The relentless impact of sea level rise is continuing to be felt along the East Coast, as yet another home in Rodanthe, NC, has fallen into the ocean. The Washington Post describes the situation (with a video), as this community has become the unfortunate poster child for sea level rise impacts. While dramatic, homes falling into the ocean are just one aspect of this problem, which also includes rising groundwater and the need to relocate residents and roads. Another challenge is the debris that is floating around in the coastal ocean… if your house falls into the ocean is the debris down-current still your responsibility? This is not a question these homeowners considered when purchasing their houses.

The Post also visits Galveston, TX, a city on a barrier island that has a long history of defying the power of the ocean. Development on part of the island is protected by a giant sea wall, but builders are planning condominium projects along the unprotected part of the island as well, including “two luxury condominium projects along one of the fastest-eroding stretches of beach.” The article notes that the “allure of increased tax revenue is a key reason why the city has supported the condo development.” On the lower-lying part of the island, “residents said water comes up through the drains about 50 times per year, even on sunny days.” Sea level in Galveston has risen by 8 inches since 2010, a staggering rate of increase being driven partly by land subsidence. During that time the city’s population has increased by 12%, as people continue to move to the coast throughout the southeast U.S. despite the threat of sea level rise and storms. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning a massive $57 billion project of sea walls, tide gates and dunes to provide protection for the area (behind Galveston are the Houston Ship Channel and major industrial complexes). One researcher stated: “I don’t think people really understand what’s coming. It’s nothing anybody has ever experienced. It’s taken a long time to get to where things are now, but now it is coming fast.”

An op-ed in The New York Times by Francis Collins, former head of the National Institutes of Health, points out how rising denial of scientific evidence had tragic results during the COVID pandemic. “More than 230,000 Americans died unnecessarily between June 2021 and March 2022, largely because misinformation caused them to turn away from what might have saved them in the midst of a dangerous pandemic. This death rate is the equivalent of four fully loaded 737s crashing every day.” He argues that we must respond to this situation not with cynicism and fatalism but with more empathy and understanding. “It is essential for more of us to become comfortable having conversations with people who have very differing views from ours. Keep in mind in such interactions that your goal is to listen, to understand the other person’s perspective, but not necessarily to change his or her mind.” On Pod Save America, Jon Lovett interviews Jessica Tarlov, who represents liberal points of view on the Fox News program The Five. Tarlov describes her daily confrontations with Fox’s most opinionated conservatives, and provides a perspective on how to reach out to viewers of Fox News. An op-ed in The New York Times explores the growing mistrust of science on the American right.

An audio opinion in The New York Times argues that state policy in Florida has contributed to the problems the state is facing due to climate change. In particular, Republican administrations have adopted policies that have made it too easy to develop in coastal regions, including flood-protection zones such as mangroves. This has led to extensive property damage and loss of life. The author calls for a managed retreat in the state (although he does not indicate the destination for this retreat, something that is frequently overlooked).

The Guardian reports that UC San Diego now requires a course in climate change as a graduation requirement. “Courses must cover at least 30% climate-related content and address two of four areas, including scientific foundations, human impacts, mitigation strategies and project-based learning. About 7,000 students from the class of 2028 will be affected this year.” States such as California, Connecticut and New Jersey are requiring that climate crisis is discussed in grade school.

The Washington Post notes that, for only the second time in its 179-year history, Scientific American has made a political endorsement. The endorsement states that Harris “offers the country better prospects, relying on science, solid evidence and the willingness to learn from experience. She pushes policies that boost good jobs nationwide by embracing technology and clean energy. She supports education, public health and reproductive rights. She treats the climate crisis as the emergency it is and seeks to mitigate its catastrophic storms, fires and droughts.” Trump, on the other hand, “endangers public health and safety and rejects evidence, preferring instead nonsensical conspiracy fantasies. He ignores the climate crisis in favor of more pollution. He requires that federal officials show personal loyalty to him rather than upholding U.S. laws. He fills positions in federal science and other agencies with unqualified ideologues. He goads people into hate and division, and he inspires extremists at state and local levels to pass laws that disrupt education and make it harder to earn a living.” Scientific American describes the 2024 election as a choice between “rationality and respect for all” and “dark fantasies and demagoguery.” It concludes that, to vote for reality and integrity, the only choice is Harris.

An op-ed in the New York Times reports on the SunZia wind-power array and transmission line, which is the largest renewable-power project in North America. At full power, it can supply 1% of U.S. electricity demand. While this is a milestone to celebrate, the article notes that it’s taken almost 20 years to build this project. This is because of the difficulty to get permits for transmission projects, as federal laws require multiple studies that are routinely criticized and challenged in court. “To meet our emissions goals, we may need to triple the size of our power grid in the next 26 years,” which is going to require a new way to permit and build transmission lines.

Distilled reports that, after a brief period of slower sales growth, EV sales are growing again. “9% of cars sold in the U.S. over the last three months were battery electric vehicles (BEVs), up from a recent low of 7% in April. Add in plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) to the mix, and the numbers look better still. 11% of vehicles sold over the last three months were either partly or fully electric.” The post examines the variety of factors explaining the trend.

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