The Conversation - Natural disasters and remedies

Climate change made its presence known across the U.S. in 2024, with at least two dozen billion-dollar weather and climate disasters. Some of our stories looked at impacts nationwide: For example, we explained how these events are driving up insurance rates, making coverage unaffordable for increasing numbers of Americans. We also spotlighted solutions, such as using design to create “sponge cities” that can soak up urban floodwaters. And we analyzed how the incoming Trump administration could alter climate and energy policy, potentially affecting future storms and responses.

In contrast to flooded U.S. cities, many Caribbean countries have the opposite problem: water shortages, driven by development, tourism demands and poor management. There, water harvesting is a promising response that could support overtaxed water supply systems.

One of the most powerful metaphors ever for human impacts on the Earth turned 70 in 2024: Godzilla. Our story explained how films from the Japanese Godzilla franchise have evolved to address problems such as pollution as well as nuclear dangers. And on a much smaller scale, our story on Phalen Regional Park in St. Paul, Minnesota, analyzed how this site has become a welcoming and inclusive space for the diverse community that surrounds it.

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