Environment

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent notices of termination on Tuesday to employees who worked on environmental justice programs in its regional offices and at its headquarters, stating that their work did not align with the agency's mission. Nearly 200 employees of Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, who had been placed on administrative leave since February, received the reduction-in force letters. The employees were reinstated in the pending legal challenges. The RIF notifications now being served will take effect on 31st July. The letter sent to employees Monday stated that "this action is necessary in order to...

Non-profits in the United States that are focused on climate change prepare to fight against a possible action by the Trump Administration to revoke tax exemptions this week. Climate change groups have circulated memos in the last few weeks outlining the rumored executive action they expect from Donald Trump. This includes a change to IRS regulations to remove climate changes from the list of charitable topics that qualify and blocking the use U.S. grant funding to fund overseas projects. Concerns were raised after Trump made comments criticizing the charitable status granted to Harvard University. This was seen as an initial...

Josh Cochran has been working in West Virginia coal mines since he was 22, earning a six-figure income that enabled him to purchase a house with his wife Stephanie, and go hunting and fishing in his free time. He was diagnosed with advanced lung disease at 43 years old. He is now awaiting a lung donation, uses an oxygen tank to breathe, and requires his wife's help with basic household tasks. He says that his saving grace is the fact that he still has a job. Part 90, a federal program administered by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and...

Police said that at least two people including a child died after their vehicle became stranded on flood waters in Oklahoma, during the Easter weekend, when severe weather and flooding affected parts of the U.S. South, Midwest and Midwest. In a press release, police in Moore (Oklahoma), about 11 miles south-southeast of Oklahoma City, stated that the weather was "historic". "One (of the vehicles) was swept underneath the bridge. All but two of the occupants were saved at the time. "It is with deep sadness that we announce that two people, an adult male and a 12-year old boy, were...

U.S. Energy regulators granted BlackRock permission on Thursday to continue owning major stakes in utilities. This was a victory for the top asset manager of the world over concerns it had too much power. Mark Christie, the Republican Chairman of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, also endorsed its decision. Mark Christie wrote that despite his concerns over BlackRock's power in the market, public utilities still need to access capital. He wrote: "It's a reality of the economy that public utilities regulated under the Commission are forced to seek out investment capital wherever it may be available. And much of...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health, said on Wednesday he intends to commission a number of studies in order to identify environmental factors that contribute to autism. He claims these are related to its increasing prevalence across the nation. Kennedy, speaking at his first Press Conference since becoming Secretary of Health and Human Services said that the studies will examine mold, air and water, food, medicine and ultrasounds as well as parental risk factors such age, obesity and diabetes. Kennedy spoke a day after U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a data-analysis showing that the...

Ajay Banaga, the World Bank president, said that he had constructive discussions with the Trump Administration about the development lender. However he didn't know how much money the U.S. was going to contribute to the World Bank's fund which is for the poorest countries in the world. Banga told reporters if European countries reduced their pledged funding and the U.S. did not fulfill the $4 billion International Development Association pledge made by former president Joe Biden’s administration last summer, the $100 billion IDA funding round could be cut to $80 or $85 billion. This would be roughly equal to the...

The U.S. Judge who blocked President Donald Trump On Tuesday, the administration of former president Joe Biden froze billions of dollars of grants that Congress had authorized in two landmark climate investment and infrastructure bills. U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy issued an injunction in Providence, Rhode Island at the request of environmental groups. They argued that the Trump administration unlawfully frozen funding already awarded for projects to fight climate change, reduce pollutants and modernize U.S. Infrastructure. The funding was authorized by Congress in accordance with Biden's $1 trillion bill, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 2021 and...

Impossible Metals, a deep-sea miner, said Tuesday that it had asked U.S. Federal officials to launch an auction to gain access to nickel, cobalt and critical minerals offshore of American Samoa. Estimates suggest that the waters surrounding the Pacific Ocean contain large quantities of polymetallic nodules, or potato-shaped rocks filled with building blocks for electronic vehicles and electronics. Impossible Metals, a privately-held company, has asked the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (which oversees federal waters for mineral deposits) to launch a lease process that is competitive for the American Samoa Nodules. A BOEM spokesperson confirmed that...

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's list published on Tuesday, the Trump administration has granted exemptions to 47 companies for two years from regulations that limit mercury and air pollutants in their coal-fired plants. The list of exemptions is the latest attempt by the administration to use emergency or executive orders to shield polluting plants from immediate compliance with the air and water standards that were tightened by Biden's administration, as the EPA embarks on a longer process to rollback those rules. The Mercury and Air Toxics Standard of the Biden era is still in effect after the Supreme Court...

Mexico's federal and state governments are negotiating to send more water from their northern states to the United States. This comes after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions because of the historic shortage. Mexico has been forced to scramble for solutions, after falling behind in its obligations under a 81-year old water-sharing agreement with the U.S. In her daily press briefing, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that "talks are underway with the governors from Tamaulipas and Coahuila to determine the amount of water that can be delivered... without impacting Mexican producers while also complying to the 1944 treaty." Reports...

John Elkann, Chairman of Stellantis, said on Tuesday that the U.S. Tariffs and strict European Union emission standards put automakers in danger at a time they are facing increased competition from China. Elkann, at a shareholder's meeting, said that the American and European auto industries were at risk due to the current course of tariffs and regulations. He said: "That would be tragic as the car industry is a source for jobs, innovation, and strong communities." Elkann is leading the group as it searches for a new chief executive officer after Carlos Tavares departed late last year. He said that...

The European Commission has made changes to the anti-deforestation legislation of the European Union that will take effect in December. The law will prohibit imports of products such as soy, beef and cocoa that are linked to the destruction of forests. Brussels delayed the launch of the policy by an entire year due to complaints from Brazil, Indonesia, and the former Biden administration. The Commission, in response to the industry's demands, published a set of rules late Tuesday that require companies to submit due diligence statements annually rather than each time a shipment or batch is placed on the EU...

