Where is the month going? It’s so crazy how January through April, each month felt like a year in and of itself, but since that point, we’ve been on fast forward. The end of summer always feels months away, but in one week, I leave for my annual August trip to Maine, where I hope to get some R&R! And, of course, lobster rolls.
This week’s must read: Debby showed how climate change is reshaping our understanding of storm severity (The Invading Sea)
“When Debby made landfall, she brought the usual suspects: heavy rain, gusty winds and a storm surge. Debby’s deluge on Florida’s Gulf Coast broke records, turning streets (and golf courses) into rivers and flooding homes. The flooding caused by Debby serves as a stark reminder that the rules of the game are changing — and climate change is the new referee,” writes Mary Anna Mancuso in her latest piece. “For decades, Category 1 hurricanes and tropical storms were generally considered manageable by comparison with Category 4 or 5 hurricane. They’d knock down some trees, cause power outages and make a mess of your backyard, but they weren’t expected to flood entire communities. However, as the planet warms, the atmosphere holds more moisture — about 7% more for every 1°C of warming. The physics are straightforward: Warmer air holds more water vapor, and when that moisture is released during a storm, it can result in devastating floods. Which means storms like Debby are now capable of unleashing torrential downpours that would have been unthinkable in the past.”
EcoRight Speaks, Season 9, Episode 1: In which Angela Larck interviews me about Glacial
Welcome back to our ninth season of the EcoRight Speaks! We are mixing it up with this premiere episode. As you may have guessed, I’m the guest! And our engagement director, Angela Larck, is the host, putting me in the hot seat!
Glacial: The Inside Story of Climate Politcs is the first Inside-the-Beltway account to lay bare the machinations of what went wrong in Washington—how and why our leaders failed to act on climate change as mounting scientific evidence underscored the urgency to do so. Glacial tells a story of behind-the-scenes infighting and power struggles that blocked or derailed federal legislative progress on climate change, even in times of bipartisanship and with polls showing most Americans favored action.
Even if you caught our webinar, you won’t want to miss this insightful (if I do say so myself) episode!
Coming up next week, Tyler Duvelius from the Conservative Energy Network. We have featured several of the CEN affiliates in the past but never someone from the original organization. Don’t forget to tune in!
This week’s (other) must listen: Downtown with Rich Kimball
In all the randomness, Rich Kimball was a student teacher at my high school in Old Town, Maine my senior year of high school. Currently, he hosts a radio show on the station owned by none other than Maine’s most famous author, Stephen King, whose wife Tabitha grew up in the house across the street from ours and after whom the Old Town library is named. Anyway, the power of social media reconnected us and he invited me to be on his show to talk about Glacial. Now I’m just hoping that Stephen King listens, buys the book, and spreads the good word about another writer from Maine… In the meantime, if you aren’t tired of my voice, have a listen!
A very interesting conversation with Maine native @chelseah_writes about her terrific new book, GLACIAL: THE INSIDE STORY OF CLIMATE POLITICS. Click below to listen:https://t.co/TduVpMoBtL
— Rich Kimball (@DowntownRichK) August 13, 2024
That’s it for me! Have a great weekend!