climate change
Climate grief and the stark choice that confronts us
If the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, Americans can be found at all points along the continuum when it comes to global climate change and the environmental crisis that accompanies it. Like many who’ve contemplated a grim health-care diagnosis that seems to belie of how they feel in the […]
Ahead of climate conference, U.S. House panel tussles over curbs on emissions
Republicans on a U.S. House panel argued Wednesday against aggressive moves to meet carbon reduction goals, saying U.S. fossil fuel companies are working to make their products cleaner. Democrats on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Minerals countered that to achieve further reductions, federal policies should be continued […]
Report: Flood insurance cost a barrier to Eastern Kentucky recovery
The cost of flood insurance is a large recovery barrier for people living in Eastern Kentucky flood plains, says a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Researcher Matt Klesta reported what locals have said: Flood insurance is too expensive for most residents. Also, floods have made affordable housing problems worse and driven locals […]
Some ‘in limbo’ more than a year after deadly floods hit Eastern Kentucky
More than a year after four feet of water flooded her house, Nancy Herald still doesn’t know when – or if – she’ll return to the home that’s been in her family for nearly five decades. Driving past the homeplace, even, is too painful. Sometimes she goes inside; sometimes she just passes quietly. And sometimes, […]
Democrats push more resilient, lower-carbon infrastructure at U.S. Senate climate hearing
The changing climate is hurting infrastructure and the national economy, members of a U.S. Senate panel and experts said Wednesday. Members of both parties on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee agreed at a Wednesday hearing on the need for more resilient infrastructure that could withstand the pressures of a changing climate. They also agreed speeding […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture to spend $300M to boost climate data in farming, forestry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend $300 million to better measure the effectiveness of techniques to lower carbon emissions in farming and forestry, the department said Wednesday. The funding comes from a $20 billion allocation for climate-smart agriculture in the climate and social policy law Democrats in Congress passed along party lines and President […]
A conversation with Silas House, Kentucky’s new poet laureate
LOUISVILLE – Growing up in Eastern Kentucky, author Silas House saw early the power of representation in literature. Lead character John-Boy in the award-winning television series “The Waltons,” for example, was his “hero.” Here was a young country boy who, like House, dreamed of writing. “I didn’t know anybody who wanted to be a writer,” […]
Kentucky one of four states passing up federal money to plan for climate change
Kentucky’s state government will be unable to compete for $4.6 billion from the federal government to reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gasses because it is one of only four states that did not apply for up to $3 million to create a climate action plan through a new grant program. A spokesperson for Kentucky’s environmental agency said […]
Fossil fuel executives see a ‘golden age’ for gas, if they can brand it as ‘clean’
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here. Natural gas has long been subject to a war of words. Once it was a “bridge fuel” that would straddle the gap from fossil […]
Bill aiming to preserve Kentucky’s coal-fired power plants becomes law without Beshear’s signature
A bill that would make it harder for Kentucky’s utility regulator to allow utilities to retire coal plants on the state’s electricity grid became law Friday without Gov. Andy Beshear’s signature. Senate Bill 4, primarily sponsored by Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, would create a series of prerequisites on the Kentucky Public Service Commission before it […]
Kentucky lawmakers advance bill to keep coal on the power grid, cite reliability concerns
FRANKFORT — Kentucky lawmakers are advancing a bill to try to keep coal-fired power plants on the state’s electric grid “for the foreseeable future,” pointing to concerns over rolling blackouts that some utilities implemented when arctic temperatures swept through in December. Senate Bill 4, sponsored by Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, would prevent the Kentucky Public […]
TVA criticized on preparations for dealing with climate hazards as Southeast warms
WASHINGTON – Extreme weather patterns have sparked several improvements to the climate resiliency of Tennessee Valley Authority electrical infrastructure over the past two decades. However, a report from a government watchdog found the huge utility still has work to do in mitigating climate hazards to the regional power grid. “TVA has taken several steps to […]