July has been so hot thus far that scientists calculate that this month will be the hottest globally on record and likely the warmest human civilization has seen, even though there are several days left to sweat through.
The World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service on Thursday proclaimed July’s heat is beyond record-smashing.
Another week, another catastrophic, record-setting, history-making flood, this time in Kentucky.
Preliminary assessments indicate rainfall in Graves County last week likely set a new record for most precipitation in a 24-hour period, with 11.28 inches of rain. This would make it yet another “1,000-year” flood event, which had, according to historical projections, less than a 0.1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. One of the towns that experienced flash flooding was Mayfield, a community still rebuilding from a 2021 tornado that killed 57 people.
This was just one of the 11 flash flood emergencies in as many days in the United States, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Heather Zons. These events have claimed multiple lives: 2-year-old Mattie Shiels, 9-month-old brother, Conrad, and their mother, Katie Seley drowned after getting swept away by flash flooding in Pennsylvania, during an event that killed at least four others. In New York earlier this month, 43-year-old Pamela Nugent was swept away trying to evacuate a flooded area; 63-year-old Stephen Davoll drowned in his home in Vermont.
Helix Water District received recognition from The Climate Registry as a Water-Energy Leader Gold organization after the district reduced its electric use by 15% and greenhouse gas emissions by 40%.
The Climate Registry is a nonprofit organization that helps companies, governments, and institutions reduce their emissions. Its Water-Energy Nexus Registry is sponsored by the California Environmental Protection Agency and allows utilities and cities to measure, track, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions associated with California’s water system.
The University of San Diego Energy Policy Initiative Center, or EPIC, confirmed the district’s 2019 and 2021 total greenhouse gas emissions are 40% lower than those in 2009. EPIC’s findings were verified by a third party. The Climate Registry made the announcement this month based on this verification.
Solar panels atop the Helix Water District Operations Center in El Cajon help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Photo: Helix Water District
“This award is a testament to the fact you can be a good steward of the environment while also making sound financial decisions,” said Helix Board President Kathleen Coates Hedberg. “We found that energy efficiency is very similar to water conservation. You take advantage of every opportunity to save a little bit because there isn’t one thing that will get you to the finish line. But together they have an impact.”
Helix Water District Board of Directors in the district’s new all-electric, zero-emission, Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck in 2022. Driver’s seat: Board President Kathleen Coates Hedberg. Backseat: Director Dan McMillan. Back of the truck: Directors Joel Scalzitti, De Ana Verbeke and Mark Gracyk. Photo: Helix Water District
Helix achieved its most recent emission reductions through multiple efforts, including a comprehensive lighting retrofit program, new lighting management system, and an upgrade to the HVAC system at the district’s R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant.
Helix also transitioned its diesel fleet to 100% renewable diesel fuel.
Previously, the district installed solar panels at its operations center, initiated load shifting at its Levy Water Treatment Plant and pump stations to off-peak periods, and obtaining grants to install electric vehicle charging stations at its facilities.
Have you heard? @theclimatereg has named Helix Water District a Water-Energy Leader Gold organization! Learn more about this recognition at https://t.co/jB7NSjrVQ6. #elcajon #lamesa #lemongrove #cawater #sustainability pic.twitter.com/uf22UKzLhR
— Helix Water District (@helixwater) July 26, 2023
In 2021, the San Diego County Water Authority earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions.
(Editor’s note: The Helix Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)
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.
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.
The Climate Registry has recognized Helix Water District as a Water-Energy Leader Gold organization after the district reduced its electric use by 15% and greenhouse gas emissions by 40%.
The Climate Registry made the announcement this month after the University of San Diego’s Energy Policy Initiative Center confirmed the district’s 2019 and 2021 total greenhouse gas emissions are 40% lower than those in 2009. EPIC’s findings were verified by a third party.
Helix achieved these reductions through a comprehensive lighting retrofit program, new lighting management system and an upgrade to the HVAC system at the district’s R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant. Helix also transitioned its diesel fleet to 100% renewable diesel fuel.
As stakeholders across the U.S. West prepare to rewrite the rules on Colorado River conservation, experts are urging them to consider Mexico’s needs up front.
The 1,450-mile waterway, which stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Sonoran Desert, is considered the lifeblood for about 40 million people in both countries.
An unrelenting heat wave that has blanketed the the Southwestern U.S. continued to break records Wednesday, inflicting misery in major cities and offering what experts described as a disturbing glimpse into the future as human-caused climate change increases the frequency and duration of extreme heat events.
A winter of record snowfall in California, coupled with a triple-digit heat wave, is continuing to inundate Sierra trails and fill valley reservoirs with snowmelt run-off.
In a video posted on social media by a KCRA 3 viewer, ankle-deep water could be seen rushing over the rail to Wapama Falls in Yosemite National Park last week.
June 2023 was record hot for some parts of the U.S., while other locations were roiled by severe weather and poor air quality, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Heat waves led to record high temperatures in Puerto Rico, the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, Texas, and Louisiana.
Thick smoke from Canadian wildfires created air quality issues for millions of people in portions of the Northeast and Great Lakes this June. On June 7, around 100 million people across 16 states were under air quality alerts while New York City reported the worst air quality of major cities worldwide.
