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Politico
08-07-2025
- Science
- Politico
Flood predictions could worsen when Trump's cuts take hold
That means predicting future floods — and the development of new tools for forecasting intense rainfall events — would be compromised. The next generation of Landsat satellites is a key example. For about 50 years, the satellites have been an essential tool for monitoring and mapping floods. Their data is important 'for assessing risk, mapping the extent of damage, and planning post-disaster recovery,' according to NASA. Trump is working to eliminate its funding. A few weeks ago, Trump administration officials archived the Landsat account on X and deleted information related to the planning for Landsat Next, the tenth version of the satellite, from its webpage. Weather forecasts gradually improve as scientists add more data. But they'll likely plateau — or even degrade — as NOAA's research and observation functions vanish, many scientists warn. OAR's research 'has been amazing at developing computer models to help in the forecasting of these types of events,' said John Sokich, NWS's former director of congressional affairs, referring to the Texas floods. But if the office isn't reinstated by Congress for 2026, he said, 'that's going to stop.' Some of the agency's most valuable models for flood prediction might be in jeopardy sooner rather than later. The government's accurate forecasts of the deadly floods were made possible by a suite of high-resolution NOAA weather models designed to predict thunderstorms, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, said in a live YouTube talk Monday. Having multiple models in the system helps scientists evaluate a range of possible outcomes when severe weather is on the horizon. NOAA tried to consolidate the collection of models into a single forecasting system a few years ago. But meteorologists expressed concern that it might not perform as well, and the change was delayed. Trump plans to revive the plan. 'There's benefit in having multiple models,' Swain said. 'How expensive is it really to maintain that, as opposed to the cost of them missing a catastrophic flood?' 'A disconnect' Meanwhile, staffing cuts at NWS offices across the country are likely to take a toll over time, experts say. NWS offices were adequately staffed during the Texas floods, in part because agency officials called 'all hands on deck' to deal with the disaster, according to Fahy. But the offices still have vacancies in key roles, including a permanent meteorologist-in-charge in San Angelo and a warning coordination meteorologist in San Antonio.
Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
For renewal of Western Ghats, put people at the centre
The National Mission for a Green India bases its estimates and proposals for action on the information provided by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), and its execution by the Forest Department (FD). Regrettably, FSI data is quite outdated, available on a crude scale and deliberately distorted. At the same time, the FD, an anti-science, anti-nature, anti-people agency, will never end up greening the Western Ghats. What we need instead is a different science-based, nature-centric and people-oriented approach. I came to understand the way the FD manages its affairs as a result of M Y Ghorpade, then Karnataka's finance minister, being gheraoed by basket weavers in 1975. The weavers were complaining about the excessive cutting of bamboo by the paper industry in the state, which was adversely affecting their livelihoods. Ghorpade decided that an objective evaluation was required and asked me to undertake the task. This took me to the West Coast Paper Mills (WCPM) at Dandeli, in the district of Uttara Kannada in Karnataka. My mandate was to investigate whether bamboo resources had indeed been depleted and assess afresh the resource position, based on the data available from the FD's 'Pre-Investment Survey of Forest Resources' (PISFR), WCPM, and our own fresh fieldwork. These field studies revealed the PISFR figures to be overestimates by a factor of 10. This inflated figure for bamboo had provided a justification for setting up one more paper mill. We were able to reassess the bamboo stocks in the field because detailed information, disaggregated to the level of forest compartments (a geographically defined and permanently demarcated unit of forest land, used for management, planning, and record-keeping purposes), was made available to us. This would not have been possible if we had access only to highly aggregated data such as at a district or division level, which is all that is available to the general public as official statistics. In 1972, Satish Dhawan became the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). In July that year, satellite imagery of Earth became available with the launch of the Landsat programme. Dhawan immediately set up the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) in Hyderabad to undertake and facilitate remote-sensing activities in the country. One of the early projects of NRSC was to interpret the 1972–75 Landsat imagery to assess the forest cover of the country. The results of the NRSC study were startlingly at variance with