Reports emerge of raw sewage seeping into buildings, abandoned vehicles and an escaped sea lion as mayor Eric Adams criticized
As flash flooding swept over parts of the New York City region on Friday, residents reeled from powerful downpours and surging waters. On Saturday, some localities in Connecticut and Long Island braced for still more rain.
While no fatalities have been reported, scenes of chaos emerged as residents waded through knee-deep water in search for higher ground and drivers abandoned their vehicles on overwhelmed highways. In one north Brooklyn, New York City, building, residents said raw sewage seeped into their apartments amid the torrent.
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09/30/2023 - 09:12
09/30/2023 - 06:00
Beloved, closely watched popularity competition for judging the stockiest ursine before hibernation under threat from shutdown
A looming government shutdown threatens to claw its way into a crowd-pleasing Alaska tradition: Fat Bear Week.
Alaska’s most-watched popularity contest, Fat Bear Week involves residents picking their favorite fat brown bear who’s been stocking up for winter by noshing on salmon in Katmai national park & preserve. Viewers of the bears vote online in tournament-style brackets for those they want to advance to the next round until a champion is crowned in the weeklong contest.
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09/29/2023 - 23:00
Aquaculture is bringing jobs and money to rural regions, but a huge escape of farmed fish in August could devastate local salmon populations
Clad in black waders, Guðmundur Hauker Jakobsson jumps into the River Blanda, whose freezing waters run down from the Hofsjökull glacier. Armed with a net, he casts around the ascending pools of the river’s fish “ladder”, built to aid wild salmon migrating up this powerful waterway from the sea.
Within minutes, he pulls out a 15lb silver fish, which thrashes and writhes against the net, then another, then another – five in all. The wild salmon of the Blanda here in north-west Iceland are some of the largest and most athletic in a country where the rivers are considered among the world’s best. King Charles has fished for salmon here, as have David Beckham and Guy Ritchie; Eric Clapton is a regular.
Guðmundur Hauker Jakobsson draws a salmon from the river
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09/29/2023 - 19:00
Perhaps it’s naive not to imagine that all of life itself is about accepting the fragility of how easily things break
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We turned off the highway, headed down the road which leads to the pub and saw the pink little fellow hovering near his mate, who was dead by the side of the road.
Having moved to the country a little over a month ago, I was still getting used to the frequency of spotting creatures on the shoulders of western New South Wales’s arteries.
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09/29/2023 - 15:42
The interior department’s contingency plan emphasizes the need to protect park resources and ensure visitor health and safety
National parks across the US will close to visitors as soon as Sunday if Congress is unable to avert a government shutdown, the Department of Interior has announced.
“Gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed,” the interior department wrote in a news release on Friday. “Accordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety.”
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09/29/2023 - 12:49
Rising temperatures could be passing tolerance threshold for endangered animals as Lake Tefé reaches 39C
The sudden die-off of more than a hundred Amazonian river dolphins in recent days has prompted fears that rising global heat could be passing the tolerance threshold of species in vulnerable areas.
The floating corpses of the endangered mammals, along with thousands of dead fish, have appeared at Lake Tefé where the temperature is now like a hot bath after a protracted drought has dried up most of the water.
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09/29/2023 - 10:21
Party urged to commit to revoking licence for site in North Sea and back comprehensive Green New Deal
Young climate activists staged sit-down protests outside the offices of every member of Labour’s shadow cabinet on Friday, calling on the party to take a tougher line on the proposed new Rosebank oilfield and back a comprehensive Green New Deal.
This week the UK’s biggest untapped oilfield was given the go-ahead despite widespread opposition from scientists, poverty campaigners and climate and energy experts.
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09/29/2023 - 10:19
This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest full report on the flooding here:
New York declares state of emergency amid heavy rainfall and flash flooding
Governor Kathy Hochul’s office has issued the following steps to residents to remain safe amid the heavy rainfall and flooding:
Develop a household disaster plan and know how to always contact family members. Identify an out-of-town friend or family member to be the “emergency family contact” and make certain all family members have the contact info
Designate an emergency meeting spot - a familiar location where family can meet if the residence cannot be accessed
Know hurricane and storm risks in your community
If you live near coastal areas, learn about your area’s storm surge history and your community’s warning signals and evacuation plans, including safe routes inland and the location of official shelters
Know where to relocate pets during a storm - most shelters will not allow pets
Keep the following supplies on-hand:
Enough non-perishable food and water supplies for 10 days
Battery-operated radios and flashlights and an ample supply of batteries
A first aid with supply of medicines
Important documents: Insurance policies, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc. in a waterproof container
Cash, checkbook, credit cards and ATM cards
An emergency contact list of people and organizations who may need to be called: schools, doctors, providers, and insurance contacts
1,426 large dump trucks
315 large loaders
81 chippers
80 wheeled and tracked excavators
28 traffic tower platforms
15 vacuum trucks with sewer jets
15 tree crew bucket trucks
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09/29/2023 - 10:01
Fish Legal win permission to summon firm to face allegations linked to diesel pollution of River Test
A judge has given permission for a private prosecution to go ahead against a water company accused over the pollution of one of the UK’s most cherished fishing rivers.
Southern Water will appear in court in February to face allegations linked to diesel pollution in the River Test in Hampshire.
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09/29/2023 - 09:04
Administration releases plan, which represents lowest number of lease sales since 1980, but is still set to increase oil production
The Biden administration on Friday released a plan to sell as many as three offshore oil and gas leases over the next five years, garnering criticism from some climate advocates.
Set to govern potential sales through late 2028, the hotly anticipated plan from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a part of the interior department, includes no auctions for next year, and represents the lowest number of lease sales since the program began in 1980.
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