Climate Change
Heat can age you as much as smoking, a new study finds
Exposure to heat can alter the way your DNA works, according to a new study. The effects could lead to long-term health outcomes.
Peruvian farmer goes head to head with German energy giant in climate test case
A Peruvian farmer is going head to head with German energy giant in a climate law test case.
Editor’s Note: EPA says it will roll back climate rules. That could prove complicated
Announcing big changes to environmental rules doesn't undo facts on the ground overnight. Instead, EPA's announcement is the first step in what is likely to be a lengthy process to remake the rules and policies it targeted.
Butterfly numbers have fallen by nearly a quarter since 2000
Butterflies of all kinds of species, in all parts of the country, have declined by one to two percent since 2000.
Layoffs and potential closures of key facilities raise worries about NOAA’s future
The Trump administration may end leases for some of NOAA's offices while the agency terminates several advisory committees at the important weather and climate agency.
This Colombian ‘hotel for cows’ could help reduce deforestation in the Amazon
Clearing land for cattle and cows is the single biggest driver of rainforest loss in the Amazon. This "hotel for cows" in Colombia offers a solution.
Trump administration layoffs hit NOAA, agency that forecasts weather, hurricanes
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration houses key groups like the National Weather Service. Experts warn the consequences of employee cuts could be drastic.
Greenpeace faces a $300 million lawsuit after Dakota Access Pipeline protests
The company behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline is suing Greenpeace for at least $300 million for damages the oil pipeline company says it suffered from protests in 2016 and 2017.
Exclusive: Trump administration drops work on stronger building codes for disasters
To help homes survive more intense disasters, FEMA has been developing recommendations for stronger building codes. The Trump Administration has pulled them back.
Trump officials signal potential changes at NOAA, the weather and climate agency
Federal workers at the home agency for the National Weather Service are concerned about a potential overhaul by Trump officials focused on cutting government costs.
January wasn’t expected to break global temperature records. But it did.
The planet has been shattering heat records for the past two years. That was expected to ease in January—and the fact that it didn't has climate researchers worried.
Birmingham’s new resilience chief looks to protect residents from climate change
“Fundamentally, to me, it's about survival,” says Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, Birmingham’s new chief resilience and sustainability officer about fighting climate change.
‘This ain’t the same sun’: Extreme heat is changing summertime for kids in the South
Driven by climate change, extreme temperatures are forcing parents and camp counselors to change their summer routines to keep kids safe.
Meet the Alabama woman who is turning her farm into an indigenous food forest
As the climate changes, some Gulf South producers are focusing on ways to preserve the land.
What did Alabama students think of the climate change quip in the presidential debate?
Two University of Alabama students, a conservative and a progressive, said they’re hoping for a more nuanced conversation on the environment.
Place, Erased: A virtual listening session with the Gulf States Newsroom; watch replay
Watch a replay of the Gulf States Newsroom's listening session for its recent series about towns transformed by major environmental shifts.
Why trees are an environmental and health Swiss army knife
Cool Green Trees plants trees in under-resourced communities in the Birmingham area to help mitigate climate change and advance environmental justice initiatives.
An Alabama coal plant again named the nation’s worst greenhouse gas polluter
In West Jefferson, everything happens in the shadow of Alabama Power. Just across the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River from West Jefferson, towering over the relatively rural Alabama landscape, is the coal-fired James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant
Q&A: Why New Orleans’ unhoused people face increased danger from relentless heat
Delaney Nolan discusses her report for The Guardian that revealed a spike in heat-related illness calls among New Orleans’ unhoused people this summer.
A ‘catastrophic’ loss: Severe heat puts a heavy strain on rural farmers in the Gulf South
For one family of farmers in Louisiana, this year’s record-breaking extreme heat is taking a toll on both their crops and their health.
Alabama’s John Christy may be the country’s best known and most criticized climate change skeptic
Alabama’s State Climatologist John Christy is no stranger to controversy and doesn’t shy away from the spotlight. His critics say his work has been plagued by errors and many of his conclusions dismissed.
The connection is growing between climate change and big storms
The connection between climate change, hurricanes and tornadoes is not so clear. But data is beginning to show some relationship. That's the topic of the latest story in our series "Alabama's Hot Topic: What Climate Change Could Bring."
Heat is the top weather-related killer. In Alabama, it may just be getting started
Heat kills more people than any other type of weather. Human-caused climate change stands to make that worse. Alabama is one of the few places where temperatures have not increased. But that appears to be changing. It's the latest in our series, “Alabama’s Hot Topic: What Climate Change Could Bring.”
Meet the Alabama scientists connecting soaring global temperatures to carbon dioxide
Two Alabama researchers study ice cores and fossil records from Antarctica, helping connect an alarming increase in the earth’s temperature to rising levels of carbon dioxide.
Alabama has escaped the worst of climate change. Is our luck about to run out?
This summer, headlines have screamed climate change. Globally, July was the hottest month on record. Smoke from forest fires choked many parts of the U.S., and the Gulf of Mexico hit a record high for average weekly sea surface temperatures. Here in Alabama, we’ve been spared many of the effects of climate change, but that appears to be changing. We take a look in a new series on climate change called “ Alabama's Hot Topic.”
Elder Black farmers in Mississippi seek a new generation to continue their legacy
Black farmers in Mississippi are aging. Now, they’re connecting with next-gen farmers to keep their ancestral practices of sustainable farming alive.
As ‘overwhelming’ heat dome settles over the Gulf South, unhoused residents seek refuge
The Fourth of July holiday brought sweltering temperatures to the Gulf South. Here’s how some of the people most vulnerable to the heat are dealing with it.
As the US invests more in climate-smart ag, these Louisiana farmers could serve as a model
Climate-smart agriculture is getting a “once-in-a-generation” investment of $20 billion. Louisiana farmers show what a successful rollout could look like.
What came together to make a deadly Alabama tornado
Experts say a natural La Nina weather pattern, unusually warm moist air juiced by climate change, and long-term shift in where tornadoes hit all are factors in Thursday's devastating tornado in Alabama.
‘Life Raft’ Explores Climate Change In The Gulf Region
Life Raft is a new podcast answering questions about climate change and relieving some of the stress that comes along with all of it.
How One Climate Scientist Reconciles Her Faith with Global Warming
Some might consider Katharine Hayhoe a walking paradox. She’s an atmospheric scientist who believes in human-caused climate change and an evangelical Christian. And to her, neither of those facets are at odds.
Despite Pledges, Birmingham Barely Out of Gate on Energy Efficiency, Renewables, Sustainability
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin promised in December to pivot toward prioritizing sustainability during the remaining two years of his term in office. But for some, Woodfin’s administration — and Birmingham’s municipal government as a whole — has been frustratingly inert when it comes to environmental issues.
