Climate Change

The U.S. Climate Prediction 'Center' said on Thursday that there is a 60% probability of a shift in the climate phenomena known as La Nina to?El Nino between February and April 2026. This pattern, also known as ENSO neutral, will likely persist throughout the summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Climate Prediction Center?said Thursday. The U.S. forecaster stated that "atmospheric abnormalities weakened due subseasonal variability but still reflected La Nina." "Low level westerly winds were present over western equatorial Pacific and upper level westerly winds continued across east-central equatorial Pacific." Why it's important La Nina is a part of the El...

Shareholder advocates and portfolio managers claim that the Trump administration's decision, to reverse an Obama-era legal analysis, which underpinned greenhouse gas regulations will cause confusion and increase costs for both businesses and investors. Donald Trump, the U.S. president who has called climate changes a "hoax," intends to formally rescind on Thursday 2009 scientific findings which?linked carbon dioxide to harmful health effects - data that have?guided standards of pollution for over 15 years. This is the most significant 'climate change' policy rollback by the Republican administration. It follows a series of regulatory reductions and other measures intended to free up fossil...

The Trump administration's impending repeal of an Obama-era finding that greenhouse gasses pose a threat to public health could lead to a new avenue for filing suits against power-plant operators, among other companies. Legal experts warned that the policy reversal could lead to an increase in "public nuisance" lawsuits, which were previously blocked by the Supreme Court's 2011 ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency should regulate greenhouse gas emissions instead of courts. Legal experts say that now that the EPA has abandoned this regulatory effort, it is likely that the legal shield created in 2011 will unravel. Robert Percival is...

Solstice Advanced Materials' forecast for full-year earnings in 2026 was below market expectations on Wednesday. This overshadowed the solid growth of sales during the fourth quarter and the continued strength of nuclear?and electronics materials. LSEG data shows that the'specialty materials maker', which spun off from Honeywell last October, expects to earn adjusted earnings per share in 2026 between $2.45 and $2.75. This is below the analysts’ average estimate of 2.93 per share. Solstice estimates annual sales between $3.9 billion and $4.1 billion compared to an estimated $3.96 billion. The revenue forecast ?signals modest growth from 2025, but continued pressure on...

?U.S. Bloomberg News, citing an official at the White House, reported that President Donald Trump will direct the Pentagon to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to sustain U.S. coal-fired power stations. The report could not be verified immediately. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment made outside regular business hours, and the Pentagon deferred any?comments to the White House. Bloomberg reported that Trump will issue an executive order on Wednesday directing Defense Sec.?Pete Hegseth?to enter into?agreements for the military to purchase electricity from coal plants. The report said that Trump will also announce a plan...

The White House announced on Tuesday that U.S. president Donald Trump plans to formalize a move on Thursday to overturn the legal basis of federal greenhouse gas regulations from the Obama era, which will result in 'the repeal of vehicle emission?rules. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, told reporters that Trump would be joined by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin at an event to formalize the revocation of President Barack Obama's 2009 scientific findings that carbon dioxide was harmful to human health. She claimed that the action was the largest deregulation in U.S. History and estimated it would save...

This week, the administration of Donald Trump will overturn a scientific finding from Obama's time that "carbon dioxide is harmful to human health". The legal basis for federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions will be removed. The move would be the most significant climate change policy rollback by the Republican administration to date. It follows a series of regulatory reductions and other measures intended to unfetter the development of fossil fuels and stymie clean energy's rollout. Trump has said that he believes climate changes are a hoax and has pulled the United States out of global efforts to fight it....

Analysts said that the decision by a Texas judge to strike down a'state law' blacklisting 'woke' financial firms such as BlackRock and HSBC who used environmental, governance, or social factors to make investment decisions, will likely lead to a broader movement to repeal alleged "anti-ESG laws" in other states. Texas lawmakers passed the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act 2021. This law requires state agencies and local governments to divest their shares from companies that refuse to invest in certain oil and gas companies. Around 14 other states have followed suit. Last week, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the law...

