Climate Change Has Greatly Increased Chances of Rainstorms the Size of the One in Louisiana in August

World Weather Attribution

Torrential rains drenched south Louisiana in mid August, with parts of the state receiving nearly 30 inches of rain from August 10 to the 17.  Story here.

Humans Have Pushed Oceans to Their Absolute Limit, Warns Report

CommonDreams

Oceans protected us from worst effects of climate change by absorbing most of humans' CO2 emissions, report finds, but they can't take anymore—and will soon release that CO2 back into the air. Story here.

Enbridge Spreads Tentacles to Acquire Spectra, Creating 'Pipeline Enemy #1'

CommonDreams

Merger 'would only enhance the power of the oil and gas industry to manipulate the energy marketplace and encourage the continued use of fracking,' says Wenonah Hauter. Story here.

The Southern Ocean is Getting Less Salty. Here’s What That Could Mean for the Rest of the World

The Washington Post

The ocean surrounding Antarctica has become substantially less salty over the past couple of decades — and until now, scientists weren’t really sure why. But because changes in the Southern Ocean’s salinity have the potential to affect all kinds of important processes, including ocean circulation and its transport of heat and nutrients around the world, researchers have been eager to figure it out. Story here.

Oil, Gas And Coal Are Multi-Billion Dollar Businesses, Yet Every Year Fossil Fuel Companies get Billions in Tax Breaks and Handouts.

IISD International Institute for Sustainable Development

In a world that’s shifting to cleaner sources of energy, those subsidies don’t make sense—especially when they work against the other actions we’re taking to fight climate change. Story here.

Ten States Report Crop Damage From Illegal Dicamba Use on Monsanto’s GMO Seeds

Nation Of Change

To the horror of farmers across America’s farm belt, hundreds of thousands of crop acres have been adversely impacted by the apparent misuse of the drift-prone herbicide dicamba onMonsanto’s Roundup Ready Xtend soybean and cotton plants. Story here.

It's Official: The Anthropocene Epoch Is Here

EcoWatch

The Anthropocene Epoch has begun, according to a group of experts assembled at the International Geological Congress in Cape Town, South Africa this week. Story here.