Pollution

A spokesperson announced on Monday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services would reconvene an independent panel of experts in order to make a recommendation regarding fluoride being added to drinking water. Since decades, the use of this mineral in water, which strengthens tooth enamel and promotes dental health, is a controversial political issue. A spokesperson for HHS said that "HHS will reconvene the Community Preventive Services Task Force in order to study fluoride and make new recommendations on it." This statement was made in response to an Associated Press article quoting Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of...

The light rain brought some relief to South Korean authorities who are battling the worst wildfires in country history. Firefighters were exhausted and made another effort on Friday to control blazes that stretched 70 km (44miles). In the last week, strong winds from central Uiseong County to the coastal areas have caused fires that have burned more than 45,000 ha (111,197 acres). At a press briefing, Lim Sang Seop, Korea Forest Service Minister, said: "Conditions have improved and we still have a chance. We are using all our resources to do everything we can to put out the fires." Uiseong...

The Trump administration has invited companies to send an email to the Environmental Protection Agency by March 31 to request presidential exemptions to nine clean-air rules, including limits on mercury for power plants and limits to hazardous air pollutants produced in plastics. This is the latest example of a rarely used measure to ease burdens for businesses. The EPA stated that the exemption offer is aimed at achieving President Donald Trump's aim of reducing red tape in energy production. This comes only days after the agency announced it would rollback more than twenty bedrock regulations and water rules as well...

According to four sources familiar with the issue, the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump has asked the oil and biofuels industry to reach an agreement on the next phase in the country's biofuels policies to avoid the political conflicts that marked his first tenure. Big Oil and Farm Belt biofuels producers are competitors who have been fighting for a share of the U.S. multi-billion dollar gasoline market. The two have fought repeatedly over the details of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard. This program requires that billions of gallons corn-based ethanol, and other biofuels be blended in the nation's fuel...

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Monday a bid from 21 young people who wanted to bring back a novel suit claiming that the U.S. Government's energy policy violates their right to be protected against climate change. The justices refused to hear the appeals of the youth activists against a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court in San Francisco. Circuit Court of Appeals directed a federal judge to dismiss the case in Oregon after finding that they lacked standing to sue. The verdict marks the end to Juliana v. United States. It was one of the most long-running climate...

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Monday a bid from 21 young people who wanted to bring back a novel suit claiming that the U.S. Government's energy policy violates their right to be protected against climate change. The justices refused to hear the appeal by the youth activists of a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court in San Francisco. Circuit Court of Appeals directed a federal judge to dismiss the case in Oregon after finding that they lacked standing to sue. The verdict marks the end to Juliana v. United States. It was one of the most long-running climate...

Sand mining is a growing industry for women after floods and drought The work is hard and the pay is low Sand mining is a major contributor to land degradation By Charles Pensulo The 37-year old sand-miner has no time to appreciate her surroundings. A tourist hotspot centred around the vast body of waters known as the Lake of Stars because of the brilliance of the nighttime reflections. Wilson notices that the shoreline is receding and thinks it may be her fault. She says that she is stuck with no choice. She said, "We think that (sand-mining) contributes to erosion....

Iranians are urged to reduce water consumption as dam levels drop Farmers in the United States are suffering from a nationwide water shortage The shortfall is similar to an overdrawn account By Sanam Mahoozi The water levels in the dams surrounding the capital are at an all-time low. Water rationing is expected this summer, as the country wilts from a severe drought. As water levels decline, lakes are disappearing and farmers are struggling. In cities, huge sinkholes appear. The kitchen taps often run dry, and students are concerned about the washing. Last week, the managing director of Tehran’s Water and...

Official data released on Wednesday showed that Panama's GDP grew by 2.9% in 2024. This is a significant slowdown from the 7.4% growth of the previous year, due to a decline in air travel and the closure of a large copper mine. Panama's economy grew at a rapid pace in the past decade. However, authorities predicted that growth would slow down, due to the closure by Canadian mining company First Quantum of a copper-mining operation, after clashes over tax contributions and the environmental impact. According to a National Institute of Statistics and Census report, "Air transportation decreased, as well as...

The shares of European truck manufacturers fell Thursday after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would begin efforts to reverse Biden's administration's vehicle emission rules. Analysts say that trucking fleet companies had expected to "pre-buy", trucks before the new rules came into effect, which would have driven up demand. This is unlikely to happen now. Pal Skirta, an analyst at Metzler, said that the market is likely to assume the tighter regulations are going to be reversed. This means there's no expectation of a surge in pre-purchases for the second half 2025-2026. Skirta stated that this was the...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday that it has begun efforts to reverse Biden's administration's vehicle emission rules, which would force automakers into building an increasing number of electric cars. This is just the latest of the Trump administration’s sweeping actions to undo prior efforts to encourage automakers to produce electric vehicles. The previous administration had rescinded a plan to have at least 50% new vehicles be EVs by 2030. The EPA The agency said that it would review its 2024 rules, which would reduce tailpipe emissions from passenger vehicles by almost 50% by 2032 as compared to...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Wednesday it would narrow the definitions of waters that could be federally regulated in order to comply with 2023 Supreme Court ruling. Republican legislators from agricultural states applauded this move. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that the agency would work to create a simple definition "that will stand the test of time and be durable." He said that the previous administration's definition "waters of the United States" placed unfair burdens on American citizens and increased the cost of doing businesses. This announcement is part of what Zeldin called a "ping-pong" of policy...

Official data released in march showed that China's glacier areas have shrunk 26% due to global warming. 7,000 small glaciers have disappeared completely, and the glacial retreat has intensified in recent years. According to a UNESCO study, glaciers are disappearing more quickly than ever. The largest glacial mass losses on record occurred in the past three years. Environmental groups warn that the shrinking of important water towers will lead to a greater competition over water resources. The retreat of the glaciers also presents new disaster risks. China's glaciers can be found mainly in the north and west of the country....

