Climate Point: Smog plan blocked by high court, and pythons are moving north

Welcome to Climate Point, your weekly guide to climate, energy and the environment. From sunbaked California, I'm Janet Wilson.

The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing its controversial “good neighbor” plan to reduce smog from coal-fired power plants, cement factories and other large industrial facilities while its legality is being challenged. The 5-4 decision could make it easier for the plan to be scrapped altogether if there’s a change in administrations after the November presidential election, notes Maureen Groppe for USA Today.

Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch said the underlying challenge is likely to succeed so the rule should be iced in the meantime. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who joined the court's three liberals in dissenting, said the majority's decision "leaves large swaths of upwind States free to keep contributing significantly to their downwind neighbor's ozone problems for the next several years."

One of the most widespread pollutants in the United States, ozone smog is also one of the most dangerous, according to the American Lung Association . It causes breathing difficulties, worsens lung diseases and shortens lives. More than 100 million Americans live in counties with repeated unhealthful ozone levels, the main component of smog.

Elsewhere, to paraphrase that famous English playwright, now is the summer of our discontent.

It's not just molten heat waves and huge, early wildfires . Backyard fireflies are blinking out , rare birds on the wing are growing rarer, and even those tart cherries I love to bake with are disappearing. Meanwhile, more water-guzzling swimming pools are being built than ever, lone star ticks that can cause a meat allergy have reached Rhode Island and giant Burmese pythons are slithering northward from Florida.

If anyone questions a key cause, as USA Today's Doyle Rice writes, "Here's a line you can use at the pool or beach this weekend: "Yep, it's climate change."

The deadly heat wave that scorched much of North America in early May and June – and is still baking the central and eastern U.S. – was made 35 times more likely because of human-caused climate change, a scientific study released Thursday says.

In Mexico, the scorching temps killed at least 125 people and led to thousands of heatstroke cases. Scientists say heat waves will continue to intensify if the world continues to unleash climate-warming emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. The heat has not been confined to the Americas: at last count more than 1,300 people died on the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

And no, it was not two degrees hotter 55,000 years ago , as USA Today's fearless fact check team debunks another popular but wildly inaccurate climate claim.

Scratch that off the list. While it may seem like we're living in a real-life horror movie (bird flu virus has now killed dairy herds , cats, alpacas, skunks and a few humans in 31 states ) there are also always efforts to tackle the problems. Project ITCH is researching ways to effectively battle ticks in Rhode Island, which leads the U.S. in Lyme disease cases. And in western Michigan, which grows 70% of the nation's tart cherries, scientists and farmers are grappling with milder winters and fluctuating rainfall together via the Agricultural Climate Resiliency Program, leaving some optimistic about bulking up depleted harvests of recent years.

Cool it. The Biden administration and New Jersey lawmakers are pushing for a way to protect mail delivery people, warehouse workers, farmworkers and others from overheating on the job . Employees would have to provide access to cold water, paid rest and shade. Non-urgent tasks would have to be postponed during heat waves. Not everyone is in favor of the potentially lifesaving measures.

Holding it together . In Kentucky, farmers are planting colorful cover crops , abstaining from disturbing the soil through tillage and embracing other conservation practices to help stave off erosion and protect water quality — both in local waterways and a thousand miles downstream.

Midwest moves. In Cincinnati this week, shareholders at food giant Kroger's annual meeting will be asked to formally urge the company to pay more attention to environmental impact . And Milwaukee commercial building owners could soon be required to track energy use , which helps fight climate change.

Lab, frontier, nursery. Slicing through slash pine scrub, curving around arching mangroves, then sloping into shallow saltwater, Shell Island Road has to be one of the most drop-dead gorgeous dead-ends in Southwest Florida. But setting aside its beauty, it also leads to the heart of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which holds the key to Collier County's fiscal survival. Apart from being a tourist draw, it also shelters the seeds of disaster recovery. Lovely piece by Amy Bennett Williams with the Naples Daily News.

Be wary . Some solutions are born of despair, and carry heavy risks. Faced with higher costs of food, electricity and insurance, more homeowners are deciding to go without insurance , jeopardizing their largest asset. Try bundling auto and home insurance, creating defensible space and other measures to negotiate somewhat lower rates.

The blob is on its way. Nature spares us from calamity sometimes. A giant blob of Saharan dust blowing across the Atlantic Ocean may weaken tropical storm systems for about a week, temporarily lessening hurricane risks. A side bonus? The dust helps create vibrant sunsets .

Read on for more, including how to help a wild animal safely cross the road. Some of the stories below may require a subscription. Sign up and get access to all eNewspapers in the USA TODAY Network. If someone forwarded you this email and you'd like to receive Climate Point in your inbox for free once a week, sign up here .

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Climate Point: Smog plan blocked by high court, and pythons are moving north