This week, thousands of Indigenous Brazilians from all over the country are gathering in the capital to demand that their land rights be protected. They are fighting against legislation which could prevent some tribes from reclaiming territory they had to leave. The powerful farm lobby has backed the 2023 law in dispute, which has sparked protests from indigenous groups who claim it violates the rights they have to ancestral land recognized by Brazil's 1988 Constitution. The dispute now rests in the hands Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes who, a year earlier, set up a chamber of conciliation for representatives of...

Valter Correia Da Silva, Valter's Special Secretary for COP30 in the Brazilian government, said on Wednesday that Brazil had scheduled the first round of negotiations to help countries prepare for COP30 - the global climate summit. The main event will begin at Belem in the Amazonian region of Brazil about a month prior. He said that the Pre-COP will be held in Brasilia on October 14 and 15. The Pre-COP, despite being a smaller event with just the main negotiators present, has become more important this year due to the fact that countries are struggling to meet their new pledges...

According to a study conducted by the think tank Instituto Escolhas in Brazil, there are 3,943 abandoned mining sites, which represents 11% of all authorized operations. This highlights social and environmental risks posed when miners ignore regulations. The study, based on data provided by the National Mining Agency, points out threats like deforested land that has not been restored, soil and water contamination, and physical instability caused by abandoned mines. The study cites an internal ANM document that acknowledges ANM's lack data and oversight over areas where mine operators should be restoring. The ANM document, dated November 20,24, signed by...

Gold price surge helps drive deforestation Mercury from gold mining pollutes rivers Clean tech boosts productivity for women miners By Dan Collyns Illegal mining in Madre de Dios has created a landscape that resembles a desert, with craters, dead animals, and poisoned waterways. "We can't continue to pollute and release more mercury into the atmosphere," said Victoria Condori (65), an artisanal mining concession owner on the Madre de Dios River. She employs 16 workers in an 800-hectare (1,977 acre) area. A dozen miners, using heavy diggers, hoses with high pressure and sluices can turn 20 tons of soil in to...

Beni, a rural area of Bolivia near Brazil's border, has seen vast grasslands submerged. Cattle and cowboys who herd the cattle are forced to swim to higher ground or wade in the water. Rains have been intense in South America, with soy fields and cattle ranches submerged. This has put exports overseas at risk and pushed up food prices locally. Gunther Amatller, a cattle rancher, said that the flooding he was experiencing is unusual and severe for this season. He told his animals to get out of the floodwaters. The water keeps rising. It's difficult to predict just how high...

Mombak, a Brazilian startup that specializes in reforestation, announced on Monday it had secured 100 million reais (17.8 million dollars) from Santander Brasil, and the Brazilian Development Bank BNDES. The company is aiming to grow rapidly in the market for carbon removal. Mombak, a company that buys land from farmers or ranchers to restore it to its original state in the Amazon Rainforest, and partners with them, will be first to receive funding for reforestation projects with the support of Brazil's New Climate Fund. The Brazilian government announced the initiative to finance climate related projects in 2023. Santander will act...

Brazil announced Wednesday that Dan Ioschpe, a former executive of the auto industry who represented Brazil at the G20 Summit last year in business meetings, has been nominated as its "climate ambassador" for the United Nations climate summit 2025, also known as COP30. The country will host the summit in November. He will work for the Brazilian diplomat Andre Correa do Lago as the president of the conference to encourage and negotiate voluntary initiatives by the business community to reduce global warming. Former climate champions include environmentalists, government officials, and members of development finance. Simon Stiell is the Executive Secretary...

The partners announced on Monday that Brazil's state oil company Petrobras, and Brazil's development banking institution BNDES had partnered to create a financing program for forest restoration initiatives in Amazonia. Petrobras, under the ProFloresta+ Program, will hold tenders for carbon credits generated by restoration projects. The winning bidders can apply for low-interest loans to establish projects from BNDES. The pilot phase of the program is expected to generate investments of 450 million reais (78.45 millions) for restoration. This will lead to the replanting and regrowth of 15,000 hectares of forest. Petrobras is expecting to sign contracts for long-term with up...

After three years of the United Nations Climate Summit, also known as COP30 (the conference of world leaders addressing global warming) being held in countries that did not allow for full freedom for demonstrations, environmental activists around the world eagerly awaited Brazil to host the summit. The so-called "People's COP", however, may not be as welcoming to visitors as they had hoped. Brazil's stated inclusion goal is threatened by the high cost of accommodation. The government is now racing to increase the 18,000 beds currently available in the Amazonian city of Belem. It has turned to motels for couples, ferry...

Climate change was partly responsible for the heavy rains which caused catastrophic flooding and 16 deaths in central Argentina earlier this month. They could be more common in a warm world. World Weather Attribution's analysis found that the extreme heat that preceded the floods created a mass of warmer, more humid air, which clashed against a cold front coming from Argentina's Patagonian Region, causing torrential rainfall in Bahia Blanca. This port city is located about 550 kilometers (340 miles), south of Buenos Aires. In a Wednesday press conference, Juan Rivera, a scientist at the Argentine Institute for Snow Research, Glaciology...

The Bolivian president Luis Arce declared an emergency national on Wednesday, after torrential rainfall and severe flooding left more than fifty dead and more than 100,000 displaced across the country. The heavy rains have affected all nine departmental regions in Bolivia. One has been declared in a disaster state and three others are in an emergency state. Arce, during a recent press conference, said that "these natural disasters force us to declare a state of emergency". He added that rains have affected over 370,000 households. Bolivia's rainy season, which typically lasts from November to February, is a common occurrence in...