Environment

The Trump administration rolled back protections on Monday for the greater Sage-grouse in 8 western states of?U.S. The Trump administration has opened up more federal land for energy and mineral development. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said that proposed changes would allow more development space than was allowed in 2015 plans while still protecting some important habitats for endangered birds across 65 million acres of sagebrush land. The agency said that the changes made to sage grouse protections are in accordance with two executive orders signed by Donald Trump earlier this year, which were intended to unleash U.S. production...

Radiant, a startup company, announced on Wednesday that it had raised $300 million for its latest funding round to mass-produce nuclear reactors. The funding round was led by Draper Associates & Boost VC, and included funding from Founders Fund ARK Venture Fund Chevron Technology Ventures, and other investors. Why it's important After decades of stagnation, the U.S. nuclear industry is seeing a surge of demand. This is due to the demand for data centers that are used in artificial intelligence technologies as well as electrifications of industries like transportation and manufacturing. The funding round will assist Radiant in commercializing as...

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday night that it would dissolve a federally funded?climate research center located in Colorado. This is the latest attempt to?defund this research. Ross Vought of the White House Office of Management and Budget said that the administration would break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder (NCAR), which conducts scientific research on earth systems. The facility, he added, "is one of America's largest sources of climate alarmism." Vought posted on X Tuesday night that "a?comprehensive' review was underway & vital activities like weather research would be relocated to?another location or entity." This is...

The world is blind to the horrors of Sudan DRC is hellscape for women Twelve crises that are often overlooked by the public Emma Batha Experts warn that aid operations are in danger of collapsing and two cities are on the brink of famine. Abdurahman Sharif, director of Save the Children's humanitarian department, said that the Sudan crisis should dominate the front pages of the newspaper every day. "Children live a nightmare in plain view, but the world continues to look away shamefully." The Democratic Republic of Congo, widely regarded as the deadliest war since World War Two is ranked...

The U.S. energy secretary signed an executive order on Tuesday that will 'keep a unit at TransAlta coal power?plant open for most of the winter in Washington State, the latest step taken by the Trump Administration to support fossil fuels. The order instructs the unit 2 at Centralia Generating?Station, to remain open. The order says that it is to close at the end of 2025. However, it will remain in force until March 16, 2026. Chris Wright, Energy Secretary of the United States, said in September that he expected that many coal plants would delay their retirement to provide electricity...

On Tuesday, a group of 16 states plus?the _District of Columbia? sued the U.S. Government after the Trump administration suspended two grant programmes for electric vehicle charging facilities. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that Trump's Department of Transportation refused to approve new funding for two electric vehicle charging infrastructure programs created by Congress in 2022 as part of the $1 trillion infrastructure law. In June, an?U.S. In June, a?U.S. Bonta stated that "this is just another reckless attempt to stall the fight for air pollution and climate changes, slow innovation, and thwart creation of green jobs, leaving communities without...

The European Commission has proposed that the EU will drop its effective ban on combustion engine cars by 2035, allowing some non-electric vehicle sales to continue. This is in response to intense pressure from Germany and Italy as well as Europe's auto sector. The EU executive has reportedly bowed down to carmakers who want to continue selling plug-ins and range extenders which burn fuel, as they are struggling to compete with Tesla and Chinese electric vehicles makers. All new cars and vans must have zero emissions by 2035, according to current EU regulations. In the proposal of Tuesday, instead, the...

Ghana has banned mining within forest reserves as part of environmental protections to protect water bodies and stop deforestation. Africa's leading gold producer, which is also the world's largest, is fighting a rise in small-scale mining, which is degrading forests, rivers and cocoa farms. It is also increasing sustainability risks to its mining industry, resulting in protests. Industrial miners have reported frequent incursions of illegal operators on concessions. This has forced key operators such as Gold Fields AngloGold Ashanti Newmont Asante Gold and Newmont to increase their investments in surveillance drones and community engagement programs. According to data from the...

