Rebecca Hersher

Rebecca Hersher appears in the following:

Hurricanes, Drought And Fires: The U.S. Has An Intense Summer Ahead

Tuesday, June 01, 2021

Atlantic hurricane season kicks off on June 1, and it's supposed to be a slightly above average hurricane season. In the Western U.S., there's already a serious drought and elevated fire risk.

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Earth Is Barreling Toward 1.5 Degrees Celsius Of Warming, Scientists Warn

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Scientists say humans must keep global temperatures from increasing more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The World Meteorological Organization warns that number is looming.

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EPA Moves To Cut A Group Of Powerful Greenhouse Gases

Monday, May 03, 2021

The EPA plans to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are used in refrigerators and air conditioners. When HFCs are released into the atmosphere, they are extremely good at trapping heat.

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Why Having Diverse Government Scientists Is Key To Dealing With Climate Change

Friday, April 30, 2021

Climate and health policies rely on scientific expertise. But the federal science workforce has been shaped by decades of political interference, underfunding and race and gender bias.

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FAQ: America's New Promise On Climate

Monday, April 19, 2021

The U.S. is planning to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is America's return to the international climate stage. We break it down for you.

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Carbon Emissions Could Plummet. The Atmosphere Will Lag Behind

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

The U.S. plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically in the next decade. Scientists say it's crucial that the U.S. succeed. Still, many of the positive effects won't arrive for decades.

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Expect More Tropical Storms, NOAA Warns

Friday, April 09, 2021

NOAA is updating its definition of what a "normal" Atlantic hurricane season looks like, based on the last 30 years. The average number of hurricanes in the new normal has risen from 6 to 7.

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NOAA Upgrades Forecasts As Climate Change Drives More Severe Storms

Monday, March 22, 2021

The computer model that predicts the weather is getting more power. Climate change is upping the stakes for forecasters as extreme weather gets more common and residents demand earlier warnings.

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Drawing A Line In The Mud: Scientists Debate When 'Age Of Humans' Began

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Scientists on five continents are hunting for geological evidence to pinpoint exactly when humans became a major force shaping life on Earth. But settling on the date could unleash a larger debate.

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A Looming Disaster: New Data Reveal Where Flood Damage Is An Existential Threat

Monday, February 22, 2021

More than 4 million homes face substantial risk of expensive flood damage, a research organization says. Communities where flood insurance is already unaffordable face potentially catastrophic damage.

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Mediterranean Oil Spill Injures Wildlife, Closes Israel's Beaches

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Israeli authorities are still trying to pinpoint the source of a major oil spill that has polluted much of the country's coastline with chunks of tar.

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After Days Of Mass Outages, Some Texas Residents Now Face Huge Electricity Bills

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Texas allows companies to sell electricity at wholesale prices. When the price of electricity skyrocketed last week, that meant exorbitant bills for many residents who had been trying to save money.

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ENCORE: Why Sea Level Rise Varies Across The World

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

The sea level is rising more in some coastal places than in others. But why is that? It has to do with wind, currents, glaciers and even the last Ice Age.

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Federal Scientists Confirm Virtual Tie For Hottest Year On Record

Monday, February 01, 2021

The average global temperatures in 2020 and 2016 were within a few hundredths of a degree. The Earth is about 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer now than it was in the middle of the 20th century.

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Hope And Skepticism As Biden Promises To Address Environmental Racism

Friday, January 29, 2021

People of color experience more air and water pollution than white people and suffer the health impacts. It has long been an underaddressed issue in the federal government.

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Supreme Court Considers Baltimore Suit Against Oil Companies Over Climate Change

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Overwhelmed sewers. Flooded streets. Deadly heat waves. Baltimore is one of many American cities where the costs of climate change far exceed local resources. Should oil companies pay?

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Trump EPA Erects New Barriers To Crucial Science

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

Studies based on private health data are crucial to understanding dangers posed by pollution. A new rule makes it harder for the EPA to consider many studies when setting safeguards.

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2020 May Be The Hottest Year On Record. Here's The Damage It Did

Friday, December 18, 2020

2020 and 2016 are virtually tied for the hottest year on record. That means more powerful hurricanes, more intense wildfires, less ice and longer heat waves.

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Biden To Pick North Carolina Regulator Michael Regan To Lead EPA

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Regan is the top environmental regulator for North Carolina. He would be first African American man to run the EPA, and he would oversee much of the federal government's response to climate change.

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Biden To Nominate Brenda Mallory To Run Council On Environmental Quality

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Mallory, an Obama veteran, would take the helm at a White House office where she worked as former general counsel. The CEQ is seen as critical to address climate change and environmental equity.

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