National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Record Breaking Summer Heat Leaves Car Batteries on Brink of Failure

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 8, 2023

HARTLAND, Wis., Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to intense heat, summer 2023 was one for the record books. In fact, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), September 2023 was the Earth's warmest September in 174 years. Not only was the heat extremely dangerous for Americans but the stress of the hot summer months wreaked havoc on car batteries. This extreme heat will undoubtably cause them to fail quicker this winter when temperatures drop, leaving drivers stranded at the most inopportune time.

Key Points: 
  • Drop in Temperature Strains Already Fragile Batteries; Batteries Plus Helps Consumers Power Through Cold Weather Effects
    HARTLAND, Wis., Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to intense heat, summer 2023 was one for the record books.
  • Not only was the heat extremely dangerous for Americans but the stress of the hot summer months wreaked havoc on car batteries.
  • Batteries Plus also offers a range of products, such as: automotive batteries (ATV, motorcycle, car, marine, and golf cart), chargers, cell phone batteries, phone essentials, SLA batteries, alkaline batteries, and generators.
  • More information on how to find the nearest Batteries Plus retailer store near you can be found here .

Community Offshore Wind Awarded NYSERDA Offtake Contract to Develop 1.3 GW of Offshore Wind for New York

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 24, 2023

NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New York State Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture of RWE and National Grid Ventures, was provisionally awarded a 1.3 gigawatt (GW) offtake contract as part of the state's third solicitation for offshore wind.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New York State Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture of RWE and National Grid Ventures, was provisionally awarded a 1.3 gigawatt (GW) offtake contract as part of the state's third solicitation for offshore wind.
  • The project awarded by NYSERDA will interconnect into Brooklyn, New York to deliver new offshore wind capacity.
  • Doug Perkins, President and Project Director of Community Offshore Wind: "Community Offshore Wind will propel New York toward its ambitious climate and clean energy goals, while cementing the state as a hub for the continued development of offshore wind in the Northeast.
  • As part of the offtake award from NYSERDA, Community Offshore Wind will play a significant role in strengthening the domestic supply chain.

Lytx Expands AI-Powered Geospatial Solutions with New Weather Hazard Alerts to Help Reduce Weather-Related Incidents

Retrieved on: 
Friday, October 13, 2023

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lytx® Inc., the global leader in video safety and video telematics, today announced the rollout of its Weather Hazard Alerts, available to all clients as a project within the Lytx Lab tab in their accounts. This new AI-powered geospatial technology built on the Lytx Vision Platform was developed within Lytx Lab, an idea incubator and a way for Lytx engineers and safety experts to collaborate with customers to address market needs. Weather Hazard Alerts allow fleet managers the option to get notifications based on geospatial criteria and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather data to facilitate real-time decision making for safer and more efficient driving.  

Key Points: 
  • Weather Hazard Alerts allow fleet managers the option to get notifications based on geospatial criteria and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather data to facilitate real-time decision making for safer and more efficient driving.
  • Lytx's new Weather Hazard Alerts overlays NOAA weather warnings (including snow, thunderstorms, floods, tornados, and more) onto fleet maps, allowing fleet managers to set alerts based on specific geographic, timeframe, and weather criteria and be notified as weather conditions become more severe in that particular region.
  • Weather Hazard Alerts can be filtered by geographic location, time frame, and type of severe weather, including tornado, hurricane, flash flood, and others.
  • The Weather Hazard Alerts feature is available now to all fleet managers within the U.S. Lytx network.

First Canadian-Led High Seas Mission to Fight Illegal Fishing in the North Pacific Finds over 3000 Shark Fins

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 12, 2023

The mission, known as Operation North Pacific Guard, is an annual, multi-national effort to coordinate fisheries enforcement to protect global fish stocks.

