Global Warming

Hawaii Rebuffs Trump by Enacting Laws Supporting Paris Agreement

Following President Donald Trump's announcement withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement, some politicians are taking a stand and making their own commitments to fight climate change.

Hawaii has become the first state to sign into law the commitments and goals of the Paris climate accord, which calls for countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest in "green" technology in the hope of slowing the effects of global warming. Hawaii Gov. David Ige signed two bills yesterday that will implement portions of the agreement.

Rising sea levels will boost moderate floods in some areas, severe floods in others

Rising seas are making flooding more common in coastal areas around the country. Now, a new study finds that sea-level rise will boost the occurrence of moderate rather than severe flooding in some regions of the United States, while in other areas the reverse is true.

The study by researchers at Princeton and Rutgers universities found that along the southeastern coast, where severe flooding due to hurricanes is relatively frequent, cities such as Charleston, South Carolina, will see a disproportionate increase in moderate flooding. However, areas that have little history of severe flooding, such as Seattle, are likely to experience a greater uptick in the number of severe, or even historically unprecedented, floods.

The study, published June 7 in the journal Environmental Research Letters, looked at how climate-driven sea-level rise is likely to amplify coastal flooding.