Waching daily Jan 30 2018

In 2017, the U.S. saw some of the strongest

and most expensive storms in history.

And climate experts say

that as global temperatures continue to rise,

things will only get worse, and more costly.

"If you increase the ocean temperatures,

you will increase how strong hurricanes can become.

That's unequivocal."

And as these storms strengthen, the astronomical costs

associated with them will rise, too.

How much are we talking here?

The superstorms and wildfires of 2017

cost the U.S. a record-breaking $306 billion.

To put that into perspective,

that's more than triple the amount that the federal government

spends on education in a year.

This warmer climate also enables fires to burn larger areas.

In 2017 the U.S. Forest Service spent over 50 percent of its budget

putting out fires, and it can no longer keep up with the costs.

So we're already paying big for climate change.

But as these storms help sink the U.S. further into debt,

the Trump administration is dismantling policy

and reducing funding that's aimed

at mitigating these problems.

"Since my very first day in office,

I have been moving at record pace

to cancel these regulations and to eliminate

the barriers to domestic energy production like never before."

The Trump administration has sought

to reverse at least 60 environmental rules

that it sees as overly burdensome

to the fossil fuel industry.

"Politicians almost at any level, it seems, struggle with the concept

that yes, you have this big expense now,

for mitigation, but it's actually less costly than

the expense of recovery."

Let's look back at the three major hurricanes of last season,

each of which showcased a different aspect of how

global warming can fuel these destructive and costly storms.

In Rockport, Tex.,

Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 storm

with winds of up to 130 miles per hour.

It tore half this house and many others to shreds.

"This was our bedroom that we used.

Yeah, it just kind of ripped everything off."

"We're not sure if we're going to have enough to rebuild.

So it all depends."

Hurricane Harvey caused $125 billion in damages,

making it one of the costliest hurricanes ever.

A lot of that cost is due to flooding,

which devastated Houston.

There's never been this much water released from one

storm system ever in the U.S.

And global warming is partly to blame.

"Warming temperatures allows the air to hold more water.

And so we do expect rain rates

to increase under global warming."

Flooding costs can be overwhelming.

According to FEMA, just one inch of flooding

in a home would cost a household over $50,000.

At over 20 inches of flooding, like in this home,

the costs can soar up to $150,000.

"I've never seen anything like this."

The National Flood Insurance Program,

virtually the only source of flood insurance for millions of Americans,

can't afford to help pay for these mega-floods anymore.

It's been in debt since Hurricane Katrina flooded

New Orleans back in 2005.

And just two days before Harvey hit Texas,

President Trump signed an executive order

to revoke an Obama-era rule that required

new federal infrastructure projects to be

built to higher flood standards.

Environmentalists say the rule protected taxpayer money

from going to projects that are threatened by flooding.

In Florida, Hurricane Irma ravaged the state

and became the longest-lasting powerful hurricane ever recorded.

"What was unprecedented about Irma was

that it reached about 185 miles per hour

and it stayed there for about a day and a half."

And despite the fact that the strongest winds missed Florida,

it still had ample time to damage vast swaths of land,

much of it agricultural.

Preliminary losses to agriculture are at $2.5 billion.

"Hi. We lost everything."

"There's a price to pay no matter where you live.

I choose hurricanes over anything else because

you have weeks to prepare for them.

But as you can see, you can prepare and prepare

and it's not never enough."

Preparations for hurricanes can only go so far

as sea levels continue to rise.

Over the last two decades,

the oceans around South Florida's coast

have risen an inch every five years.

"Let's say we had these latest hurricanes 80 years ago.

Sea levels were lower.

The exact same storm surge that would've occurred

would not have been as severe."

In Puerto Rico,

Hurricane Maria went from a Category 1 hurricane

to a Category 5 in less than a day,

allowing for almost no time to prepare.

And that lack of preparation,

slow government response and the island's poor infrastructure

meant people were stuck underwater for days

and in the dark for months.

The damages in Puerto Rico alone add up to $90 billion.

"These are huge numbers we're talking about.

And I don't think taxpayers have any idea how much money

they're already paying for climate change."

For more infomation >> Billion-Dollar Storms: Is This the New Normal? | NYT - Duration: 5:37.

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Hey Everyone! Right-To-Work Is Racist! - Duration: 2:47.

(upbeat music)

They say right-to-work is going bring jobs.

They say right-to-work is going to give workers a choice in where they work.

What they won't tell you is that right-to-work is racist.

Wait, say what?

Right-to-work is racist?

Since when?

Since it was created, man!

Right-to-work has always been about dressing up racist causes as pro-business causes.

How do you not know this?

Here's what the father of right-to-work

- Vance Muse -

had to say about why he championed these laws.

"From now on, white women and white men will be forced into organizations with

black African apes whom they will have to call brother or lose their jobs."

He did not say that!

Girl, he absolutely did.

Vance Muse was against women's suffrage; against child labor laws; against the 8-hour work day;

and against most of the programs in the New Deal that helped end the Great Depression.

But I thought…

Wait, I'm not done!

Wait, there's more?!

Unfortunately, this m*********er also created a union-busting outfit

called the "Christian American Association"

that worked hand-in-hand with the Texas KKK to break up unions and terrorize minorities.

Right-to-work laws rob us workers of our powers and rights.

But you don't have to take my word for it.

"We must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 'right-to-work.'

It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights…

Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer

and there are no civil rights.

We do not intend to let them do this to us.

We demand this fraud be stopped."

So, this isn't about job creation at all, is it?

[Angela, Mario, Ian]: NO!

Take a look at the facts.

In states where right-to-work laws are on the books,

the average construction worker makes 14 percent less a year.

[Angela voiceover]: And that's if you're a white male.

If you're a woman, you make 23 percent less.

[Ian voiceover]: And if you're black or Hispanic?

Well get ready to make 33 percent less under right-to-work.

Man, that's some b******t.

Tell me about it.

So, let me get this straight.

Right-to-work is actually code for racist laws that treats blacks, Hispanics and women

like second class citizens and pays everyone less?

All while enriching the corporate fat cats.

It also hurts our ability to organize and collectively bargain,

but you've got the gist of it.

Well, how can we stop right-to-work from becoming the law?

Well, that part's easy.

Tell your spouse…

…tell your parents…

…tell your kids…

…tell your friends…

…tell your neighbors.

Hell, tell a complete stranger…

Right-to-work is racist.

And we're not going to stand for it

anywhere.

(dramatic music)