New Orleans doesn’t need a hurricane to be inundated with water

Almost $15 billion went towards flood protection in New Orleans in the aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. But the city once again battled flooding this week – with no hurricane in sight. Several feet of water covered much of the city’s central area as the pump system was overwhelmed. The crisis prompted Governor John Bel Edwards to declare a state of emergency. A heavy storm battered New Orleans this past weekend: in four hours, around nine inches of rain fell, leaving parts of the city flooded. And the city’s drainage system failed to manage the deluge. According to CNN, 16 of the city’s 121 pumps failed, and the overworked system struggled to keep up. The situation worsened as the week went on as a Wednesday fire hit a turbine that powers pumping stations. The governor’s state of emergency declaration pointed to the malfunction of the New Orleans Sewage and Water Board’s power plant, which houses generators that power the pumps. Related: New Orleans’ $14.5 billion rebuilt levees won’t fight a Category 5 hurricane With more rain in the forecast in upcoming days, schools were closed Friday. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu called for the resignation of four officials, including the municipal water utility’s director and top engineer, and the public works department’s director. It took 14 hours to drain several feet of water in areas of the city. City records reveal 200 “life-threatening” emergency calls. City residents watched the flood with worry. Local Ronald Williams – who told The Washington Post he finally returned home after Hurricane Katrina just seven months ago – said, “I came home because I believed what they said about the new system and that it was supposed to be the best in the world. But now it seems if we get hit by another Katrina, the city will be gone.” Via The Washington Post and CNN Images via David Fischer on Facebook and screenshot

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New Orleans doesn’t need a hurricane to be inundated with water

Episode 88: Salesforce opts into SuperGreen; RE100 surfs change

In this week’s episode: Climate change’s $535 trillion debt; connecting health and human capital; does “An Inconvenient Sequel” live up to the hype?

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Episode 88: Salesforce opts into SuperGreen; RE100 surfs change

How far would you run to change a polluting industry?

Graham Ross, CEO and co-founder of Kusaga Athletic, has run the world from Brisbane to the Great Wall in China in a quest to disrupt the sports apparel industry.

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How far would you run to change a polluting industry?

Chemical footprinting strides to become mainstream with Walmart

Big companies are breaking new ground by measuring and reporting their chemical footprints. What steps can your business take?

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Chemical footprinting strides to become mainstream with Walmart

Episode 87: Apple branches out; it’s time to reimagine carbon

In this week’s episode, JP Morgan commits billions to “clean” financing, how to heal our overdrawn ecological budget — and corals get health insurance.

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Episode 87: Apple branches out; it’s time to reimagine carbon

Episode 86: Mining’s $16 billion problem; resilient cities rise

In this week’s episode, why mayors are appointing chief resilience officers, cap-and-trade makes a comeback and biomimicry turns 20.

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Episode 86: Mining’s $16 billion problem; resilient cities rise

Episode 84: China’s clean tech assent and that Salesforce tower

In this week’s episode: Michelin, GM halt deforestation; a G20-approved guide to disclosure; and the troubling new math on carbon reduction.

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Episode 84: China’s clean tech assent and that Salesforce tower

Episode 81: Laying Hawaii’s roadmap for renewable electricity by 2045

In this week’s episode, the GreenBiz team reports on the ground from the VERGE Hawaii 2017 conference.

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Episode 81: Laying Hawaii’s roadmap for renewable electricity by 2045

3 barriers holding equitable cities back

The impacts of climate change and benefits of the transition to renewable power are far from evenly distributed, for now.

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3 barriers holding equitable cities back

Episode 80: Sustainable tourism, VERGE Hawaii preview, the coming electric bus

In this week’s episode, the GreenBiz team covers the journey to sustainable tourism, BMW’s investment in electric buses and the fate of globalized corporations.

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Episode 80: Sustainable tourism, VERGE Hawaii preview, the coming electric bus

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