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22 Attorneys General Oppose 3M Settlement Over Water Systems Contamination with ‘Forever Chemicals’

/in , /by /AP Newsby John Flesher

Twenty-two attorneys general urged a federal court Wednesday to reject a proposed $10.3 billion settlement over contamination of U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially dangerous chemicals, saying it lets manufacturer 3M Co. off too easily.

The deal announced in June doesn’t give individual water suppliers enough time to determine how much money they would get and whether it would cover their costs of removing the compounds known collectively as PFAS, said the officials with 19 states, Washington, D.C., and two territories. In some cases the agreement could shift liability from the company to providers, they said.

“While I appreciate the effort that went into it, the proposed settlement in its current form does not adequately account for the pernicious damage that 3M has done in so many of our communities,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, leader of the multistate coalition.

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Climate Change Leaves Fingerprints on July Heat Waves Around the Globe, Study Says

/in , , /by /APby Seth Borenstein

The fingerprints of climate change are all over the intense heat waves gripping the globe this month, a new study finds. Researchers say the deadly hot spells in the American Southwest and Southern Europe could not have happened without the continuing buildup of warming gases in the air.

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These Cities Coordinate to Save Water, a Model for Parched Western Areas

/in , , /by /Idaho Capital Sun by Matt Vasilogambros

There are no lush green lawns among the rows of single-family homes that line a quiet boulevard a mile west of the University of Arizona campus. Instead, small lizards scurry across gravel to the shade of cacti, shrubs and trees native to the Southwestern desert, as cicadas drone and backyard chickens cluck in the triple-digit heat now common here in July.

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AccuWeather’s 2023 US Fall Forecast

/in , , /by /AccuWeatherby Brian Lada

Widespread heat has shattered records from coast to coast throughout the first half of summer, but the longest days of 2023 are in the rearview mirror and cooler weather is on the horizon.

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Drought is Hitting Black Farmers Hard

/in , /by /The San Diego Voice & Viewpointby Maya Richard-Craven

With the phrase “heat dome” entering our vocabulary and more than 2,300 heat records smashed so far this summer, extreme temperatures are endangering our lives. And for farmers, the scorching hot, dry weather also threatens their livelihoods.

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State Pays Valley Farmers Millions to Keep Water in the Ground

/in , , /by /SJV Waterby Jesse Vad

The state is sending millions to farmers throughout the San Joaquin Valley to keep water in the ground.

The money, paid through the LandFlex program, goes to groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) and then directly to farmers, paying them for every acre foot they don’t pump.

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South Florida Waters Hit Hot Tub Level and May Have Set World Record for Warmest Seawater

/in , /by /AP Newsby Seth Borenstein

The water temperature around the tip of Florida has hit triple digits — hot tub levels — two days in a row. Meteorologists say it could be the hottest seawater ever measured, although some questions about the reading remain.

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Unusually Hot August Predicted for US West

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Natalie Hanson

Although the West is still enjoying the effects of an exceptionally wet winter, climate experts say that extreme heat waves will continue chipping away at the benefits. Just 9.5% of California and Nevada remained in drought on July 20, compared to 99% at the beginning of the water year in October 2022. Drought conditions persist in areas that did not receive this past winter’s deluge, including parts of southeastern California and southern Nevada.

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Google’s Water Use Is Soaring. AI Is Only Going to Make It Worse.

/in , , /by /Business Insiderby Hugh Langley

Google just published its 2023 environmental report, and one thing is for certain: The company’s water use is soaring. The internet giant said it consumed 5.6 billion gallons of water in 2022, the equivalent of 37 golf courses. Most of that — 5.2 billion gallons — was used for the company’s data centers, a 20% increase on the amount Google reported the year prior.

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Colorado River Basin Has Lost Enough Water to Fill Lake Mead

/in , , /by /Earth.comby Andrei Ionescu

The Colorado River Basin – the area drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries – covers approximately 647,500 square kilometers (250,000 square miles) in seven states across western United States, supplying water to about 40 million people while supporting agriculture and natural ecosystems. According to a new study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), from 2000 to 2021, climate change caused the loss of over 40 trillion liters (10 trillion gallons) of water in this basin.

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