Articles by Leslie Kaufman

Leslie Kaufman writes the Climate Report newsletter about the impact of global warming. To contact the author of this story: Leslie Kaufman in New York at lkaufman27@bloomberg.net

Climate Change Made Deadly Brazil Floods Twice As Likely, Study Finds

Greenhouse gases produced by human activity made the recent deadly flooding in Brazil twice as likely as it would have been in the preindustrial era, according to a rapid analysis of the event by World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international …

Climate Tech Firm to Pilot Fast-Paying Flood Insurance in Africa

Climate change is particularly perilous for small farmers. Warmer conditions are resulting in more damaging bouts of rain and drought, but traditional crop insurance products are often unavailable or financially out of reach. In Africa, 99% of smallholder farmers are …

US, Philippines Pay Highest Economic Price for Climate-Fueled Weather

The United States and the Philippines are the countries hit hardest by climate-driven extreme weather, measured as a percentage of their economies, according to a report released Wednesday by global reinsurance giant Swiss Re. The US currently experiences the worst …

Migratory Animals in Peril From Overhunting, Habitat Loss: UN Report

Every year, mammals, birds, fish and insects make epic migrations between habitats. The humpback whale, famously, can travel 5,000 miles in a trip. But because these animals cross national borders and frequently congregate at predictable way stops, they are uniquely …

Reforms to US Disaster Aid Expose Growing Home Insurance Gap

When disaster hits in the US, the federal government gives aid to states and counties, but also to individuals. In 2022, the Federal Emergency Management Agency delivered $3.25 billion to nearly 1.4 million households recovering from damaging floods and fires. …

US Home Insurance ‘Bubble’ Closer to Popping as Climate Risks Mount: Report

Home insurance costs that have soared in much of the US may get even higher. Tens of millions of properties around the country are insured at prices that haven’t caught up with the danger of hurricanes, wildfires and floods, according …

Climate Change Drives Insurance Woes in Louisiana

A little over a year ago, Peter Gardner, a Louisiana developer, completed rehabbing an apartment building with 144 units and got a surprise so ugly it made him decide to move his business out of town. When the project began, …

FEMA Names Nearly 500 US Communities as ‘Resilience Zones’

Rikers Island in the Bronx, New York, made the list due to its extreme vulnerability to flooding. Lincoln, Wyoming, was selected because of its high avalanche risk. And the danger of both earthquakes and drought propelled part of Alameda, California, …

Americans Are Moving Toward Climate Danger in Search of Cheaper Homes

A midsummer quiz: Let’s say you read about an area experiencing blistering heat for weeks on end. Heat so hot that in the day, you can’t go outside, and at nighttime it’s still above 90F. Would you cross that off …

Climate Change and Homeowners’ Insurance Are on a Collision Course

A summer that has already seen water crises and wildfire smoke is rapidly becoming an inflection point in the pitched battle between climate change and the price of homeowners’ insurance in the US. American International Group Inc., which has already …