FD's official information. While the FD claimed that 23 per cent of the country was under forest cover, remote-sensing imagery showed that the forest cover was much less, only about 15 per cent. The government forthwith ordered NRSC to stop its assessment and set up the FSI as the exclusive agency to do so. The FSI provides data at highly aggregated levels, such as at that of districts, and after a delay of two or three years. There is absolutely no justification for data continuing to be so delayed and aggregated in the day and age of Google Earth and other satellite data that are freely available to all members of the public in real time and at scales as fine as 10 hectares. There are other instances, too. Earlier, in 1963, the Grasim rayon factory began producing pulp and fibre in Mavoor, on the banks of the Chaliyar river in Kerala's Kozhikode district. The management neglected to adopt any pollution-control measures citing profitability concerns and recklessly released poisonous effluents into the river, adversely impacting its fish and clam population and human health. It turned out that the effluent had high levels of poisonous mercury, lead, nickel, cobalt, iron, chromium zinc and copper. The factory was supplied bamboo at a throwaway price of Re 1 per tonne when its market price was Rs 1,400 per tonne. It led to the destruction of 10,000 hectares of bamboo forests in Wayanad. As stocks of bamboo became depleted, Grasim came to depend on eucalyptus, and the government promoted eucalyptus and Australian acacia plantations, accompanied by large-scale use of pesticides in the forest areas. Together, it led to the destruction of natural resources and human suffering with the active knowledge and collusion of the FD. What, then, should we do? Pachgaon in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district shows the way. Pachgaon was assigned Community Forest Rights (CFR) under the Forest Rights Act of 2006 over 1,000 ha of land. It is exercising this right to good effect. Through bamboo sales, Pachgaon earns a good income. So its people have stopped setting fire to tendu leaves to stimulate fresh growth. This is despite the fact that tendu leaves, too, were a good source of income. Additionally, they have voluntarily set aside 30 hectares as a sacred grove. With this, the forest is registering healthy growth and sequestering large quantities of carbon. This has also meant security of livelihoods and greater self-respect for the people. Earlier, many villagers used to migrate all the way to Gujarat to earn a living. Now, very few people leave the village. This is clearly the way forward for effectively greening the Western Ghats. The entire region is crying out for an honest implementation of the Forest Rights Act and assignment of Community Forest Rights to a substantial proportion of the population that has been living inside forests or on their fringes for over three generations. At the same time, we should take forward the process of democratic decentralisation and involve people in the decision-making process. This is what the Western Ghats Ecology Expert panel advocated and I wish to reassert that this, indeed, is the way ahead. The writer is an ecologist
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Final photo from iconic US satellite shows how Las Vegas has 'doubled' in size over the last 25 years
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS Where is it? Las Vegas, Nevada [36.10457930, -115.1448612] What's in the photos? Aerial shots taken at the start and end of a satellite's operational lifespan Which satellite took the photos? Landsat 7 When were the photos taken? July 4, 1999 and May 28, 2024 The last image captured by the recently decommissioned Landsat 7 satellite shows the sprawling mass of Las Vegas flowering in the heart of the Mojave Desert. The final photo also mirrors one of the satellite's first-ever shots, highlighting how "Sin City" has rapidly expanded during the iconic spacecraft's 25-year lifespan. Landsat 7 is an Earth-observing satellite co-owned by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that orbits our planet roughly every 99 minutes. It was launched on April 15, 1999, and has since taken more than 3.3 million images of Earth's surface, covering almost every square inch of the globe. On June 4, the satellite received its final transmission from operators, marking the official end of its mission after a year-long decommissioning process that took the spacecraft out of the path of other satellites before it ran out of fuel. Landsat 7 will now drift in space for around 55 years before eventually reentering and burning up in the atmosphere, according to a USGS statement. The satellite's final image was captured on May 28, 2024. It shows the Las Vegas metropolitan area, including towns such as Henderson, Paradise and Spring Valley, sprawled across the Nevada desert. The final image was taken from the same distance and angle as one of the satellite's first shots of the city, taken on July 4, 1999. Comparing the two side-by-side shows how much the city has expanded — nearly doubling in size. Related: See all the best images of Earth from space Between 2000 and 2023, the population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area went