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  • Currently en Puerto Rico — 31 de agosto, 2023: Calor intenso, cero amenazas tropicales

Currently en Puerto Rico — 31 de agosto, 2023: Calor intenso, cero amenazas tropicales

El tiempo, currently.

El jueves será muy similar al miércoles, con más calor intenso y otra ronda de aguaceros vespertinos. Este calor se ve agravado por niveles un poco más altos de humedad debido a una onda tropical que pasa al sur de Puerto Rico. Los índices de calor podrían alcanzar hasta 111 grados en áreas costeras y urbanas desde Aguadilla hasta San Juan, donde estará vigente otra Advertencia de Calor. Los vientos del sureste transportarán humedad a través de la isla durante el día, lo que provocará aguaceros dispersos en el noroeste durante la tarde. El tiempo mejorará el viernes, pero seguirá haciendo calor. Al momento no existe ninguna depresión, tormenta o perturbación tropical mostrando señales de poderse convertir en amenaza a Puerto Rico.

—John Toohey-Morales

What you need to know, currently.

The Washington Post has a new engrossing feature story (gift link) on the privatized future of high speed rail in America. It brings up some interesting scenarios about the near-term future of trains in the world’s most car-dependent country.

Transportation (specifically, by car) is the largest source of energy use in the United States, so any displacement of cars for trains is a big deal for the climate. Amtrak has been strategic about this in announcing its expansion plans, focusing on car-centric routes like Dallas-Houston, Miami-Orlando, Colorado Springs - Fort Collins, and Los Angeles - Las Vegas.

A newcomer to America rail is the private high speed rail company Brightline, which to me sounds like the train version of the Megabus displacing Greyhound back in the early 2000s.

From the article:

Fifty million trips are made between Southern California and Las Vegas each year, mostly via private vehicles, according to project ridership studies. Brightline wants to capture 11 million of those trips annually.

An interactive map of Amtrak’s proposed expansion shows that, thanks in part to Amtrak Joe, by 2028 the US will have a vastly improved rail system, and it’s about time.

What you can do, currently.

One of my favorite organizations, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, serves as a hub of mutual aid efforts focused on climate action in emergencies — like Hurricane Idalia. Find mutual aid network near you and join, or donate to support networks in Florida: