There's no way to sugar coat this

A couple of weeks ago, the UN secretary general, António Guterres announced that “the era of global boiling has arrived.” The wildfires that devastated Maui last week are evidence of this new epoch. Abnormally dry wetlands and hurricane force winds created the deadliest firestorm in a century.

The persistent and widespread threat of climate disaster will affect almost 40 percent of Americans living in coastal cities in the coming years if we do not dramatically slow current rates of warming. Home and auto insurances have already taken note of this and are choosing to reduce or completely eliminate coverage in these “high-risk” areas to mitigate ballooning climate disaster costs.

We must act now — not by abandoning customers to safeguard profits, but by cutting out the fossil fuel industry to protect our increasingly vulnerable communities. We’re starting with more info on the Maui wildfire recovery and a possible way we can cut down on global carbon emissions. After that we have some stories that remind us conservation and decarbonization are within reach.

💰 Rich investors are trying to buy land in Lahaina while families grieve their homes and loved ones. The death count is currently at 99 with 1,000 being unaccounted for. 80 percent of structures have been destroyed or damaged. Independent

🌿 Lahaina used to be a wetland. Emily Atkins talks with native Hawaiian and activist Kaniela Ing about the history of Lahaina. HEATED

🆘 Locals have created a directory for Maui aid. You can read 500+ stories from individuals affected by the wildfires and donate directly to them. Here is the Google Sheets. You can also donate to the Maui Community Power Recovery Fund.

Biden moves to protect a million acres of sacred indigenous land in Arizona. The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument near the Grand Canyon is important to more than a dozen indigenous groups, like the Havasupai and Hopi tribes, and contains diverse ecology and protected species. The designation will shield the area from future uranium mining, however it will allow existing mining to continue to operate. Grist

Nations take action to protect the rainforest at Brazil’s Amazon Summit. Eight countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization adopted a “new and ambitious shared agenda,” forming an alliance to pursue deforestation goals and announcing the Belem Declaration, which creates a science group to meet annually and report on the rainforest, similar to the UN’s IPCC. Aljazeera

Montana’s youth win their climate lawsuit. In the first ruling of its kind in America, a Montana state decided in favor of activists. The court agreed that the state violated their right to a “clean and healthful environment” by promoting the use of fossil fuels. Its expected this win could influence how judges handle similar cases in other states. Washington Post