High Fens forest fire: Belgium's largest fire since 1911: Rain helps, but the wind carries the smoke as far as Cologne: Belgium's firefighters continue ...
faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/ungluecke/waldbrand-hohes-venn-belgiens-groesster-brand-seit-1911-201136836.html
"We are witnessing total ecological destruction here." WDR reporter Jochen Hilgers reports on the extent of the fire in the High Fens nature reserve.
OpinionForest fires in Europe: And after the heat?: Spectacular fires provide media with compelling images. But interest shouldn't wane when there's no burning.
taz.de/Waldbraende-in-Europa/!6200891/
Significantly smaller harvest: Farmers' Association demands immediate financial support
schwaebische.de/wirtschaft/deutlich-kleinere-ernte-bauernverband-fordert-sofortige-finanzielle-unterstuetzung-4792120
For safety reasons: How harmful is kerosene dumping?: During the near-miss of an intercontinental jet in Munich, tons of fuel had to be dumped ...
fvw.de/touristik/verkehr/aus-sicherheitsgruenden-so-oft-wird-kerosin-abgelassen--wie-schaedlich-ist-das-263859
kyodo_english 10h
1 death linked to Tropical Storm Lala as more than 100,000 remain without power in Hawaii
english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/82471
As Kashmir’s lakes choke on sewage and waste, communities still depend on polluted waters
scroll.in/article/1095068/as-kashmirs-lakes-choke-on-sewage-and-waste-communities-still-depend-on-polluted-waters
When every centimeter counts: The struggle for water begins on the Danube: Without rainfall, things will quickly become tight. Because ships, power plants ...
derstandard.at/story/3000000335259/wenn-jeder-zentimeter-zaehlt-an-der-donau-beginnt-das-gerangel-ums-wasser
What will the rain bring for forest fires, low water levels and soils?: After weeks of drought, rain is finally coming. But will a few wet days be enough to ease ...
zdfheute.de/wissen/duerre-regen-waldbrand-niedrigwasser-boden-100.html
Drier soils may turn late summer into prolonged extreme heat: The summers of recent years have been hot, but not unusual from a meteorological perspective ...
phys.org/news/2026-08-drier-soils-late-summer-prolonged.html
Rain over eastern Belgium on Monday brought some relief to firefighters battling to contain the country's biggest wildfire on record ... Show more
Climate crisis: What too much CO₂ does to trees: Researchers examine fossilized leaves from 56 million years ago and warn: They see parallels to the present day
sueddeutsche.de/wissen/kohlendioxid-waldveraenderungen-erdgeschichte-li.3533177
A looming rock collapse threatens a Swiss village as thawing permafrost destabilizes the Alps
ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/article/a-looming-rock-collapse-threatens-a-swiss-village-as-thawing-permafrost-destabilizes-the-alps/
Poor harvest results for 2026: Farmers' Association President Rukwied demands 180 million euros for fertilizer aid
n-tv.de/politik/Bauernpraesident-Rukwied-fordert-180-Millionen-Euro-fuer-Duengemittelhilfe-id31205075.html
Fire Partially Under Control: Heavy Rain Slows Down Wildfire Near Schramberg: Heavy rain is helping firefighters contain the wildfire near Schramberg ...
schwarzwaelder-bote.de/lokales/schramberg/feuers-teils-unter-kontrolle-starker-regen-bremst-waldbrand-bei-schramberg-aus-79390234.html
Key FactsFire service: Rain slows Schramberg forest fire
1 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: schwarzwaelder-bote.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: schwarzwaelder-bote.de
- According to the fire service, the forest fire is no longer spreading, while heavy rain is significantly aiding containment.
- The flames on the right flank are under control, the fire service said.
- A police helicopter equipped with a water tank is fighting the fire from the air because the steep terrain prevents ground operations.
- The fire was reported late Sunday afternoon; 330 personnel are deployed and farmers are supporting them by transporting firefighting water.
