains were surprised they faced such a severe threat from flooding — and climate change is making that threat worse. The landscape adds to the problem. Water runs down steep slopes into narrow, populated valleys. Some experts say federal flood maps underestimate flood risk in the region. The floods have killed dozens in North Carolina, breaking apart roads and destroying critical infrastructure.… Continue Reading

‘Short corn’ could replace the towering cornfields steamrolled by a changing climate

WYOMING, Iowa (AP) — Taking a country drive in the Midwest means venturing into the corn zone. Snaking between 12-foot-tall green, leafy walls, the corn seems to block out nearly everything other than an occasional water tower. But soon, that towering corn might become a miniature of its former self, replaced by stalks only half as tall as the current green giants. The short corn offers farmers a variety that can withstand powerful windstorms that could become more frequent due to climate change. The smaller plants also let farmers plant at greater density, so they can grow more corn on the same amount of land and increase their profits. That is especially helpful as farmers endure low prices.… Continue Reading