The model of gathering world leaders under complex rules to negotiate agreements is beginning to show its limitations, according to the president of the next summit, Brazilian diplomat Andre Correa do Lago. In a letter published on Monday, he outlined his vision for the COP30 Summit in the Amazonian city of Belem. He said climate negotiators should be critical of themselves and deal with the "outside perception" that talks have lasted for more than three decades without much progress. He wrote: "We must move beyond negotiations and help put what we have agreed into practice." Correa do lago, at a...

According to Environment Minister Susana Muhamad, the deforestation rate in Colombia is projected to increase in 2024 compared to the previous year. However, it is still expected to be one of the lowest rates in over two decades. According to the Environment Ministry, deforestation decreased by over a third, from 1,235 square kilometers to just 792 square km (305 square miles) by 2023. Muhamad warned last year that 2023's success would not be repeated due to drought and the breakdown of talks with rebels who, according to the government, are fueling illegal logging and road construction, as well as cattle...

Brazil sets basic rules on its carbon market Largest polluters, farmers escape cap to emissions Protecting natural areas will receive more funding By Andre Cabette Fabio The rules don't limit emissions from agriculture, which is the top sector in the country for carbon pollution, accounting for 74% of all emissions. "We missed the chance to bring agribusiness into a regulated sector, which would not only limit emissions but also promote sustainability," said Gabriela Savian. She is the deputy director of policy at IPAM, the Amazon Environmental Research Institute. According to Natalie Unterstell of Instituto Talanoa in Brazil, a climate policy...

Chilean stateowned miner Codelco stated on Tuesday it is preparing a 25% cut in its indirect emissions by 2030, as part of a bigger decarbonization plan and as market needs grow for more traceable copper. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Codelco is the world's biggest copper manufacturer, and mining is a greatly polluting market. Studies point to mining as accountable for 4% to 7% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. CONTEXT Codelco prepares to cut its so-called Scope 3 emissions, which are indirect emissions put out by its providers and the most tough to minimize. These contaminating inputs include dynamites, refractories and lubricants,...

Steelmaker Ternium stated on Wednesday stated that wastewater from a plant in Mexico was not a contaminant, after the country's ecological watchdog Profepa said it had ordered Ternium to momentarily stop the flow of wastewater out of the site. Profepa said Ternium had actually been spilling its wastewater in a. tributary of the Atoyac river without a license, however Ternium said. this was not the case and that the problem with the regulator. was over continuous bureaucratic processes worrying. inconsistencies in the name of the company on licenses. The Atoyac river in central Mexico is one of the. most-polluted rivers...

Residents of the city of São Paulo, among Latin America's biggest and most builtup, have actually long fought for more green spaces. However, last year, the city announced plans that would do simply the reverse: take down thousands of trees to construct a tunnel and expand a garbage dump in some of its treeless areas. Protests took place. Last November, demonstrators took to the streets in São Mateus, a peripheral neighborhood in the east of São Paulo, to demonstration against a project to expand a garbage dump which would cut 10,000 trees. Structure work for a tunnel, in the southern...

Freshwater environments cover about 1% of Earth's surface area while representing more than 10% of recognized types. Like numerous marine and terrestrial ecosystems, however, they remain in distress. A brand-new research study looking at some of the citizens of freshwater environments offers a stark illustration of this biodiversity situation. Scientist assessed the status of 23,496 types of freshwater animals in groups consisting of fishes, crustaceans such as crabs, crayfish and shrimp and bugs such as dragonflies and damselflies, finding 24% of them at a high danger of extinction. Common dangers consist of pollution, dams and water extraction, farming and invasive...

Brazilian state and federal authorities were evaluating on Tuesday the dangers of water contamination after trucks bring sulfuric acid and farming pesticides plunged into a river on Sunday in a. deadly bridge collapse. The central span of a 533-meter (583-yard) bridge that links. the cities of Estreito in Maranhao state and Aguiarnopolis in. Tocantins specify gave way as cars were crossing above the. Tocantins River on Sunday afternoon. The Maranhao state federal government and the Tocantins fire. department verified three more deaths in different declarations on. Tuesday, raising the death toll to 4, and with more than 10. individuals still...

Harley Sandoval, an evangelical pastor, real estate representative and mining business owner, was detained in July 2023 for illegally exporting 294 kilos of gold from Brazil's Amazon to the United States, Dubai and Italy. On paper, the gold was sourced from a legal possibility Sandoval was certified to mine in the northern state of Tocantins. However authorities stated not an ounce of gold had been mined there because colonial times. Using innovative forensic innovation, in addition to satellite imagery, Brazil's Federal Authorities said it was able to develop that the exported gold did not come from the Tocantins possibility. Instead,...

The European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay settled an open market agreement on Friday, although it deals with a tough fight to protect approval by the 27 EU member states. The trade deal would be the EU's biggest in regards to the population of its partner and in terms of tariff reductions, which could total up to 4 billion euros ($ 4.23 billion) each year, phased out over numerous years. It is also the most significant deal for Mercosur, which has trade arrangements with Egypt and Israel and has actually signed one...

Rio Tinto's tradition Bougainville mine poses impending lifethreatening threats to locals, a report showed on Friday, triggering communities to call for the worldwide miner to do something about it. Community and human rights groups have actually been pushing Rio Tinto to evaluate concerns around land, water and health developing from the Panguna copper mine that the international miner ran for almost twenty years up until civil war broke out in 1989. Rio Tinto, which has not dedicated to payment, concurred to money a two-year investigation by ecological company Tetra Tech Coffey, which found severe problems continue as a result of...