By Michela Mariani et al, Science.  Summary: Anthropogenic climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires in many regions of the world, with devastating consequences. Mariani  et al . suggest that another human activity, colonization, has contributed to increasing high-intensity fires in Australia. The authors used multiple paleoecological proxy datasets to compare vegetation structure between time periods reaching back to the last interglacial (over 100,000 years ago). Shrub cover, which fuels fires and spreads them into the forest canopy, was lower during the Middle to Late Holocene, when indigenous Australians were managing the landscape with burning, than it was during other time periods. Shrub cover has increased substantially since British colonization and the forced removal of indigenous burning practices that came with it. Restoring cultural burning may thus help to prevent megafires. —Bianca Lopez.  Full article at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sc

By Kimberly M. S. Cartier , Eos/AGU.  Excerpt: Consistently implementing zoning, permitting, and building regulations, all commonplace municipal tools, helped most New Jersey towns avoid floodplain development. New Jersey is one of the most flood-prone U.S. states, and climate change is increasing the hazard by raising sea levels and supercharging severe storms like Hurricane Sandy. The state also faces pressure to develop new housing and infrastructure, often in low-lying inland and coastal areas that are the most vulnerable to flooding. Despite this pressure, a recent analysis of new floodplain development found that 85% of New Jersey towns built relatively little in floodplains over the past 2 decades. Towns achieved this by applying routine land use management tools consistently over time, a slow but steady approach to climate adaptation. ...The most effective way to avoid  flood  damage to homes and infrastructure is to avoid building in a floodplain. ...Instead,  recent research

By Brad Plumer , The New York Times.  Excerpt: One year after world leaders made a landmark promise to move away from fossil fuels, countries have essentially made no progress in cutting emissions and tackling global warming, according to a  United Nations report issued on Thursday ....  Full article at https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/climate/un-climate-change-global-emissions-report.html .

By Jennifer K. Balch et al, Science.  Abstract: The most destructive and deadly wildfires in US history were also fast. Using satellite data, we analyzed the daily growth rates of more than 60,000 fires from 2001 to 2020 across the contiguous US. Nearly half of the ecoregions experienced destructive fast fires that grew more than 1620 hectares in 1 day. These fires accounted for 78% of structures destroyed and 61% of suppression costs ($18.9 billion). From 2001 to 2020, the average peak daily growth rate for these fires more than doubled (+249% relative to 2001) in the Western US. Nearly 3 million structures were within 4 kilometers of a fast fire during this period across the US. Given recent devastating wildfires, understanding fast fires is crucial for improving firefighting strategies and community preparedness....  Full article at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk5737 .

By Robert English, TCD—The Cool Down.  Excerpt: Heliene, a  solar panel  manufacturer based in Ontario, is making big strides in the solar energy industry by using  recycled   solar panel  materials in its new ones, according to  Electrek . Partnering with  solar panel   recycling  company  Solarcycle , Heliene will use  recycled  solar glass in its solar panels manufactured in its two factories, in Ontario and Minnesota. Over the next four years, Solarcycle plans to deliver approximately 20 million square meters (about 215 million square feet) of recycled glass to Heliene for use in its products....  Full article at https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/recycled-solar-panel-materials-manufacturer-heliene/ .  See also Heliene will make solar panels using SOLARCYCLE’s recycled glass and it’s a big deal and New report finds one major energy source breaking records worldwide: 'Growing faster than people expected'  

By Emily Conover , Science News.  Excerpt: Last week, both Google and Amazon announced agreements with companies that are developing small modular reactors. Last week, both Google and Amazon announced agreements with companies that are developing small modular reactors. ...Commercial reactors in the United States typically produce around a billion watts of electrical power. Small modular reactors would produce less than a third of that. ...Commercial reactors in the United States typically produce around a billion watts of electrical power. Small modular reactors would produce less than a third of that....  Full article at https://www.sciencenews.org/article/small-modular-nuclear-reactors-amazon .  See also Youtube video The Canadian Reactors that can Burn Nuclear Waste and The Big Lie About Nuclear Waste .