The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it has awarded $15 million in grants for studies to help communities prepare for the effects of climate change.
NOAA said the highlights of the grants include:
- Improving understanding of wildfire pollutants at transition zones where wilderness meets the city
- Strengthening understanding and management of drought’s impact on ecosystems, and building tribal drought resilience in tribal nations
- Supporting the management of National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments through better understanding of climate variability and change in the sanctuary system
- Assessing the financial aspects of and capacity for adaptation in rural communities
- Improving modeling of atmospheric aerosols and refining understanding of these aerosols’ role in potential climate intervention
“These grants will spur the knowledge and innovation needed to tackle the climate crisis, which is a top priority for the Department of Commerce and NOAA,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad. “These new NOAA investments are essential to improve understanding of climate change, how to mitigate increasing impacts and bolster community resilience. All of these substantive steps work together towards our goal of building a Climate-Ready Nation.”
From January through September, there have been 53,605 wildfires in the United States, which is down from the last two years, which were abnormally high.
It also appears the current La Nina pattern has helped moderate temperatures some in the U.S. This year has been just the 13th hottest on record to date.