According to a report published on Thursday, federal enforcement actions against polluting businesses in the U.S. dropped?to an historic low in 2025. This was the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term. According to an analysis conducted by the Environmental Integrity Project, only 16 civil lawsuits were filed by the Justice Department in civil court on behalf of Environmental Protection Agency. This is down from 76 complaints during the 'first year' of the Biden Administration, 81% less than the first 'year' of Trump's term, and 87% less than the first 'year' of former President Barack Obama. Why is this...

Canada announced on Wednesday that it would be scrapping its national mandate for electric vehicles, marking yet another retreat from climate measures by the Liberal government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Ottawa mandated in 2023 that by 2026, 20% of vehicles sold would be emission-free. Vehicle manufacturers were not happy with the push, claiming it imposed unsustainable cost and made them vulnerable to a new U.S. -administration that cut support for EVs. Canada is introducing stronger emission standards for the 2027-2032 model years, which will help it achieve its goal of 75%?EV sales in 2035 and 90%?EV sales in...

The United States Treasury has not contributed funds to the African Development Bank’s low-income country fund, citing too much focus on climate change and other issues. Abidjan's AfDB is Africa's largest development lender. In December, the AfDB raised $11 billion at a London conference for the African Development Fund. It was not clear if the United States had contributed any money to the African Development Fund (ADF), one of the top five state donors for the AfDB. A spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury said that the administration of President Donald Trump will continue to hold international financial institutions accountable to...

Binding Solutions, a British company, has signed a deal with a Japanese trading house to convert iron ore from Western Australia's Pilbara region in low-carbon pellets. The privately-held company claims that its technology reduces energy and CO2 emission in the production iron ore pellets when compared with the established method. Binding Solutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mitsui Iron Ore Development for the production of cold-agglomerated Pellets, according to a press release. These pellets are made using less energy than conventional pellets. The company's CEO Jon Stewart stated that the progress made by the company in working with MIOD...

Juan Solari weaves between rows of corn in Chivilcoy. He brushes past yellowing leaves, and smaller ears, which are a result of the heat and lack rain of January in Argentina's Pampas plains. Argentina, which is one of the top food exporters in the world, was on track to have a record-breaking corn harvest for the 2025/26 year. However, unusually high temperatures in January, with some areas reaching 35 degrees Celsius, coupled with low rainfall, caused crops in Argentina's agricultural heartland to be stressed. The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange lowered its estimate of Argentina's grain production to 57 millions metric...

The Patagonia forest fires destroyed an area twice as large as Buenos Aires. This has sparked criticism about the austerity measures taken by President Javier Milei, which have reduced aid resources significantly. On Thursday, the government announced that it would declare an 'emergency' in the southern provinces? of Chubut, Rio Negro and La Pampa. Wildfires are common in Patagonia during the summer months, but the current fires have breached Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its alerce trees, which can live more than 3,600 years, ?making them the world's second-longest-living tree species. Forest fires are...

The fires that raged near Concepcion, a city in southern Chile, were putting out by Wednesday morning. Cloudy skies and humid air brought cooler temperatures to coastal areas after extreme heat for days. The smoke plumes lingered and it was expected that the death toll would rise, as the police and state coroner continued to search for bodies inside apartment blocks damaged by fire. Residents began to clear debris and rebuild with the help of neighbors and volunteers. Carlos Lopez, city councillor of nearby Cobquecura gathered money, nails and wood as well as cement and other construction materials. With the...

Authorities in Chile said that at least 19 people have died as a result of wildfires. The government has carried out?mass-evacuations and is fighting nearly two dozen fires, which are exacerbated by high winds and intense heat. Luis Cordero said, "At a Monday morning news briefing, while the weather conditions over night helped to control some fires but the largest ones were still active and adverse conditions are expected all day." Cordero stated that the forecast for today was?high temperatures, and that the main concern was the possibility of new fires erupting?all over the region. Extreme heat warnings were issued...

