Will flooding become a weekly event on the coasts?

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Grim new predictions suggest that flooding could become a weekly event in parts of the United States.

"The problem is going to become chronic rather quickly. It's not going to be a slow gradual change," said NPR science reporter Christopher Joyce. "Even with what NOAA calls an intermediate forecast for sea level rise, by 2050 cities on the East Coast could see high tide flooding the streets 25 to 130 times a year."

Will the water come faster than cities can adapt? That's where we start this week's Climate Cast. Here's what's on the show:

Climate facts are stubborn. Our earth is getting warmer. Glaciers and ice sheets are melting faster. Sea level is rising faster. But how do we measure the precise rate of sea level rise and its impacts? Steve Nerem with the University of Colorado-Boulder co-authored a new study that tackles that question.

Earlier springs make maple sugar production tougher. Joseph Rousu shares his climate story, thanks to Climate Generation's Talk Climate Institute.

What's the climate impact of an oil pipeline? Scientists know the carbon footprint varies with different sources of oil. That's one reason many are opposed to the production of fuel from the oil sands in Alberta, Canada. Now a proposed pipeline is generating opposition. MPR News environment reporter Elizabeth Dunbar is following the Line 3 pipeline proposal and its potential impact on climate, and she tells us about it.

McDonald's says it's cutting carbon emissions. The fast food giant this week announced plans to reduce carbon emissions by 36 percent over the next 12 years by working with suppliers and franchisees.

Hear the whole show by using the audio player above.