Meter Reading: Many May Pass on Spill Deal, The Elements of a Superstorm, and More

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

People gather around the remains of burned homes after Superstorm Sandy on October 31, 2012 in the Breezy Point neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

Up against deadline, many may decline spill deal – “Lawyers advising thousands of plaintiffs with economic and medical damage claims from the 2010 Gulf oil spill say thousands will opt out of a complex settlement deal by Thursday’s deadline, but parties that forged the agreement are confident enough will stay for the deal to work.” — Houston Chronicle

Frankenstorm Sandy: Stitched Together From Elements Both Natural and Unnatural – “What distinguishes Sandy from similar storms in the past, including the 1991 Perfect Storm of book and movie fame, is Sandy’s unprecedented turn to the west, making a beeline straight for the most densely populated area in the U.S. October hurricanes tracking along the eastern seaboard almost always veer out to sea and only rarely head due north.” — Scientific American

Sandy recalls question Ike prompted: Will climate-change concern grow? – “This week, Hurricane Sandy’s devastation, particularly in the New York City area and elsewhere in New Jersey, is prompting similar questions – both for that region and the nation as a whole – as climate-action advocates try to use the storm to mobilize support for their lagging cause.” — Texas Climate News