Climate Change

Authorities announced on Monday that six victims of one of Spain's most deadly wildfires in recorded history have been identified. Meanwhile, forensic teams continued to work on confirming the identities of six other people through DNA analysis. Authorities said that the victims included a married Spanish and British couple. Other victims identified include a British woman and man, a French woman, and a Belgian. All of the victims were adults. The death toll now stands at 13. A 93-year old British woman died from burn injuries in hospital Sunday. Seven people were also?injured by the fire, which scorched approximately 7,000...

By Erwin Seba Minnesota Governor Tim Walz mobilized the state National Guard troops on Sunday to fight wildfires along Minnesota's northern border with Canada. According to the Minnesota State website, these fires have burned more than 800 acres over five days. They are still not contained. The fires are among a series of fires that have been raging across the United States due to the hot and dry conditions caused by El Nino. Walz, a Democrat, said: "I have declared a 'peacetime emergency' and mobilized the National Guard in order to help with wildfire suppression efforts in northern Minnesota." "Minnesotans...

The 'Trump administration' finalized on Friday, a major change to how threatened species are considered by agencies. They removed?regulatory lingo aimed at preventing damage to wildlife habitats and drew a legal challenge. The Endangered Species Act is no longer applicable. It was passed 50 years ago and has been credited for saving the bald eagle and California condor, among many other animals and plants, from extinction. The Endangered Species Act is an important?regulatory factor for government agencies in granting permits to oil and gas, mining and?electrical transmission operations and other activities on federal lands or water. The new rule excludes...

The Trump administration made a major change to the way threatened species are considered by agencies on Friday, removing language that was intended to prevent damage?to wildlife habitats. The change?limits' the reach of 50-year-old Endangered Species Act. This act is credited for saving the bald eagle and California condor, as well as numerous other plants and animals from extinction. Interior and Commerce departments said that the final rule would'reduce permitting and complying costs for energy producers and farms. This move aligns with U.S. president Donald Trump's desire to "reduce regulations" that, according to him, constrain American business. Interior Secretary Doug...

In a report released on Friday, the World 'Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said that in 2025 record-breaking dust and sand storms will hit parts of China, the U.S. border region, and the border region between Mexico and the United States. These storms are expected to disrupt?transportation, damage health, as well as the environment. The report concluded that in April 2025, dust from Mongolia caused China's worst dust and sand storm for a decade. This was measured by intensity, length?and geographic reach. Dust?storms along the U.S./Mexico border were unusually intense and frequent. El Paso in Texas recorded 50 dust-weather days between 2025...

According to the World Weather Attribution group, climate scientists, the use of fossil fuels has caused climate change that led to extreme heat and humidity. At least one World Cup match was deemed a danger zone. Saturday's match between?France? and Paraguay? is scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm. The temperature in Philadelphia is above FIFPRO's recommended safe playing temperatures. A heat dome has settled over the U.S. The U.S. National Weather Service has warned that the heat dome, a high pressure system that traps hot air below it, could cause heat indexes to reach 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit on parts of...

According to Arizona's chief negotiation, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation may adopt a large part of the proposal by Arizona, California, and Nevada to reduce the water?use?on the drought stricken Colorado River. This could save the states from further federal cuts. The Bureau of Reclamation is considering adopting a large part of a proposal by Arizona, California and Nevada to reduce water?use?on the drought-stricken Colorado River. This could spare the states steeper federal cuts. The bureau will implement its preferred plan by the beginning of August if there is no agreement among the seven states. If the Bureau adopts?the Lower...

According to Arizona's Chief Negotiator, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation may adopt a large part of the?proposal of Arizona, California, and Nevada to reduce the water?use along the drought-stricken Colorado River. This?step could spare the states from?steep cuts by the federal government. The '20-year-old' plan expires this year, and the seven states who share the Colorado River are at a standstill. On May 1, the Lower Basin states submitted a proposal to the Bureau of Reclamation that would address the severe water shortages. If there is no agreement among the seven states by early August, the Bureau will implement its...

