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Without significant carbon cuts, the Persian Gulf region could become uninhabitable. -

New research finds that intense heat waves—more severe than any on record—could begin to hit major Middle Eastern cities in just over 50 years. Researchers say the extreme muggy conditions would make it physically impossible for the human body to cool itself down. The Guardian

Hurricane Patricia diverted migrating monarch butterflies. -

Changes in humidity drove the butterflies to fly east and take refuge in ravines in northern Mexico, where they avoided the wind and rain. Smart move, but the rerouting represents yet another challenge for the already troubled monarchs—populations have dropped by as much as 80 percent in the last two decades. Reuters

Our reliance on cooling is making the planet hotter. -

As incomes rise in developing countries, demand for cold air is growing exponentially and threatening the success of carbon pollution targets. Refrigerants are doubly polluting—they're made from fossil fuels and produce greenhouse gases up to 4,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The Guardian

A sunken ship in Lake Erie is spewing oil. -

Officials announced yesterday that Argo, a tanker barge that sank 78 years ago, is now leaking its crude and benzol bounty—about 100,000 gallons of itArgo is among 89 shipwrecks in the United States that NOAA considers to be hazardous to the environment. The Toledo Blade

Catholic leaders from five continents push for climate action. -

The group of cardinals and bishops signed a joint appeal to the United Nations climate conference to produce a "transformational" agreement—one that entails a midcentury decarbonization goal and the inclusion of the poorest and most vulnerable nations in the decision-making process. Reuters

It takes a lot of pride out of an individual who’s worked and raised their family all their lives. Then all of a sudden they become a beggar.

Paul Nelson, a fisherman in Alabama’s Bayou La Batre, on how the BP oil spill has affected the local oyster industry and his community