It's raining in torrents, and that helps us a great deal— André Wendel of the Rottweil Fire Department, regarding the containment of the forest fire near Schramberg
Forest fire in the High Fens: Smoke plume from Belgium reaches Solingen: A pungent smell of smoke hangs over Solingen - | it comes from forest fires in the ...
solinger-tageblatt.de/lokales/solingen/waldbrand-im-hohen-venn-rauchwolke-aus-belgien-erreicht-solingen-E3357SAU55BSXNBXSJDPNZ57YA.html
Agriculture Minister Rainer on aid: | "We need reliable data.": Due to the drought, German farmers are demanding immediate aid. Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer ...
zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/agrarminister-rainer-duerre-landwirte-ernte-100.html
Nabu chief on climate protection with peatlands: "Look out the window!": Environment Minister Schneider wants to rewette peatlands for the climate ...
taz.de/Nabu-Chef-zu-Klimaschutz-mit-Mooren/!6204513/
Key FactsKrüger advocates peatland protection against climate impacts
1 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: taz.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: taz.de
- Krüger argues that heatwaves, droughts and low water levels are putting energy production, supply chains and some drinking-water supplies under pressure, with climate change harming the economy.
- According to Krüger, drained peatlands emit nearly seven percent of greenhouse-gas emissions, so water should be held around four centimetres below ground level for rewetting.
- A total of 1.75 billion euros is available for peatland protection through 2029, while farmers would have to change their business models and could generate income through new value chains and photovoltaics, Krüger says.
- Schneider’s revised proposals are in the consultation process with associations, while CSU Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer opposes them; Schneider intends to seek further funding in budget negotiations.
Protecting moors is the best climate protection there is, also economically speaking.— Jörg-Andreas Krüger, President of the Naturschutzbund Deutschland (Nabu), in an interview with taz
Each degree of warming could add a month of intolerable heat for 1 billion people
phys.org/news/2026-08-degree-month-intolerable-billion-people.html
A former dump in Camden County will soon be home to energy-generating solar panels
inquirer.com/south-jersey/voorhees-community-solar-energy-program-20260817.html
Dubai Municipality has taken action after tankers were found disposing wastewater at unauthorised sites
Violations carry hefty penalties ... Show more
Largest wildfire in North Rhine-Westphalia’s history: Unprecedented fires: The fires in North Rhine-Westphalia and Belgium are destroying unique peat bogs ...
taz.de/Groesster-Waldbrand-in-NRW-Geschichte/!6204551/
Key FactsNRW Forest Fire Contained as High Fens Blaze Continues
1 days ago · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: taz.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: taz.de
- The Hürtgenwald blaze, North Rhine-Westphalia’s largest forest fire, is now contained but not fully extinguished; 1,800 emergency responders had been involved since Thursday, and evacuees from Gey returned home on Saturday evening.
- By Sunday, the High Fens fire had covered 3,000 hectares on the Belgian side; several hundred people had been evacuated as a precaution from two Belgian border municipalities on Saturday, while the fire front was 1.5 kilometres from Germany by Sunday afternoon.
- Wind, inaccessible terrain and smoke hindered firefighting in the High Fens, where helicopters were used mainly, while the extent of damage to the unique raised bog remained unclear.
- SPD federal ministers are calling for a national action plan on heat and want climate adaptation and nature conservation established in the Basic Law as a joint responsibility during the current legislative term; CDU and CSU have so far rejected the proposal.
‘Major delays:’ Collision and separate oil spill on Hwy. 401 slow commute: Major delays are being reported on Highway 401 after a collision and a separate oil ...
cp24.com/local/toronto/2026/08/17/major-delays-hwy-401-wb-collector-lanes-closed-at-keele-street-following-oil-spill/
Observations since 1850 reveal regional climate fingerprints of human-induced warming
phys.org/news/2026-08-reveal-regional-climate-fingerprints-human.html
Elderly far more at risk from rising heat than thought: study: The threat that rising temperatures fuelled by climate change pose to the health of older people ...
ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/article/elderly-far-more-at-risk-from-rising-heat-than-thought-study/
A raging, surging river in Hawaii's Big Island overflows its banks after Hurricane Lala brushed the Big Island before being downgraded to a tropical storm ... Show more
North Wales Live Aug 17
Greenpeace activists have installed a 1,120-square-metre land artwork on wildfire-damaged ground at Sychnant Pass in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park near Conwy ... Show more
Letters: Our climate is in crisis. We are going backward on renewables in the US.
chicagotribune.com/2026/08/17/letters-081726-climate-change/
Wind and rain are coming: Forest fire in the High Fens remains "unpredictable": Flames are still raging in the High Fens, just over two kilometers from the ...
n-tv.de/panorama/Waldbrand-im-Hohen-Venn-bleibt-unberechenbar-id31204145.html
SFGATE 14h
Dwindling Lake Powell is now just 30 feet away from its worst disaster: Lake Powell, located on the Arizona-Utah border, hit a record-low water level over the ...
sfgate.com/bayarea/article/lake-powell-record-low-22392180.php
Federal Environment Minister Schneider visits Ukraine: Reconstruction in focus: Federal Environment Minister Schneider has traveled to Ukraine for a multi-day ...
tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/ukraine-bundesumweltminister-schneider-besuch-kiew-100.html
Flooding in Niagara could push prices higher for peaches and plums next year, warns U of G expert
cp24.com/local/niagara/2026/08/17/flooding-in-niagara-could-push-prices-higher-for-peaches-and-plums-next-year-warns-u-of-g-expert/
Iran claims 'trillion-dollar damage' as Gulf oil spills spread: Oil residues from a struck bulk carrier reached Iran's Qeshm Island and its ...
euronews.com/2026/08/14/iran-claims-trillion-dollar-pollution-damage-as-gulf-oil-spills-spread
Yellow alert for storm cells & 90km winds set to hit southern Spain today as heat begins to ease across the
euroweeklynews.com/2026/08/17/yellow-alert-for-storm-cells-90km-winds-set-to-hit-southern-spain-today-as-heat-begins-to-ease-across-the-country/
Forest fire near Monschau: Fire on the German border: The fire is only about three kilometers from the German border. Around 5,000 people are preparing to ...
taz.de/Waldbrand-bei-Monschau/!6204474/
Key FactsFire in the High Fens: Firefighters Report Stable Situation
2 days ago · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: aachener-zeitung.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: aachener-zeitung.de
- The fire started on Friday afternoon between Drossart and Baraque Michel near the Polleur Fens; the Province of Liège said 3,000 hectares were affected by Monday morning and the fire front was about 300 metres from the German border.
- About 30 residents of Ruitzhof and Geisberg near Kalterherberg were evacuated overnight into Monday, after individual streets in Sourbrodt and the communities of Küchelscheid and Leykaul had already been cleared.
- On Sunday evening, 500 personnel and 120 vehicles were deployed, while two Swedish firefighting aircraft were operating and the Bundeswehr provided two NH-90 helicopters for the operation.
- A Province of Liège spokesperson said the fire was under control and was not currently spreading towards the German border; light rain, weak winds and high humidity supported firefighting efforts.
'Pretty unusual': Graphic highlights El Niño's rapid intensification: Ocean conditions have flipped from La Niña to a fast-intensifying El Niño in a matter of ...
1news.co.nz/2026/08/18/pretty-unusual-graphic-highlights-el-ninos-rapid-intensification/
SPD wants more heat protection: Backing from environmental groups: Heat, drought, and forest fires: The SPD is calling for political action after the hot summer ...
zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/hitze-aktionsplan-hitzeschutz-spd-umweltverband-klimawandel-100.html
The High Fens are a major CO2 sink and have been a protected nature reserve for more than 70 years. The ecological consequences of the fire could be ... Show more
Klingbeil discovers climate policy: Who's supposed to believe that?: Anyone who needs a heatwave summer to rediscover climate policy must be accused of ...
n-tv.de/politik/politik_kommentare/Wer-soll-das-glauben-id31201336.html
Tropical Storm Lala continued to move west and away from Hawaii early Monday after skirting the Big Island as a hurricane ... Show more
Mount Etna: US hiker dies after being struck by lightning on Italian volcano: The 30-year-old was on the active volcano when a thunderstorm developed ...
bbc.com/news/articles/ce34rlkw6q7o
A June heat wave exposed a lethal lack of readiness. #HeraldPremium 🔗 Heat deaths in a ‘cold’ country are a warning to the rest of Europe
Key FactsMonschau Maintains Wildfire Evacuation
1 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: derwesten.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: derwesten.de
- According to the city of Monschau, smaller fire pockets came within 300 meters of homes, while the main fire front remained on the Belgian side.