Key Points: 
  • The mission, known as Operation North Pacific Guard, is an annual, multi-national effort to coordinate fisheries enforcement to protect global fish stocks.
  • The goal of the mission was to find illegal high seas driftnets, illegal fishing activity, and inspect fishing vessels under international law to ensure compliance with fisheries regulations.
  • Canada also conducted air surveillance (based out of Japan) in support of Operation North Pacific Guard.
  • This year's operation included a total of 15 Pacific Region Fishery Officers who participated in high seas boarding and inspections over two phases.

Nationwide test of Wireless Emergency Alert system could test people's patience – or help rebuild public trust in the system

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 3, 2023

The Wireless Emergency Alert system is scheduled to have its third nationwide test on Oct. 4, 2023.

Key Points: 
  • The Wireless Emergency Alert system is scheduled to have its third nationwide test on Oct. 4, 2023.
  • The Wireless Emergency Alert system is a public safety system that allows authorities to alert people via their mobile devices of dangerous weather, missing children and other situations requiring public attention.
  • The federal government lists five types of emergency alerts: National (formerly labeled Presidential), Imminent Threat, Public Safety, America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (Amber), and Opt-in Test Messages.
  • We believe that concerns about previous tests raise two questions: Is public trust in emergency alerting eroding?

Confusion and resistance

    • Over-alerting is a common fear in emergency management circles because it can lead people to ignore alerts and not take needed action.
    • The sheer volume of different updates can be similarly overwhelming, burying emergency alerts in countless other messages.
    • Even when people receive alerts, however, there is potential for confusion and rejection.
    • All forms of emergency alerts rely on the recipients’ trust in the people or organization responsible for the alert.

More exposure and info leads to more trust

    • A survey administered in the days immediately following the 2021 national test found that more respondents believed that the National Alert message class label would signal more trustworthy information than the Presidential Alert message class label.
    • The Oct. 4 test message is expected to state, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert system.
    • Here are steps that you can take now to help make the Wireless Emergency Alert system more effective:


    Finally, push back on the lack of information and rise of misinformation about alerts by sharing reliable information about emergency alerts with your family and friends. Hamilton Bean has received funding from the Department of Homeland Security and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Scripps News wins first national News Emmy Award

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023

ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Scripps News, the nation's only 24/7 broadcast news network available over the air, has won its first national News Emmy Award with its documentary news series, " In Real Life ."

Key Points: 
  • ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Scripps News, the nation's only 24/7 broadcast news network available over the air, has won its first national News Emmy Award with its documentary news series, " In Real Life ."
  • The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the honors Wednesday evening during the news ceremony of the 44th News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
  • Scripps News won in the outstanding science, technology or environmental coverage category for " In Real Life: Plastic Time Bomb ."
  • "This award, and our second nomination, are fantastic recognitions of Scripps News' commitment to going beyond the headlines to bring viewers deeper, context-driven reporting," said Scripps News President Kate O'Brian.

RTX to optimize water prediction capabilities for NOAA

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 28, 2023  /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has been awarded a contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop and optimize the nation's water resources prediction capabilities.

Key Points: 
  • Next-Gen Water Prediction framework will help communities prepare for and respond to weather, water and climate-dependent events
    ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has been awarded a contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop and optimize the nation's water resources prediction capabilities.
  • The goal of this work is to create a climate-ready nation that is prepared for, and responds to, weather, water and climate-dependent events.
  • "Working with Raytheon, we will transform our technologies that predict streamflow, flooding, and inundation, as well as deploy improved capabilities to support understanding of drought and water quality challenges," said Edward Clark, director of NOAA's National Water Center.
  • With this award, Raytheon will now provide critical capabilities that support all three of NOAA and NWS's main sectors that contribute to the science and application of weather and weather forecasting: weather, water and climate enterprise.

American Climate Corps: Biden's new green jobs initiative delivers more promises than details

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 28, 2023

The White House promises that the corps “will ensure more young people have access to the skills-based training necessary for good-paying careers in the clean energy and climate resilience economy.” By helping Americans get entry-level green jobs, such as solar panel installation and home insulation, it will equip thousands more young Americans to tackle the complex challenges posed by climate change.

