Deepa Shivaram | NPR|Scientists said the concentration of carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change, is the highest in data going back 800,000 years, based on ice core records.
Pennsylvania officials are giving the following advice to those who encounter the pesky invasive insects: "Kill it! Squash it, smash it ... just get rid of it."
Big wildfires create their own weather, and can even spawn tornadoes swirling with smoke and flame. Researchers are trying to determine how often they occur.
According to scientists, rain fell for several hours on an area 10,551 feet in elevation on Aug. 14, an unprecedented occurrence for a location that rarely sees temperatures above freezing.
Scientists who warned of heat waves and rising seas this week also say that it's possible to avoid the worst effects of the warming climate. They're relying on computer models of the world economy.
The global combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 1.67 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average, according to NOAA, the hottest in 142 years of record-keeping.
Nathan Rott, Annie Ropeik, Molly Samuel, Claire Harbage, Connie Hanzhang Jin, and Daniel Wood | NPR|
There's a history of wildfire across America, a threat made worse by the warming climate. And more people are moving to fire-prone areas without realizing the danger.
Allison Crimmins, who heads the National Climate Assessment, says the U.N.'s landmark report confirms the need for "significant, sustained action" to reduce emissions.
The Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, the country's largest active blaze, could reach full containment in October. Until then, officials say, wildfire conditions will only continue to intensify.
