Pollution








Asia

North America

Environment

Mexico and Dominican Republic propose joint effort to combat sargassum seaweed

His office announced on Wednesday that the Dominican Republic’s Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez, along with top Mexican officials, have proposed a bi-lateral roundtable to discuss the environmental impact of sargassum on both countries' Caribbean coasts. Why it's important As mountains of pungent decomposing sargassum pile up on Caribbean coastlines, hotel workers struggle to keep the beaches clean. This releases irritant gasses, which smother marine ecosystems, and lowers occupancy rates in seaside resorts. CONTEXT Atlantic sargassum, a type algae, has increased dramatically over the last decade. This is due to nutrient pollution, which was exacerbated by the deforestation of the oceans...

Environment

Chemours DuPont Corteva settles New Jersey PFAS Claims for $875 Million

Chemours DuPont Corteva has agreed to pay $875 Million over 25 Years to the State of New Jersey in order to settle environmental claims, including pollution related to PFAS or "forever Chemicals", the companies announced on Monday. In 2023, over $11 billion was settled in lawsuits that accused major chemical companies for polluting U.S. water supplies with toxic PFAS chemicals. Experts predict new federal regulations as well as a growing public awareness about the extent of contamination will lead to more litigation and settlements. PFAS is a chemical class that's used in many products, including non-stick cookware. These substances are...

Pollution

Shein fined 1 million Euros by Italian regulator for greenwashing

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM), imposed on Monday a fine of 1 million euros ($1.16million) on fast fashion online retailer Shein, founded in China for misleading its customers about the environmental impact on their products. Shein has now been hit with a second financial sanction from a European Competition Authority in less than a week. On July 3, France fined Shein 40 million Euros for false discounts and misleading claims about the environment. AGCM, the Italian regulatory agency, launched an investigation into "greenwashing", which led to Infinite Styles Services Co. Limited of Dublin, operating Shein's European website. Shein didn't immediately...

Carbon Emissions

US reverses key climate findings, creating uncertainty for businesses

Lawyers and trade groups say that the Trump administration's plan to undo U.S. Climate Regulation is a way for them to save money, but this could backfire and force automakers, utilities and manufacturers to face a future filled with regulatory uncertainty and litigation risks. The Republican administration of President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that it would rescind a long-held finding that greenhouse gases endanger the health of humans, thus removing the legal basis for U.S. regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that the move would save companies up to $52 billion on environmental compliance...

Pollution

Amazon.com tries to settle lawsuit alleging rice is contaminated with heavy metals

Amazon.com asked a federal court to dismiss a class-action lawsuit over the sale of rice allegedly contaminated with arsenic, and other "heavy" metals. The company denied that it had fraudulently concealed the contamination. Amazon filed a late Friday filing in Seattle Federal Court, stating that the presence of heavy-metals in rice is a "decades old, well-known problem" which was easy to detect. The plaintiffs didn't claim there were any more metals present than the regulators permitted. Amazon said that Section 230 (of the federal Communications Decency Act) shields online platforms like Amazon from any liability for content provided by third...

Carbon Emissions

Trump EPA aims at repealing vehicle emission regulations after revoking the greenhouse gas endangerment findings

According to the summary of the proposal, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to repeal the greenhouse gas emissions standards for light, medium, and heavy duty vehicles and engines within the next few days, after removing the scientific findings that justified these rules. The agency will likely state in a draft summary of its upcoming proposal that the Clean Air Act doesn't authorize it to impose emissions standards to address concerns about global climate change and that they will rescind their finding that GHG emission from new motor vehicles or engines is harmful to public health and welfare. The...

Pollution

Peru seizes four tons of black-market mercury destined for illegal gold mines

The Peruvian authorities stopped a shipment of four metric tonnes of mercury heading to Bolivia, allegedly for use in illegal gold-mining. This is the latest indication of the growing black market to meet the soaring demand of the precious metal. The container was passed off as crushed rock. However, the customs agency in Peru, SUNAT, said that an analysis revealed it to be laced with toxic mercury. In a press release, SUNAT stated that "we could determine that the mercury was being shipped in its natural form, concealed in shipments of crushed gravel." It was discovered at the Callao Port...