Key Points: 
  • The White House promises that the corps “will ensure more young people have access to the skills-based training necessary for good-paying careers in the clean energy and climate resilience economy.” By helping Americans get entry-level green jobs, such as solar panel installation and home insulation, it will equip thousands more young Americans to tackle the complex challenges posed by climate change.
  • As a scholar who researches and teaches about the history of U.S. volunteer service programs, I believe that the American Climate Corps will not provide anything radically new.
  • Rather, it will largely offer the same experiences and work opportunities as an array of programs that already exist.

New Deal echoes

    • That New Deal program put unemployed – and mainly white – young men to work on public lands across the country to counter the devastating unemployment of the Great Depression.
    • The Biden administration aims to make its new corps far more inclusive in terms of gender, race and ethnic diversity.
    • Rather than alleviating a short-term employment crisis, like its Depression-era predecessor, the American Climate Corps will emphasize launching careers.
    • The American Climate Corps, according to the details available, will mobilize far fewer participants than the CCC.

Network of similar programs already in place

    • There are about 150 similar conservation service programs in the U.S., all connected through the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps.
    • Known as the Corps Network, this patchwork includes 150 programs that give young adults and veterans opportunities to engage in service work on public lands and in rural and urban communities.
    • One of the oldest programs in what’s known as the Corps Network is the Student Conservation Association, founded in 1957.
    • Its emphasis on conserving land and water overlaps with the work existing state programs already do.

Scant objective evidence

    • Many of them survey their participants, who regularly say they enjoyed the experience.
    • Participants also cite a sense of personal growth, greater familiarity with environmental concerns and stronger leadership skills.

Better pay? Great opportunities?

    • The low pay, which ranges from about US$16,000-$30,000 a year, can mean that they’re not an option for many recent college grads who might otherwise be interested.
    • Full-time AmeriCorps volunteers are also eligible to apply for grants to pay for their education or to make student loan payments on top of their earnings.
    • American Climate Corps backers argue it should pay a living wage as a form of “climate justice.” It’s unclear whether the American Climate Corps will do that.

Answers to operational questions TBD

    • For example, California, Michigan, Maine, Washington and Colorado already have their own climate corps.
    • Perhaps most importantly, it’s yet to be determined whether the American Climate Corps’ service work will differ from those state initiatives and similar programs.

President Biden Launches the American Climate Corps, Announces new AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Washington, DC, Sept. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the week of AmeriCorps 30th anniversary, President Biden announced the creation of the American Climate Corps .

Key Points: 
  • Washington, DC, Sept. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the week of AmeriCorps 30th anniversary, President Biden announced the creation of the American Climate Corps .
  • "President Biden's American Climate Corps is a bold and necessary response to the concerns of young people across America.
  • One of the first major partnerships under President Biden’s American Climate Corps is between AmeriCorps and the US Forest Service to establish the new AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps .
  • To join the American Climate Corps, visit: www.whitehouse.gov/climatecorps and to learn more about the AmeriCorps NCCC Forest Corps, visit: https://americorps.gov/serve/americorps/americorps-nccc#programs .

First Phase of the MAGPIE Weather and Climate Experiment Completed in Barbados

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) completed its contribution to the Moisture and Aerosol Gradients/Physics of Inversion Evolution (MAGPIE) program, the first phase of an 18-month mission in Barbados.

Key Points: 
  • Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) completed its contribution to the Moisture and Aerosol Gradients/Physics of Inversion Evolution (MAGPIE) program, the first phase of an 18-month mission in Barbados.
  • The goal is to understand how energy and atmospheric constituents exchange between the warm subtropical ocean and the atmosphere through clouds and its subsequent relationships to weather and climate.
  • The MAGPIE experiment was conducted during a crucial period in atmosphere research.
  • On August 31 it completed its first phase of airborne research with 17 flights coinciding with record global ocean temperatures.