Union of Concerned Scientists News

Concerned Scientists: Climate Ties U.S. Wildfires and Water Together in Many Ways

A provider of predictive data and analytics for climate risk and resilience is partnering with global environmental organization The Nature Conservancy to protect sensitive natural areas and provide estimates of future heat and water stresses associated with climate change in …

Concerned Scientists Outline What U.S. Should Do to Deal with Climate Change

Six insurers have ruled out Arctic refuge drilling, according to a report out this week from the Gwich’in Steering Committee. The Gwich’in are the northernmost Indian Nation living in 15 villages scattered across an area from northeast Alaska to the …

Scientists Say Advanced Nuclear Reactors Not Safer Than Conventional Plants

A new generation of so-called “advanced” nuclear power reactors that Washington believes could help fight climate change often present greater proliferation risks than conventional nuclear power, a science advocacy group said on Thursday. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has made …

Scientists Identify Nuclear Plants Facing Highest Risks From Earthquakes

The U.S. nuclear power reactors facing the highest risks of a meltdown from earthquakes are not in tremor-prone California, but states including South Carolina and Missouri, an analysis of government data published on Thursday said. The chances of an earthquake …

Nuclear Industry Looks to Save Money Under Reduced U.S. Safety Oversight

Fewer mock commando raids to test nuclear power plants’ defenses against terrorist attacks. Fewer, smaller government inspections for plant safety issues. Less notice to the public and to state governors when problems arise. They’re part of the money-saving rollbacks sought …

Sea Level Rise Puts $117.5B at Risk from Chronic Flooding

Those interested in risk management are starting to take climate change a bit more seriously. The evidence is anecdotal, but for that proof one can just ask Phil Renaud, executive director for the Risk Institute at Ohio State University, a …

Insurance Industry Making ‘Significant Contributions’ in Climate Change Battle, Report Shows

The insurance industry is making significant contributions to building socio-economic resilience to climate change and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy in their role as risk management experts and investors, according to a new research report The report out …

Landmark Climate Change Agreement ‘A Major Leap for Mankind’: Pres. Hollande

The world’s nations took the boldest steps yet to stem climate change, adopting an historic package of measures to limit fossil-fuel pollution and establish a mechanism to step up the reductions for decades. After two weeks of intense negotiations overseen …

Aging U.S. Nuclear Plants Pushing Limits of Life Expectancy

The U.S. is set to become the first nation to decide whether it’s safe to operate nuclear power plants for 80 years, twice as long as initially allowed. The majority of the nation’s 99 reactors have already received 20-year extensions …

Paris Climate Summit Will Seek New Path to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Next week, in the waning days of what is set to be the hottest year on record, world leaders meet on the outskirts of Paris for a summit that seeks nothing less than to steer the global economy away from …