Pollution

Anfield Energy’s proposed Velvet Wood uranium mining project in Utah was approved by the Trump administration on Friday following a rapid environmental review of 14 days. This is part of a process designed to speed up permitting for energy and mining projects. These studies can take many years to complete due to the potential environmental impact of uranium mining. The Canadian project is the first to be approved under an emergency process Interior Department must permit energy installations on federal land. The new procedures were created in response to the national energy emergency declared by President Donald Trump on his...

Amazon.com shareholders at their annual meeting rejected all shareholder resolutions again, including three that addressed the impact of Amazon.com on climate change. The re-election of twelve directors as well as the proposed executive compensation was approved by voters. Amazon urged investors to vote against all eight of the proposals. There were 14 resolutions last year and none of them received enough votes to become law. One of the eight proposals this year was a proposal to require additional reporting about Amazon's total carbon emissions. Another focused on the climate impact data centers have, and a third called for more disclosure...

Democratic lawmakers harshly criticised the chief executives at BlackRock, JPMorgan, and other top financial companies for leaving global coalitions dedicated to combating climate changes. They urged them to maintain their previous commitments, and policy targets to reduce greenhouse gas emission. A letter sent to executives by members of Congress revealed that, in the face of increasingly severe weather and financial risks, their bosses "actively" decided to relinquish leadership over climate change. The letter sent on Thursday also requests records of any communications between the executives and the Trump administration about plans to reduce their environmental and social work. It said:...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent a proposal rule to the White House, asking for its review. It outlines the amount of biofuels that oil refiners will have to blend into their fuel starting in 2026. Since President Donald Trump's inauguration in January, the politically powerful oil and fuel lobbies have been waiting for this proposed rule. This will be the first opportunity for the Republican President to demonstrate his support for the biofuels policies, which have historically pitted Big Oil against the Farm Belt. This dynamic changed in the run-up to the proposed rule. A coalition of oil and...

After being sued by environmental and farm groups, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has restored some climate change related webpages it had removed since the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Trump's administration has frozen or canceled funding for climate-friendly farming, claiming that the work is not in line with its priorities. About 11% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to agriculture. According to a lawsuit filed by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York on February 24, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group, a USDA official instructed staff to remove any pages focused on...

According to a document filed by the government on Friday, U.S. federal regulatory agencies recommended that Venture Global's proposed CP2 liquefied gas export project be approved. If built, CP2 would be the largest LNG export facility to ever exist in the United States and will help the U.S. remain the largest LNG exporter in the world. Venture Global had already received approval for the construction of the 28 million tonnes/annum plant. However, a recent court ruling forced them to perform an additional air quality review. Documents from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission show that the study concluded the project could...

Residents of LA are tested for lead poisoning following wildfires Lead levels in samples exceed the state's acceptable limits Who pays for soil remediation? Rachel Parsons Michelle, Darcy, and their children were rescued in the middle of the night by a wildfire northeast Los Angeles. They returned home to find that they still owned a house. They and the thousands of residents who live near the burn scar from the Eaton Fire, whose homes have been spared, now face a new threat - elevated and invisible levels of lead that could be lethal. Last week, the Fenwicks waited in line...

Two sources familiar with the reorganization said that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to discontinue Energy Star. This program, which has been certifying the energy efficiency in home appliances since more than 30 years, will be discontinued as part of the reorganization. As part of Friday's announcement of agency reorganization, the EPA Office of Atmospheric Protection and Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards will be dissolved. After a Monday staff meeting, OAP announced that it would be closing the Energy Star program. This news was first reported by CNN & Washington Post. The EPA declined to comment...

Two major U.S. science associations called on Friday for submissions to a special compilation that would have fed the National Climate Assessment. This comprehensive report about climate change impacts in the United States was effectively cancelled by the Trump Administration. The American Geophysical Union, the largest association of Earth scientists and space scientists, and the American Meteorological Society, called for this research in an effort to "maintain momentum" with the sixth NCA whose 400 authors were fired by the Trump Administration last week. The two organizations stated that the new collection would not replace the NCA, but rather create a...

Carrier Global beat analysts' estimates for the first-quarter profit and raised its forecast for 2025, anticipating a strong demand for its HVAC products and aftermarket repairs. The demand for air conditioners has increased due to the rising temperatures in the world, fueled by climate changes and increasing levels of air pollution. As more buildings must now meet energy regulations, the company has also benefitted from the rapid adoption by heat pumps that are energy efficient. Trane Tech, a competitor, also beat its quarterly forecasts this week due to strong demand for air conditioners. Carrier said that it would "fully mitigate"...

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to revoke the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of California’s plans for a growing number of zero emission heavy-duty trucks. The House also voted on repealing an EPA waiver granted in December by former president Joe Biden to California's "Omnibus", low-NOx regulations for heavy-duty highway vehicles and off-road engines. Separately, the U.S. House will vote on Thursday against California's historic plan to stop selling gasoline-only cars by 2035. This plan has already been adopted by eleven other states. The EPA granted a waiver for the plan under the Clean Air Act in December....

Kristalina Georgeieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said that it will remain "laser-focused" on preventing balance-of payments crises. It will also incorporate concerns raised by President Trump into its policies. Georgieva said at a press conference held during the IMF and World Bank spring meetings that representatives of the Fund’s 190 member countries would discuss the directives issued by U.S. Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent. Bessent also expressed his support for the multilateral crisis lending institution. Bessent called on the IMF and World Bank on Wednesday to focus on their core missions, macroeconomic stability, and development. He...