- In Hürtgenwald, the Düren district says the situation remains under control; about 400 personnel worked overnight, around 800 are expected during the day, and two firefighting helicopters remain deployed.
- The WHO is warning of serious health consequences from the wildfire near Monschau, particularly because of toxic smoke plumes.
- The night in Monschau was reportedly calm and the situation eased somewhat, Philipp Krüger said, but rain alone cannot extinguish the fire.
It's simply insane that people are walking around in forests right now. Everyone knows that the fire was caused by some idiot. Some idiot started the fire.— Herbert Reul, Interior Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia (CDU), on-site in Hürtgenwald; commentary on human-caused fire
Super El Niño 15,000 km away could flip Spain’s next winter upside down: Spain keeps baking under what seems like a relentless heatwave, yet a massive climate ...
euroweeklynews.com/2026/08/16/super-el-nino-15000-km-away-could-flip-spains-next-winter-upside-down/
Feds move to repeal EV sales mandate without new stringent emission rules in place
cp24.com/news/money/2026/08/17/feds-move-to-repeal-ev-sales-mandate-without-new-stringent-emission-rules-in-place/
"Heat doesn't affect everyone the same way": The Left calls for heat protection measures; the SPD pushes ahead with an action plan
tz.de/politik/hitzewelle-2026-deutschland-ohne-hitzeschutzkonzept-spd-legt-aktionsplan-vor-zr-94445478.html
Key FactsSPD presents heat-protection action plan
1 days ago · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: tz.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: tz.de
- The heatwave is threatening Rhine shipping and agricultural harvests, while a major fire spreading from Belgium into Germany was feared on August 16.
- The plan adopted by five SPD cabinet members includes a national heat action plan, changes to building-planning law and stronger protection for workers.
- Carsten Schneider, the Greens and the Federal Environment Agency support embedding climate adaptation in the constitution, while CDU politicians Günter Krings and Franziska Hoppermann criticize the proposal.
- The Left Party is calling for measures including a legal 26-degree maximum for homes, protection plans for vulnerable groups and more cool public spaces.
Heat protection is also a matter of social justice: heat affects everyone, but it does not affect everyone equally.— SPD health policy politician Christos Pantazis; told AFP in Berlin on Sunday
Warning of smoke smell in the Heilbronn district - | Residents should close windows and doors
stimme.de/heilbronn/landkreis-heilbronn/warn-app-alarm-brand-geruch-rauch-tueren-fenster-schliessen-anwohner-waldbraende-belgien-art-5205135
Illinois is first in the Great Lakes and Mississippi watersheds to classify nurdles as pollution
yahoo.com/news/science/articles/illinois-first-great-lakes-mississippi-170300083.html
Glacier melting, iconic lift collapses: Swiss ski resort forced to take drastic measures - | other regions affected
tz.de/welt/alpen-halten-hitze-nicht-stand-schweizer-skigebiet-verliert-kult-lift-zr-94446452.html
"Catastrophic and unbelievable": Cologne Greens sound the climate alarm due to fires and heat
rundschau-online.de/politik/groesster-waldbrand-in-nrw-koelner-gruene-schlaegt-klima-alarm-1351068
InsideEVs 19h
The Results Are In: Scrapping Your Gas Car For An EV Is Better For The Climate: A recent study claims that retiring an internal combustion vehicle for a new ...
insideevs.com/news/805222/scrapping-ice-for-ev-study/
South Korea: One killed in Geoje landslide as record rains hit southern region: It comes as large swathes of East and South East Asia have been pummelled by dats ...
bbc.com/news/articles/cvgww971nn2o
Mounds of hail covered a road in Englewood, Colorado, after a severe thunderstorm moved through the area.
A plow was brought in to clear the buildup after ... Show more
A dramatic mountain wildfire raged near Treherbert as emergency services and military personnel battled dozens of blazes across the region ... Show more
Consequences of Climate Change: The Faster Forests Burn, the More Intensely They Burn
stuttgarter-zeitung.de/wissen/folgen-des-klimawandels-je-schneller-waelder-brennen-desto-intensiver-brennen-sie-79390910.html