from 1.38 million to 2.33 million, which is an increase of around 69%, according to USGS. In 2025, an estimated 2.4 million live in the area. Lake Mead, an artificial reservoir of the Colorado River created by the Hoover Dam, can also be seen in both satellite images. The lake is noticeably smaller in the latest image, possibly due to increased water consumption in the region it serves or the effects of human-caused climate change. However, the lake's size naturally fluctuates, both seasonally and annually, making it hard to tell how it is being impacted by anthropogenic factors, according to NASA's Earth Observatory. Landsat 7 is the seventh satellite in the Landsat program, which has been continuously capturing images of Earth's surface since 1972. It was a serious upgrade from previous iterations and was particularly good at photographing urban areas, which was its primary focus. The spacecraft played a major role in the development of mapping services, including Google Maps, and also captured unique perspectives of some iconic moments in recent history, including the 9/11 terror attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The satellite was only designed to operate for five years, but it has far exceeded this target, despite suffering a significant instrument failure in 2003, which was later fixed. NASA previously reconsidered refueling the satellite in orbit to extend its lifespan, but this first-of-its-kind maneuver was never attempted. MORE EARTH FROM SPACE —Quadruple volcanoes on secret Soviet military base linked to climate-altering eruption 200 years ago —A mysterious 'black hole' in Pacific Ocean that sparked wild rumors online —The mysterious hill in Sudan that looks like 'landlocked lips' There are now only two operational Landsat satellites circling our planet: Landsat 8, which has been in orbit for more than 12 years; and Landsat 9, which launched in September 2021. The 10th Landsat satellite, named Landsat Next, was supposed to be launched by 2031. However, its funding is now uncertain thanks to the drastic cuts to NASA's budget proposed by the Trump administration, and mission experts are now "assessing alternate mission architectures," according to the Landsat Next homepage.
Newsweek
10-06-2025
- Climate
- Newsweek
Deadly Tornado's Impact on Kentucky So Big It's Visible From Space
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The path of a recent tornado that tore across the state of Kentucky has been photographed from above, revealing the massive scar it left across the land. On May 16, a deadly tornado ravaged three counties in Kentucky, taking 20 lives, destroying hundreds of houses and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake just over 55 miles long and up to a mile wide. The image of the devastation was captured the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) instrument aboard NASA's Landsat 9 Earth-imaging satellite. The track of the twister was made particularly clear in the images as it passed through the Daniel Boone National Forest, where it ripped up trees in its path. The tornado's track, taking by the NASA Earth Observatory using Landsat data from the US Geological Survey. The tornado's track, taking by the NASA Earth Observatory using Landsat data from the US Geological Survey. Wanmei Liang/NASA Earth Observatory/ Landsat According to NASA and the National Weather Service (NWS), the tornado was one of the strongest ever recorded in the area, peaking at a four on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale. This is the second-highest ranking on the scale, with three-second gusts between 166 to 200 miles per hour. In fact, the tornado in question was estimated to have reached speeds as high as 170 miles per hour. The Kentucky tornado was part of a severe weather outbreak over several days which hit multiple states, including Alabama, Kansas, Missouri and Virginia. At least 20 people were killed in Kentucky alone, with the office of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear reporting that 17 people died in Laurel County, one in McCracken County, one in Pulaski County and one in Russell County. Read more Violent tornadoes leave at least 27 dead in multiple states: What to know Violent tornadoes leave at least 27 dead in multiple states: What to know "I promise that we will be there for our people until every home and every life is rebuilt. And I want to thank all our heroic first responders for the work they've done over the past few days," Beshear said in a statement. "This is another incredibly tough time for Kentucky. And it's another reminder that life is short and it's our duty to be kind and do good. As always—we will get through this together." A 2024 study on the National Land Cover Database (which is based on Landsat observations) has found that tornado damage to forests in the southeastern U.S. is on the rise, despite a slight decrease in tornado activity across the states as a whole. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about tornados? Let us know via science@ Reference Munro, H. L., Loehle, C., Bullock, B. P., Johnson, D. M., Vogt, J. T., & Gandhi, K. J. K. (2024). Tornado damage in forest ecosystems of the United States. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 350.