Automakers said that the U.S. Transportation Department will declare that the fuel economy regulations issued by then-President Joe Biden, which included electric vehicles when setting the rules exceeded the legal authority of the government. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, said that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the Department submitted to the White House on Friday its interpretive rule "Resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy Program". He said that the previous administration "illegally" used CAFE standards to impose a mandate for electric vehicles, which drove up car prices. The reduction in fuel efficiency requirements could be achieved by removing EVs as...

On Tuesday, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit), scorched northern and central China. Authorities issued heat warnings to farmers and offered assistance to protect their food production. The temperatures in China's Hebei Province, Henan Province, which is a major wheat-producing area known as China's Granary, and Shandong province (in the east) all reached 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Authorities reported that in Zhengzhou and Shahe (both located in Henan Province), the mercury reached its highest level ever for May on Monday. National Meteorological Centre of the United States said that temperatures will continue to rise until Wednesday. Climate...

On Tuesday, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit), scorched northern and central China. Authorities issued heat warnings to farmers and offered assistance to protect their food production. The temperatures in China's Hebei Province, Henan Province, which is a major wheat-producing area known as China's Granary, and Shandong province (in the east) all reached 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Authorities reported that in Zhengzhou and Shahe (both located in Henan Province), the mercury reached its highest level ever for May on Monday. National Meteorological Centre of the United States said that temperatures will continue to rise until Wednesday. Climate...

The European Parliament has cleared the way for a rapid approval of EU CO2 emission targets for cars and vans, which will give automakers more time and reduce potential fines. European automakers warned that failing to meet existing targets this year could lead to fines up to 15 billion euro ($17.0 billion), as the goals depend on selling more electric cars, a segment in which they are behind their Chinese and U.S. competitors. After heavy lobbying by automakers, the European Commission has proposed that they meet their targets using the average emissions for the period of 2025-2027 rather than this...

Scientists said that climate change made the worst wildfires ever seen in South Korea twice as likely. They also warned that such disasters may become more common if temperatures rise. The fires that raged in the southeast of the country lasted for almost a week. They killed 32 people and destroyed around 5,000 structures before being brought under control at the end of March. The fires spread over 104,000 hectares (257,00 acres), which is nearly four times as much land as South Korea's worst fire season of 25 years ago. After combining observations with climate models, a 15-member team from...

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....

Japan's agricultural, forest and fishery exports rose by 3.7% in 2024 to reach a new record, despite China banning seafood imports after the Fukushima nuclear plant water discharge. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said that exports in 2018 totaled 1.507 trillion yen, up from 1.454 billion yen by 2023. Kazuyoshi Nakasugi, deputy head of MAFF’s export policy planning department, noted that it was the 12th consecutive year of growth and a new record. He also pointed out that exports from China and Hong Kong were down, but exports in other parts of Asia and the United States increased....

Advisers to incoming U.S. President Donald Trump are advising he waive environmental reviews for federally moneyed vital minerals jobs to enhance domestic production of products utilized in electric lorries, electronics and weapons, according to a file seen . Implementation would show a significant shift in how Washington evaluations proposed mines on federal lands and aims to guarantee that projects receiving loans, grants or other federal government support are able to assist the U.S. cut reliance on China, the world's. largest miner and processor of lithium, cobalt and other. important minerals. The consultants, entrusted by Trump's transition group to develop. policy...

Inbound U.S. President Donald Trump's shift group is recommending sweeping changes to cut off assistance for electric cars and charging stations and to reinforce procedures obstructing automobiles, elements and battery materials from China, according to a file seen . The recommendations, which have actually not been formerly reported, come as the U.S. electric-vehicle shift stalls and China's greatly subsidized EV industry continues to rise, in part since of its superior battery supply chain. On the project path, Trump promised to alleviate policies on fossil-fuel cars and trucks and roll back what he called President Joe Biden's EV mandate. The shift...

China informed the leading U.N. court on Tuesday that existing U.N. treaties must supply the basis for its advisory viewpoint on states' legal commitments to fight international warming and address the repercussions of their historical contributions to it. The U.N. General Assembly, after a campaign led by small island states, asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue a viewpoint on nations' legal obligation for the negative impact of climate modification. One of those states, Vanuatu, on Monday asked the court to acknowledge the damages environment change had actually triggered and order reparations for its repercussions. China, one of...

The chairman of talks aiming for a global treaty to control contamination from plastics provided a file on Friday laying out procedures that could furnish the basis of a pact, in an attempt to spur conversations as a Dec. 1 deadline methods. South Korea is hosting delegates from about 175 countries at the fifth and final meeting of the U.N. Intergovernmental Working Out Committee (INC-5) to agree internationally binding guidelines on plastics, but this week's talks had moved at glacial speed. The document, provided by committee chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso and seen , featured concepts such as a. international list...

Negotiators at the 5th round of talks targeted at protecting an international treaty to suppress plastic pollution were aiming on Friday to accelerate slow procedures and reach a deal by a Dec. 1 due date. South Korea is hosting the fifth and final U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) conference to agree worldwide binding guidelines on plastics today. Up until Thursday, several delegates from around 175 nations taking part had actually revealed disappointment about the sluggish rate of the talks amid disagreements over treatment, multiple proposals and some negotiations even returning to ground covered in the past. In an effort to...