Ames Alexander
@amesalex
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Investigative reporter @floodlightnews, which examines the forces stalling climate action. Tips, story ideas? 704-999-7092; [email protected]
Charlotte, NC
Joined August 2009
In my latest story for Floodlight, I dug into the climate cost of America’s corn boom — the fertilizer, the emissions and the federal policies and incentives that have propped it all up. Thrilled that The Guardian has also published this.
floodlightnews.org
Corn dominates U.S. farmland and fuels the ethanol industry. But the fertilizer it relies on drives emissions and fouls drinking water.
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Kipnuk, Alaska, is disappearing. Flooding is eroding the permafrost bank protecting the village, and a $20 million EPA grant meant to stop it was abruptly canceled in May.
floodlightnews.org
The Trump administration has pulled more than $2.7 billion in climate grants, hitting vulnerable communities the hardest.
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‘We are forgotten here’: As NYC builds seawalls, this Queens community feels left behind. 🗞️
floodlightnews.org
A decade after city officials promised to cut flood risks in the Edgemere neighborhood, critics say it remains just as vulnerable.
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The Pentagon logged 2,800 heat-related illnesses among troops last year. Its new policy: stop spending on climate and drop “climate change” from official missions.
floodlightnews.org
For decades, the military treated climate change as a threat. Now it’s backing away from plans to protect people and bases from extreme weather.
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The story is running alongside this terrific piece by @theodenjanes:
charlotteobserver.com
“We just want people to be aware,” former flight attendant Sylvia Baird says. “Because it ruined my life. It ruined all of our lives.”
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Just published a deep dive in The Charlotte Observer about a hidden threat for air travelers: toxic fumes that creep into airline cabins. It's a problem that sometimes leaves crews struggling to stay conscious, land planes safely, or simply breathe.
charlotteobserver.com
Despite the dangers, the airlines and regulators have not tackled the problem adequately, victims say.
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And here's the link to my Floodlight investigation on climate change and the military:
floodlightnews.org
For decades, the military treated climate change as a threat. Now it’s backing away from plans to protect people and bases from extreme weather.
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Got to talk with @MarcoWerman on The World yesterday about how global warming is affecting the U.S. military - and about how the Pentagon is retreating from its climate fight. Thrilled this conversation is reaching a global audience. You can listen here:
theworld.org
The US military has long been a leader in adapting to the realities of climate change. But that could change under the Trump administration. The new budget request for the Department of Defense would...
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Pentagon retreats from climate fight even as heat and storms slam troops 🗞️
floodlightnews.org
For decades, the military treated climate change as a threat. Now it’s backing away from plans to protect people and bases from extreme weather.
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Read the investigation here: https://t.co/B2auZw08mR Also featured in The Guardian.
floodlightnews.org
For decades, the military treated climate change as a threat. Now it’s backing away from plans to protect people and bases from extreme weather.
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Now Pentagon leaders are cutting climate research funding and abandoning adaptation plans.
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From 2020 to 2024, heat exhaustion cases among service members rose 52%.
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My latest for Floodlight: The Pentagon is pulling back critical climate efforts — just as heatwaves, floods and storms are endangering U.S. troops.
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Arizona’s lax water laws let corporate farms pump unlimited groundwater to grow alfalfa for cattle overseas, even as local families spend their savings drilling new wells. NEW in Floodlight from our friends at @Sentient_ Media:
floodlightnews.org
Arizona’s lax water laws let corporate farms pump unlimited groundwater to grow alfalfa for cattle overseas, even as local families spend their savings drilling new wells.
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Floodlight’s model is built on collaboration — and we give all our stories away for others to republish, for free. If you work in a newsroom, join our publisher network to get an email every time a new investigation is ready to share with your readers:
floodlightnews.org
Join our news publisher network to republish our investigations on who is stalling climate action.
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Building toward disaster: Growth collides with rising seas in Charleston https://t.co/kGvI9UFXFz Republished from @FloodlightNews
scdailygazette.com
Charleston has become a warning bell for what’s to come along America’s coasts: Some neighborhoods will retreat and others will be protected.
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Leaving Home is our new series on climate relocation. As rising seas force millions in the U.S. to flee the coasts, we ask: are we ready? 👉 Read more:
floodlightnews.org
As climate change forces sea levels to rise, many in the U.S. will flee the coasts. Are we ready?
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Isle de Jean Charles has lost nearly 99% of its land to storms, erosion, and rising seas. When residents were relocated inland, their new homes were supposed to be safe — but just three years later, they’re already breaking down.
floodlightnews.org
Three years after a federally funded move, Indigenous residents of Louisiana’s Isle de Jean Charles report broken homes — and promises
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As millions face climate relocation, the nation’s first attempt sparks warnings and regret 🗞️
floodlightnews.org
Three years after a federally funded move, Indigenous residents of Louisiana’s Isle de Jean Charles report broken homes — and promises
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This is the first story in a new @FloodlightNews series on climate displacement in America’s coastal cities. Stay tuned!
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