Politico
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
The domino effect of Trump's NASA climate cuts
President Donald Trump wants to decimate NASA's climate research capacity. That could ultimately disrupt multiple sectors of the economy, writes Scott Waldman. In the White House budget documents released last week, Trump proposed slashing a quarter of NASA's funding, specifically targeting the agency's research on climate change. But many of NASA's instruments that track human-caused climate change provide other critical data. The agriculture industry, for example, relies on satellites and instruments that not only track climate change but also keep tabs on shifts in climatic zones that affect plant growth. Trump wants to eliminate funding that keeps those tools operational. Trump has proposed axing NASA's Surface Geology and Biology mission, which monitors methane and carbon pollution but also hunts for and identifies deposits of critical minerals. Also endangered is NASA's Landsat satellite program, which provides key data on water levels and distribution as well as the ways global warming is altering Earth. 'Whether you believe in climate change or human-induced impacts on climate or not, these are atmospheric gases that have an impact on the composition of the Earth,' Richard Eckman, a veteran of NASA's Earth Science Division, told Scott. 'It's very depressing to me to think that we're writing off the future of NASA Earth Observing missions from space,' he said. Eckman also questioned the proposal to cut fully functioning satellites already in orbit. Such probes typically cost billions of dollars to build but comparatively little money to maintain once they've launched. A White House budget proposal often undergoes drastic revisions, with Congress using it as a starting point for its annual spending bills. But congressional Republicans have so far shown little willingness to deviate from Trump's vision — and if they do, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought has said his office may withhold the funding it wants to cut anyway. That would likely add another legal fight to a growing list as the Trump administration repeatedly challenges Congress' power of the purse. It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Josh Siegel and Kelsey Tamborrino break down where the Senate stands on rolling back Biden-era clean energy tax credits in Trump's spending bill. Power Centers How Trump's megabill hits clean powerThe Senate is starting to weigh changes to the House megabill that passed last month with billions of dollars' worth of tax credits for low-carbon energy hanging in the balance, writes Christa Marshall. A critical group of moderate Republicans says the Senate should reconsider the House's rapid phasedown of tax credits for wind, solar and battery manufacturing, among other clean energy sources. But GOP leaders are facing pressure from fiscal hawks to make deeper spending cuts. More sanctions for RussiaEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is prepared to work with the United States to impose sanctions on Russia to pressure President Vladimir Putin to engage in peace negotiations with Ukraine, write Gordon Repinski, Nette Nöstlinger and Koen Verhelst. The EU is planning its 18th package of sanctions against Russia, and von der Leyen said: 'We are primarily concerned with sanctioning Russian energy and drying up Russia's sources of finance.' In Other News Coastal town turmoil: How oil giants are ruining a small 'slice of heaven' town in Texas. Saline overload: A salt crisis is looming for U.S. rivers. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. The parent of Facebook and Instagram announced it signed a 20-year agreement to buy power from a Constellation Energy nuclear plant in Illinois to help run the technology giant's data centers. House Republican appropriators have proposed deep cuts to many agriculture programs, seeking to slash the Agriculture Department's 'climate hubs' while also targeting resilience for natural disasters in military and veterans funding. Trump's decision to double steel import tariffs to 50 percent is a misguided blow to America's allies, the EU's chief trade negotiator said Wednesday. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