The U.S. appeals court lifted an order on Thursday that required the Trump administration to restore dozens of exhibits it had removed from national parks, including those on slavery and climate changes. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Boston, is a three-judge panel. Circuit Court of Appeals halted a judge’s order requiring that the National Park Service reinstall displays that were removed as a result of the Republican President's directive that targeted displays that "inappropriately disparage Americans living or past." Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley in Boston concluded that the displays had been removed...

On Thursday, the Trump administration acted to slash commercial fisheries regulations from coast-to-coast. This included reopening New England's waters for scallop fishing after they were banned due to overfishing. White House advisor Peter Navarro told reporters that the American consumer will benefit from the new policy. The Commerce Department and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have announced regional priorities, which the government claims are designed to revitalize seafood. The scope of the priorities and how NOAA intended to implement them was unclear. The move follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in April 2025 aimed at increasing the...

The U.S. appeals court lifted an order on Thursday that required the Trump administration to restore dozens of exhibits it had removed from national parks, including those on slavery and climate changes. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a three-judge panel based in Boston, has put on hold a judge's order requiring the National Park Service to reinstall?exhibits that it removed under President Donald Trump's directive targeting displays?that "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living." Circuit Court of Appeals halted a judge’s order requiring that the National Park Service reinstall 'exhibits' it had removed as a result of President Donald...

Brad Brooks P.J. Huffstutter, Maria Tsvetkova HILL CITY/CHICAGO/NEW-YORK/JULY 1 - On Wednesday, record-breaking temperatures moved eastward from the Midwest, placing tens of millions under heat warnings that are expected to last through the holiday weekend on July 4, when Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Extreme heat is expected to raise "real-feeling" temperatures from 100 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8-46.1 degrees Celsius) in much of the region. This will increase the risk of heat related illness among vulnerable populations and threaten to overwhelm power grids that are already stressed by data centers and electric cars. Sabrina Hooper,...

The European Union's planned combustion engine car ban is being weakened by a "spectacular" rise in sales of electric cars, said the EU's climate commissioner on Thursday as governments revealed their differences over the policy. After pressure from Germany, Italy and the auto industry, the European Commission proposed last year a rollback on the EU's effective prohibition of new combustion engine cars starting in 2035. Instead, the target was changed to a reduction of 90% in emissions. Some have said, both member states and the European Parliament: "Isn’t this a signal that the status-quo was already sufficient? "Isn't this a...

As a heatwave gripped Europe on Monday, breaking temperature records across several cities, at least 18 people died in France. Forecasters in Britain said temperatures in June could be higher than ever before, as schools in France closed their doors or changed their schedules. Bordeaux, France's west wine country, saw its temperature rise to 41.9 degrees Celsius. This is a new record for the region. In central France, it reached 41.2 C. This was higher than the previous record set in 1947. Climate Monitor shows that Europe is the continent farthest away from its historical norm for Monday. A report...

After pressure from various governments, including Italy, to change the system in order to reduce soaring energy costs triggered by the Iran War, the European Commission made a proposal on Wednesday. The EU proposal would stop the automatic cancellation of excess carbon allowances in the ETS. Instead, spare permits will be kept in a "special reserve" as a buffer for future supply, and could then be released if the price of carbon spikes. If there are currently more than 400 millions permits in the ETS's "market stability reserve", then the excess will be invalidated. The EU has designed the supply...

ShareAction, an activist group, called on investors to vote against the re-election at NatWest's annual meeting. NatWest is the latest major bank in the United States to relax fossil fuel regulations. This comes as countries struggle to achieve their emission reduction targets and prioritise the short-term energy security of the country. The bank has lifted the ban on refinancing or renewing reserve-based loans for oil and gas extraction, production, exploration and financing. It also offers reserve-based credit to new oil and gas customers. The ban was also lifted on dealings with oil and gas companies who do not have a...

