National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Red "Unstable Cliffs - Stay Back" sign on tall Pacific coast cliff

Coastal Climate Resilience to Receive $2.6 Billion Federal Investment

The Biden Administration announced the second massive investment of federal funds for coastal resilience on June 6. The Inflation Reduction Act allocated $3.3 billion to NOAA. In March, the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act added $562 billion.

June 21, 2023 - The Hill

Coal Mining and Power Station

Climate Report Written by Federal Government Warns of Dire Impact on Economy

The second volume of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released on Black Friday to presumably draw less attention from the American public, was well-covered by the media. Unlike Volume 1, there was greater focus on economic impacts.

November 27, 2018 - The New York Times

Balloons and Straws: Where's the Connection?

Think "The Graduate," but now the emphasis in the future of plastics may be on restrictions. California may become the first state to restrict access to plastic straws, and balloons could be next due to the harm they cause the marine environment.

August 26, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Winter Transit

The East Coast's 'Bomb Cyclone' and Climate Change

When President Trump tweeted that the East Coast needed global warming due to the freezing cold, experts responded by explaining the difference between weather and climate. But climate change may indeed be a cause of the bomb cyclone.

January 8, 2018 - The New York Times - Climate

Millennium Atoll

Sea Level Rise Will Not Be Uniform

As the climate warms, the world's glaciers and ice sheets are melting, but sea level increase will be greater in some places due to the earth's rotation and gravity, according to a newly released study by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

November 27, 2017 - NPR

Miami Temperature

Miami Beach: A Model of Climate Adaptation for Coastal Cities?

How did the seven square mile, four-foot high barrier island in the Atlantic Ocean off Miami and Biscayne Bay hold-up to Hurricane Irma? The city arguably has done more to adapt to sea level rise in recent times than any other coastal city.

September 22, 2017 - Planetizen

Miami Beach

Miami Beach: A Four-Foot High Barrier Island Awaited Irma

A city of almost 92,000 people sits on a one-mile wide island designed by nature to protect the mainland from ocean swells, storms, and hurricanes. The seven-mile long island, which floods even when sunny, was spared from catastrophic storm surge.

September 14, 2017 - Planetizen

Marine Sanctuaries Not Safe From Drilling

As it has already done with public lands, the Trump Administration is studying how to roll back environmental protections for the sake of the oil and gas industries. This time, marine sanctuaries are the administration's target.

July 26, 2017 - KQED

Coal Mining and Power Station

Carbon Entering the Atmosphere at Highest Rate Yet

Even if carbon emissions are reaching a "plateau," that still represents an unprecedented amount of the gas entering the atmosphere every year.

March 22, 2017 - The Washington Post

Scott Pruitt

EPA Administrator Transitions from Climate Change Skeptic to Denier

Perhaps there never really was much difference between 'skepticism' and 'denial'. Scott Pruitt certainly proved that on Thursday when he answered CNBC's Joe Kernen's question if carbon emissions are the primary cause of climate change.

March 13, 2017 - CNBC

Sea Level

The Danger of Buying By the Sea

Zillow has released research on how many of the nation's homes may be underwater (literally) by the year 2100. Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Louisiana are at the highest risk.

August 26, 2016 - Zillow

Climate CHange

'State of the Climate' Report: 2015 Set Multiple Records

2015 was basically the Michael Phelps of climate change, according to a new report.

August 5, 2016 - Pacific Standard

Clear-Sky Flood

Welcome to a Changed Climate: It Even Floods When it's Sunny

A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documents the increasing frequency of nuisance floods and "clear-sky flooding."

June 11, 2016 - USA Today

'Digital Coast' Connects Planners and Data for Coastal Resilience

A new resource created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in partnership with the APA makes it easier for planners to access the data necessary to plan for climate adaptation, sea level rise, and other forms of coastal resilience.

August 13, 2015 - APA Policy News

Grant Program Announced for Coastal Community Resilience

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced two new grant programs that focus on helping coastal communities and regions develop effective strategies to prepare for, and recover from, the effects of climate change.

May 28, 2015 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Launching Storm Surge Mapping System

Americans tend to pay more attention to wind strength than storm surge when evaluating whether or not to evacuate before a hurricane. A new NOAA mapping project is designed to change perceptions about the multiple risks of storm events.

April 25, 2014 - Reuters

Vacancies Leave Obama's Environmental Agenda Unclear

With yesterday's announcement that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will soon step down, the three top environmental posts in the federal government are waiting to be filled. The vacancies are further muddling the administration's second term agenda.

January 17, 2013 - The Washington Post

Beneath the Sea, Recognizing the Need to Turn Down the Volume

Humans are a noisy lot. In addition to fouling our cities with extreme sounds and exporting our din to wilderness areas, scientists are beginning to recognize and map the substantial impact of human-generated sound on the world's waters.

December 12, 2012 - The New York Times

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

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