Authorities announced on Monday that a levee break in Washington State following heavy rains has resulted in a flash flood alert and evacuation orders. National Weather Service?said?it issued a Flash Flood Warning after a failure of the Desimone levee in Tukwila, along the Green River about five miles from downtown Seattle. The National Weather Service said the 'waters are likely to be heading towards Interstate 405, which is a major road, and that an evacuation notice has been issued for a large part of King County. A social media message from the'service said: "Leave this area immediately if you find...

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a statement Monday announcing that the United States and Mexico have signed a new agreement to address 'the ongoing Tijuana river sewage crisis. Mexico and the U.S. have been at odds for decades over the issue of Mexican sewage flowing across the border into the Tijuana River and then into the Pacific Ocean. The EPA stated that the 'new agreement' saw the U.S. - and Mexican Sections - of the International Boundary and Water Commission, agree on infrastructure projects, research and enhanced monitoring. "And planning for the operation and maintenance" of critical systems and sites,...

After a year of flooding and a long dry spell, Simon Ellis expected "catastrophic" failure when he first drove his combine through this crop. Instead of shriveled seeds, plump grains of wheat, oats, and soybeans were poured into the combine. Ellis, 38, who is a fourth generation farmer in Wawanesa (Manitoba), credits the investment made into expensive systems, such as minimum- and zero-till agriculture, for helping to protect soil. Tile drainage is an underground system that prevents flooding. It also contains pellets of fertilizer with a slower release rate, which are more efficient. A professional agronomist can provide advice on...

A document from the U.S. Government, seen by, shows that the United States wants the European Union to exempt oil and gas imports from the methane emission law of the bloc until 2035. The EU will require importers of gas and oil to Europe, starting this year, to report and monitor the methane emission associated with these imports. This is in an effort to reduce the emissions of the powerful planet-warming gas. Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy secretary, has criticized this 'world-first' climate policy. He has said that it is impossible to implement and has warned it may disrupt U.S....

Swakop Uranium is a subsidiary owned by the China General Nuclear Power Group. It has entered into a joint venture agreement with Namibia’s water utility, NamWater to build Namibia's second desalination plant near Swakopmund. The plant is only the second one of its kind in Africa. It will help to bolster water supply to the country's biggest uranium mining operation, Husab. In a joint statement released on Tuesday, partners of the joint venture said that negotiations had ended successfully. The project implementation phase will now begin. Swakop Uranium holds 70% of the stake, and NamWater has the rest. According to...

Apple has denied the allegations, but a U.S. advocacy group filed a suit in Washington. The lawsuit accuses Apple of using minerals that are linked to human rights violations and conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. International Rights Advocates, a group based in the United States, has sued Apple, Tesla and other tech companies over cobalt sourcing. However, U.S. court dismissed this case last year. In December, French prosecutors dropped Congo's conflict mineral case against Apple subsidiaries citing a lack of evidence. An investigation is ongoing in Belgium into a criminal complaint related to this issue....

Mitsubishi Materials, a Japanese company, said it would shift its focus to secondary smelting in order to increase profitability. Due to a tight supply of concentrates and the expansion of smelting capacity by China, Japanese copper smelters face a tumbling treatment charge and refining charge (TC/RC) as well as shrinking smelting profits. Mitsubishi Materials announced in October it would cut the refined copper production at its Onahama Smelter & Refinery in the period October-March by a quarter. It plans to integrate its copper products sales and procurement of copper concentrates with rival Pan Pacific Copper owned by JX Advanced Metals...

The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, who visited Taiwan on Tuesday during a period of increasing geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States in the Pacific, said that his tiny country values its "special relationship". Tuvalu is only one of 12 countries, including three in the Pacific region, that maintains formal diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan. Beijing has intensified its efforts to win back Taiwan's remaining allies. Feleti Teo said he was always impressed by the warmth with which he is welcomed whenever he visits Taiwan. Teo stated that "Tuvalu treasures its special relation with Taiwan. A relationship built on...

