| Severe rains bucketed down on central Europe, Africa, Shanghai and the US Carolinas this week, underscoring the extreme ways in which climate change is altering the weather. Different meteorological phenomena are behind the series of storms, according to climate scientists, though they agree an underlying factor for the supercharged rainfall is global warming writ large. Research has shown that hotter air is capable of carrying more moisture and is more likely to cause intense precipitation. And it's not just the amount of rain that falls, but where it lands. Emergency preparation, infrastructure and access to relief funds have led to vastly different outcomes — a reminder that the effects of climate change are not being felt equally across a warming world.  Typhoon Yagi approaches on September 5, 2024 in Huizhou, Guangdong Province of China Photographer: Visual China Group/Getty Images Europe is facing the financial reckoning of flooding. Central Europe experienced its worst flooding for decades when summer heat turned into a violent storm. As the shock of what's still unfolding recedes, attention is inevitably turning to the cost, both economic and political. There's good and bad news from Canada. The country's emissions likely declined slightly in 2023 as the electricity sector continued to decarbonize. Yet at the same time, falling prices for carbon credits in the Canadian province of Alberta are threatening to become a drag on efforts to slash emissions from the oil industry. Are green bonds helping the planet? Almost all green bonds issued in the US fail to drive real action to tackle climate change, undermining the merits of a global market that's grown to more than $3 trillion, according to a study. By Dan Murtaugh Solar capacity around the world will be installed at a record pace in 2024, as bargain panel prices help countries' efforts to deploy cleaner energy. Global additions are set to hit 594.8 gigawatts this year, a jump of almost 34% from last year, according to a forecast from BloombergNEF. Prices for solar modules have fallen to a record low of about $0.10 per watt, according to BloombergNEF. That's been great news for solar developers, but it means equipment manufacturers have been losing money. In the US, a long-awaited cut in interest rates on Wednesday has buoyed the outlook for the US residential solar market, which expects it to spur a wave of rooftop power installations. --With assistance from Will Wade In a little more than six weeks, Americans will cast their votes in a presidential election that has enormous stakes for the future of the planet. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi sits down with energy and environment reporter Jen Dlouhy to talk about how Kamala Harris' still-opaque plans could continue President's Joe Biden's climate legacy — and how Donald Trump has already signaled he plans to chip away at it. "Starting on day one, he's already said he intends to direct federal agencies to begin repealing and replacing climate regulations," Dlouhy tells Zero. Listen now, and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or YouTube to get new episodes of Zero every Thursday. | 
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