Stay informed

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was established by the United Nations General Assembly to accelerate action to strengthen disaster resilience. In the United States, this day comes on the heels of a major blow to our Nation’s wetlands. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to narrow the scope of protections for wetlands, as defined in the Clean Water Act. As result, this landmark decision could cause detrimental impacts to the environment, communities and economy. The post On this International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, protecting the Nation’s wetlands is more important and urgent than ever first appeared on Growing Returns.

For artisan makers and crafters, climate disasters can threaten their livelihoods. A new guide can help these small businesses recover from potential ruin.

As the effects of climate change continue to unfold, all communities across the U.S. will face a wider range of risks. However, some communities will be more affected by those risks due to greater exposure and limited ability to recover from their effects.   For two neighboring communities in Detroit, the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index, a …

Research shows that investing in flood resilience saves at least $6 for every $1 spent pre-disaster, which is why it’s so important to start planning for climate impacts now. Virginia leaders must continue to build flood resilience through four big initiatives.  The post 4 opportunities for Virginia’s General Assembly to build statewide flood resilience first appeared on Growing Returns.

Heavy rains caused significant flooding in New York City, and climate change is only making extreme weather worse. Congestion pricing, a plan to reduce traffic and air pollution while funding public transit, could be key to keeping the city moving.

Over the last 87 years, Florida has spent at least $1.9 billion on beach nourishment, and state and local governments pay $30 to $50 million per year to maintain their coastlines. While this may mean beautiful beaches, taxpayers should question if beach nourishment alone is the best investment for Florida in the long-term.   The post Will adding more sand to Florida’s beaches save them? Experts share why this isn’t enough. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Today, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) will participate in the Biden administration’s summit on Building Climate Resilient Communities.

Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are disappearing at the rate of a football field every 100 minutes. The state has a plan to get them back. 

Environmental Defense Fund thanks leaders, as well as businesses, conservation groups and community members, for working to build a more flood-resilient North Carolina. Let’s look at how far we’ve come in the last five years.   The post Five years after Hurricane Florence, EDF looks back at efforts to build resilience in North Carolina first appeared on Growing Returns.

Ian, then Nicole, now Idalia - it’s time to ask ourselves if Florida will be ready when another big storm hits. Here at EDF, the Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds team is focused on building resilience in Florida and ensuring communities are prepared for the increasingly frequent and severe weather events that are predicted. In recent months, there's been a lot of progress – but there’s still a long way to go. Let’s look at how far we’ve come, and ways leaders can further prioritize a more resilient future.   The post It’s nearly one year since Hurricane Ian. Will Florida be ready when another storm hits? first appeared on Growing Returns.

Today during a special session, Virginia lawmakers voted to finalize amendments to the state’s upcoming fiscal year budget and have made resilience-building programs a greater priority. Once signed by Governor Youngkin, this budget allocates $100 million to the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund and will allow local governments to help property owners finance flood resilience projects and programs across the state.

The world’s favorite alcoholic beverage is in danger from climate change. 

A recent paper published in the peer-reviewed journal GeoHealth shows that temperatures are increasingly exceeding the point where electric fans can help be safely used for cooling, leaving communities that lack access to air conditioning vulnerable to severe health impacts.

Published in the scientific journal Earth's Future and supported in part by funding from Environmental Defense Fund, a new research agenda focuses on the intersection between the increased use of storm surge barriers and the resulting estuary impacts. These are three key takeaways from our research. The post The impact of storm surge barriers on estuaries and ecosystems first appeared on Growing Returns.

Today a broad group of environmental, civic and environmental justice organizations announced their shared demands for a major overhaul of the $52.6 billion storm surge protection plan proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), calling for a comprehensive approach that addresses multiple flood hazards and prioritizes historically disadvantaged communities in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan region.

Thirteen years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Louisiana broke ground on the largest ecosystem restoration project in history. The Mid-Barataria sediment diversion will restore the flow of the Mississippi River into Louisiana’s degraded, vanishing wetlands, providing storm surge and flood protection and restoring fish and wildlife habitat. 

Farmworkers are on the frontlines of heat waves. A federal heat standard will protect them and make food production more climate resilient. The post The growing threat of heat for farmworkers first appeared on Growing Returns.

With water in short supply, resilience is a way of life for communities on the Texas-Mexico border.

Establishing a Chief Resilience Officer, a government position that is responsible for spearheading resilience coordination and bringing together stakeholders to build, develop and implement resilience strategies, helps leaders effectively plan at the state, county and municipal level and is a major step forward in protecting communities from future climate impacts. The post Why every state needs a Chief Resilience Officer first appeared on Growing Returns.

Climate science tells us a lot about how and why hurricanes are becoming more dangerous. Stronger hurricanes are becoming more frequent, for one thing. 

Amanda Leland, Executive Director at Environmental Defense Fund, on why supporting farmers, fishers and food producers is critical to ensuring abundant food for a growing population in a warming world.

Oregon’s 2023 legislative session concluded with a wide-ranging drought package passing through the House and the Senate, enabling key investments necessary to building a water-secure future for Oregon’s communities and ecosystems.   The investments come at a critical moment as climate change is impacting water resources throughout Oregon. The vast majority of the state remains …

In a flurry of last-minute negotiations, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Senate and Assembly have agreed to a major budget deal.

Last week Governor Hobbs and the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) released a new analysis of groundwater in the Phoenix metro area. News broke around the country with headlines questioning the viability of future development in the region. But, what does this new analysis actually mean for Arizona? Let’s dive in.  What does this …

FERC Takes Crucial Steps toward Better Grid Reliability in the Face of Climate-Driven Extreme Weather