It was not clear what the 190+ countries attending the COP30 would be discussing during the two week U.N. Summit in Brazil's Amazonian city of Belem. It's also unclear how they will handle controversial issues such as the 2023 pledge to stop using polluting sources of energy and their demand for funding to achieve this. The biggest question was whether or not countries would want to reach a final deal, which is difficult to do in an era of global politics that has been fractious and the U.S.'s efforts to block a move away from fossil-fuels. After years of COP...

The Japan Industry Ministry announced on Friday that it would temporarily increase gasoline and diesel subsides from next week to try and smooth out the impact of planned tax reductions on fuels. To ease the burden of households, the ruling and opposition parties in the country agreed to abolish the gasoline tax by December 31, and the diesel tax by April 1, next year. The government is hoping that by temporarily increasing subsidies on gasoline, diesel and other fuels, consumers won't be tempted into delaying purchases until the tax reductions are implemented. This move will also help Japan avoid long...

After a spill in the south of this resource-rich nation, the Democratic Republic of Congo suspended operations at a Chinese operated mining site. Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba announced late Thursday. Congo Dongfang International Mining, which sources mainly copper and cobalt in Central Africa, is an arm of China's Zhejiang Cobalt. Watum told X he had come to Lubumbashi, Congo's second largest city, after learning about a spill that had affected many neighborhoods. He claimed that the company did not meet the environmental standards and was causing serious water pollution, which exposed the public to health risks. He added that...

Brazil hosted world leaders on Thursday for a summit ahead of the COP30 Climate Conference in the rainforest city Belem. Leaders have made some interesting comments. U.N. SECRETAIRE-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES We can either choose to lead or we can be led into ruin. "Too many companies are making record profits by destroying the climate, while spending billions on lobbying and deceiving public opinion and obstructing advancement. And too many leaders continue to be captive to these entrenched interest." BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA We need a road map to plan an equitable way to undo the deforestation and...

HSBC released a new set of climate targets on Thursday that are softer and more flexible for near-term sectors like oil and gas. This is in response to the slow rate of change in real economy. The targets for the end of the decade follow a review that was announced by British bank earlier this year, when it dropped its goal to reach net-zero emissions in all of its operations by 2030. HSBC is still aiming for its operations, funded by the loan book, to produce zero emissions by 2050. It and other banks who have set similar climate goals...

Residents in the central Philippines began scrubbing mud off streets and houses that were still standing after the typhoon Kalmaegi tore through the area, killing at least 85 people and leaving dozens of others missing. As floodwaters receded in Cebu, the province that was hardest hit, scenes of destruction were revealed. Homes reduced to rubble and vehicles overturned, streets choked by debris, lives upended. Marlon Enriquez, 58, of Cebu City tried to salvage the belongings left in his home by scraping off the thick mud. This was the first flood that we have experienced. "I've lived here for 16 years,...

State media reported that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that the development of a 600-million-ringgit ($142-million) super magnet production facility in Pahang would strengthen the nation's rarity earth sector. In July, Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths signed a contract with South Korea’s JS Link to build a 3,000-tonne neodymium magnetic manufacturing facility near Lynas’ advanced materials plant located in Malaysia’s Kuantan District. Anwar told state news agency Bernama that Malaysia's Trade Minister would monitor the project, as it involves rare earth processing. Anwar stated that "JS Link already bought the land and is ready to start operations. This is no...

China's car industry has been a major disruptor of the global automaker industry for the last decade. Its electric vehicle producers have replaced combustion engine cars at home, and have also flooded the global market with record exports. The country may have to reverse its electric vehicle exports and output following a major policy shift that will reduce EV subsidies in the upcoming five-year plans. China's top industrial policymakers have omitted electric cars from the list of strategic industries in their 2026-2030 Development Agenda, China's main industrial strategy blueprint. Industry analysts interpret the omission as Beijing's willingness to let the...