The European Commission announced on Thursday that the European Investment Bank would provide 3 billion euros ($3.5billion) in funding to governments for investments to shield poorer citizens from a future EU carbon market. The new carbon market in the European Union will set a price on CO2 produced by transport and heating fuels from 2028, to encourage the shift to cleaner vehicles and heating systems. Poland and the Czech Republic have opposed this policy, claiming that it would increase fuel and heating costs. The EU has already delayed the launch of the policy by one year until '2028 to try...

The Dutch court on Wednesday ruled that the state should set binding greenhouse gas emission?targets?to achieve net zero by 2050 in order to protect the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire. This decision was hailed as a major victory by climate activists. The court gave the Netherlands a deadline of 18 months in which to develop a legally-binding plan to reduce greenhouse gases emissions to zero by 2050, as per international agreements. Legal experts claim that the case, brought by the environmental group Greenpeace, on behalf of Bonaire's residents, is the first test of climate obligations at a national level, as...

EIB president Nadia Calvino said that the European Investment Bank will increase lending for defense projects from 3.5 billion euros in 2025 to 4.5 billion euro ($5.28 billion) by next year. The number could be revised 'even higher' if more demand is seen, she added. Calvino, speaking on the sidelines a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels, said that the increase expected to 4.5 billion euro was based upon projects already in the pipeline. Calvino said: "We'll be focusing on military mobility, critical infrastructures and anti-drone system. "We will at least do 4.5 billion." This is the current pipeline...

Residents from the Dutch Caribbean told a court Tuesday that the climate change has made the island of Bonaire unbearably dry and hot. They asked the judges to order Dutch state to reduce greenhouse gases faster. Onnie Emerenciana (a farmer in his sixties) told the court the heat was bad for the elderly, the droughts were bad for the crops, and rising sea level could wipe out the historically important slave huts that once dotted the beaches of the island. Emerenciana, a district court judge in The Hague, said: "We are suffering under the effects" of greenhouse gas emission to...

The Brazilian competition watchdog approved on Tuesday that the country's soy ban will continue through at least the end of this year. CADE's 5-1 vote marked a dramatic change after its reporting councilor in the case voted against the appeal of soybean traders and processors. The private pact, which has been in place for two decades, aims to protect the Amazonian rainforest by prohibiting soybean traders from purchasing from farmers who have cleared land after July 2008. However, it could be a violation of Brazilian competition laws. Back and Forth CADE's Superintendent ordered the agreement to be suspended in August....

The European Investment Bank's president said that the European Investment Bank had reduced the time it takes to make a decision on security and defence projects from 12 months to 6 months. He also stated that the bank expects the sector to reach or exceed the 3.5% spending target by 2025, before continuing to grow. Under U.S. pressure, the European Union is looking to mobilize up to 800 billion euro ($938 billion), in defence expenditures across the region by the year 2029. This is in response to the threat from Russia and the need to increase its own security. Nadia...

The EU's environment agency warned on Monday that climate change and environmental degradation are a direct threat against the natural resources Europe relies upon for its economic security. According to the European Environment Agency, biodiversity in Europe is decreasing due to unsustainable production and consumerism in particular in the food system. It said that due to pollution, invasive alien species and overexploitation of natural resources more than 80% protected habitats were in poor or bad condition. Water resources are also severely under pressure. The fastest-warming continent in Europe In its report, "Europe's Environment 2025", the EPA said that "the degradation...

According to diplomats, and a document viewed by, the United Nations climate bureau met urgently on Tuesday due to concerns that high accommodation costs for this year's COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil would price out poorer countries from participating in negotiations. Brazil is gearing up to host the U.N. Climate Summit in November this year in the rainforest city Belem. Nearly every government will be present to discuss their efforts to combat climate change. Preparations for COP30 have been plagued by concerns about logistics. The COP30 has been plagued by concerns about logistics. Richard Muyungi (chair of the African Group...