Biden Taps Montana Environmentalist For US Public Lands Boss
A longtime environmental advocate and Democratic aide has been nominated by President Joe Biden to oversee roughly a quarter-billion acres of federally owned land in Western states. It's the latest in a string of political appointments raising concerns among Republicans as Biden moves to curtail energy production from public reserves. Biden nominated Tracy Stone-Manning of Missoula, Montana, to direct the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management. The bureau has jurisdiction over vast reserves of oil, gas and coal and is set to play a key role in Biden’s commitment announced Thursday to cut climate warming emissions from fossil fuels by at least half by 2030.
LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades
Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.