Climate Change

Three North Carolina counties have some bird populations that are strongly declining, consistent with a 2019 study that found “major” population loss among North America’s birds.

As David Boraks winds up his assignment as WFAE's climate reporter this month, he's thinking about what we're doing right. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still deeply concerned, and the outlook is hardly rosy. But the winds of change are strengthening."

It's been a record-breaking year for sea turtles in Florida. Just as they have for millions of years, the turtles have crawled onto beaches, digging pits in the sand to lay their eggs. Florida's preliminary count shows more than 133,840 loggerhead turtle nests and 76,500 green turtle nests, breaking records set years ago. Other southeastern U.S. states also report high numbers. But only one in 1,000 hatchlings lives to adulthood and climate change is threatening their species as beaches disappear under rising seas. Hotter sand makes more females, and the hatchlings are smaller and slower. Experts say their future remains ominous.

Saltwater intrusion and sea-level rise are growing problems for farmers in eastern North Carolina, especially in counties on the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. And it’s only expected to get worse with climate change.

As the climate warms, labor advocates say more protections for workers will help employers too.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently removed nearly two dozen species from the Endangered Species Act due to extinction, including one that called the Carolinas home.

Many people in public housing are especially vulnerable to extreme heat, and there's no federal requirement for air conditioning. That leaves some tenants struggling to pay for it on their own.

Vibrio infection reports associated with brackish water contact have increased in recent decades and the range of waters associated with infection has spread north due to increasing water temperatures, officials said.

Commissioner Mike Causey performed a hot car demo to show how dangerous the temperature is inside a vehicle.

Under a new Army program, West Point students are working with the Defense Department to address climate challenges that could affect national security.