🌿 Climate & Environment

May 13th, 2026

Today's top 5 stories, curated by Daily Direct.

Inside Climate News

As El Niño Approaches, Scientists Predict Fierce Heatwaves, Wildfires and Floods

A developing El Niño is set to intensify extreme weather events this year, with scientists warning of more severe heatwaves, wildfires, and floods ahead. The climate pattern amplifies existing conditions by disrupting normal precipitation and temperature patterns across the globe. Experts stress, however, that fossil fuel-driven warming remains the primary force behind accelerating climate extremes — El Niño simply adds fuel to an already burning fire.

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Grist

Wall Street is betting big on clean energy tech

Fervo Energy is eyeing a $1.8 billion IPO in what would rank among the largest renewable energy public offerings in history. The move reflects a significant shift in investor appetite, with Wall Street increasingly willing to back clean energy at scale. For the sector, a successful listing could open the floodgates for further capital into emerging green technologies.

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Mongabay

Long dubbed a ‘climate refuge,’ warming Tasmanian forests need our help

Tasmania's ancient forests and waterways, long considered a buffer against climate change, are showing signs of stress as rising temperatures push ecosystems beyond their limits. Researchers like Todd Walsh are documenting the strain on indicator species such as the giant freshwater crayfish, whose survival depends on the cold, clean streams now threatened by warming. The findings challenge the assumption that remote wilderness can simply absorb climate pressures without active intervention.

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Guardian Environment

New revelations show WA is putting Australia’s climate targets at risk. Will Anthony Albanese do anything about it? | Clear Air

Western Australia's resources-heavy agenda under Premier Roger Cook is quietly undermining federal Labor's climate commitments, with new revelations suggesting the state's fossil fuel expansion is on a collision course with Australia's emissions targets. Cook appears to have Albanese's tacit backing, leaving the prime minister in the awkward position of championing climate action nationally while enabling its erosion at the state level. The tension raises serious questions about whether federal Labor has the political will to confront one of its own.

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Mongabay

South Africa declares natural disaster as flooding kills at least 10

Torrential rains, thunderstorms, and high winds have killed at least 10 people and destroyed numerous homes across six South African provinces, with informal settlements bearing the brunt of the damage. The South African government has formally declared a national disaster, unlocking emergency resources to respond to conditions ranging from flooding to snowfall. The crisis underscores the persistent vulnerability of the country's poorest communities to extreme weather events.

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