Early on Sunday, Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in two areas in the southern part of the country as wildfires forced?least?20,000 people from their homes and killed at least 16 others. CONAF, the Chilean forestry agency, reported that 24 fires were active in Chile as of Sunday morning. The largest of these was located in Nuble?and Bio Bio regions, where the government had declared an emergency. These regions are located about 500 km south of Santiago, the capital. "I have declared a catastrophe in Nuble and Biobio due to the ongoing serious wildfires." Boric stated on...

As wildfires raged in the southern part of the country, the Chilean president Gabriel Boric declared a catastrophe early on Sunday. At least 20,000 people were forced to flee. CONAF, the Chilean forestry agency reports that 24 fires are active in Chile as of Sunday morning. The largest of these is located in Nuble?and Bio Bio where the government has declared an emergency. These regions are located?about 500km south of Santiago. "As a result of the'serious and ongoing wildfires in Nuble and Biobio, I have declared a catastrophe for the two?regions. Boric stated on a X post that "all resources...

Scientists have created the most detailed map of the terrain beneath the vast ice sheets covering Antarctica. They discovered an exuberant landscape with mountains, canyons valleys, and plains. Researchers used high-resolution satellite images and a technique called ice flow perturbation analysis to map the entire continent, including parts that had never been explored before. A better understanding of the subglacial landscape could help forecast the climate-related retreat in Antarctica's Ice Sheet. Research has shown that rough terrain, such as jagged mountaintops and hillsides, can slow the retreat. The study, published in the journal Science, was led by Robert Bingham, a...

Restoration projects in Brazil have increased 160% since 2020 Wildfire-fueled deforestation breaks records Restoring soil with seed is a cost-effective alternative By Andre Cabette Fabio Oliveira, a seed collector from Mato Grosso is among the?more that 700 members of the Xingu Seeds Network who are working to recover forests and savannas in this major agricultural state. After the Brazilian government committed to restore 12,000,000 hectares of natural areas (or 30,000,000 acres) by 2030, as part of its climate goals in the 2015 Paris Agreement, forest restoration is now taking hold. This is thanks to the support of civil society, businesses,...

Chile is creating a national park to protect unique ecosystems and endangered wildlife at the very edge of the map. The proposed?Cape Froward National Park would cover approximately 150,000 hectares of forest, peatlands and glaciers, as well as coastlines facing the Strait of Magellan. Benjamin Caceres is the wildlife coordinator for Rewilding Chile. He said that humans must regulate their activities, including tourism and industry, to protect fragile ecosystems. "These are resilient places that create refuges for endangered species and maintain balance." Rewilding?Chile is a foundation founded by Douglas Tompkins who was a philanthropist, and the founder of North?Face, an...

In the midst of the bustle and noise in a posh coffee shop located on Sao Paulo’s Oscar Freire Avenue a barista prepares an unusual espresso. The shot is extra creamy with a cocoa nib aroma, but lacks the acidity that distinguishes coffees made from arabica beans. This premium espresso is 100% robusta, a bean that has been criticized in the coffee industry as a cheap filler more suited to instant coffee. Marco Kerkmeester said that the coffee has a lot more chocolatey notes and makes a great crema. He also noted the appeal of a variety cheekily labelled "0%...

Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva fought tears while global diplomats applauded for several minutes Saturday at the closing plenary session of the COP30 climate summit. She told the delegates in the Amazon rainforest town of Belem that "we've made modest progress, even if it was modest." Then she raised her fist defiantly above her head. "The courage to face the climate crisis is a result of persistence and collective efforts." The Brazilian hosts were able to release their frustrations in the tense room where many nations expressed their displeasure with a deal which failed to mention fossil-fuels, even though they...

Brazil's president Luiz inacio Lula da Silva said that the G20 climate summit in South Africa, and the COP30 summit in Brazil, show that multilateralism remains alive despite attempts by U.S. Donald Trump to dismantle. "Trump is trying to preach against multilateralism and to reinforce unilateralism. "I think multilateralism is going to win," he said to reporters at the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg. Lula said that Trump's absence from the summit "didn't really matter" to him. "The G20 is still strong." "We need to put the decisions we made into action," he said. He added that he was...