Environment

WHO: Weak regulations causing deaths from contaminated drugs

World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that systemic weaknesses in oversight of the global pharmaceutical chain led to medicines formulated with toxic chemicals killing people and compromising health, especially of children. In a joint report with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the WHO reported that since 2022, there have been over 300 deaths in Africa and Asia, as well as the Pacific, linked to syrups that contain industrial chemicals like diethylene glycol and Ethylene glycol. They are illegally substituting pharmaceutical grade ingredients, such as propylene glycerin, sorbitol and glycerin, which are used in the formulation of...

Mining

EU begins surveillance of scrap metal market as supplies fall

After a series of warnings from the industry about shortages, and the potential for smelter closures, they said, The European Commission began monitoring imports as well as exports of scrap steel, aluminum, and copper. Scrap metal is a key input for EU smelters and a vital part of their efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. Most of the scrap metal is exported to Asia, Turkey and other countries. The problem has been exacerbated by the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on primary steels and aluminums. Dealers have begun selling scrap aluminiums to U.S. Smelters. The EU is seeing a decrease...

Pollution

Sources say that California has taken a rare step to find a buyer for the Valero refinery in order to prevent its closure.

Three sources familiar with this matter have confirmed that California officials are looking for a buyer to take over the Benicia refinery of Valero Energy, located near San Francisco. This is an unusual move, as the company plans to close the facility by April. California's 28 million drivers, who already pay some of the highest gasoline prices in the nation, are now concerned about protecting the fuel supply in their state. California's efforts to prevent the refinery from shutting down also mark a shift in government policy from recent years, which has focused on championing green initiatives and limiting fossil...

Environment

Thames Water crisis prompts UK water reforms

On Monday, Britain will announce measures to fix the broken water sector. Thames Water is on the verge of collapse and needs to "reset" its regulations to avoid nationalisation. The biggest water company in the country has been fighting to survive for 18 months. If the company fails, the government will have to step in and add billions to already stretched public finances. Last year, Britain ordered a review of the privatised water sector in England and Wales. The industry needs massive investments to fix its aging infrastructure and stop sewage spills that angered public. The review is being led...

Climate Change

Trump boosts coal to feed data centers that are energy hungry

Executive Orders to Boost the Coal Industry Trump Administration pulls back plants from retirement The United States has ceased its efforts to reduce coal consumption By Carey L. Biron Then, the Trump administration issued an order to keep the plant operating, citing a regional energy crisis caused, in part by the retirements of coal and natural gas power plants. Trump issued executive orders to boost the coal industry. These were in response to the rapidly increasing electricity demand for new data centres that run artificial intelligence tools. The rebound is a resupply of coal for the JH Campbell plant, located...

Europe

Environment

Volkswagen liable for defeat devices, top EU court rules

The European Court of Justice on Friday ruled that carmakers like Volkswagen remain liable for using unlawful defeat devices, such as temperature-sensitive emissions software, even if the vehicles met EU standards, which doesn't guarantee the technology's legality. The two German suits involving Volkswagen diesel cars fitted with defeat devices - either during production or later software updates - led to the case before the top court of the European Union. The Court stated that compensation for buyers could be reduced by vehicle usage or limited to 15% of the original purchase price. However, it should still reflect the damages caused....

Pollution

Scientists say that EU climate goals are at risk because ailing forests absorb less carbon dioxide

Scientists warned that the damage to European forests caused by increased logging, fires, droughts and pests reduces their capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. This puts European Union emission targets at risk. The European Union is committed to achieving net zero emissions in 2050. This target also includes the expectation of forests to absorb hundreds of millions tonnes of CO2 and store them in soil and trees, compensating for pollution from industries. This assumption is no longer valid. According to a study led by scientists at the EU's Joint Research Centre, its independent science-research service, the amount of CO2 Europe’s forests...

Environment

Floods in Romania kill 1, evacuate hundreds

Officials said that severe overnight flooding in eastern Romania caused the death of one person, and destroyed thousands of homes. Hundreds of people were evacuated, and three helicopters searched for stranded villages. The emergency response agency reported that 25 villages in nine counties were affected, with heavy rains and high winds tearing off roofs and uprooting trees and blocking some national roads. In eastern Romania, the counties of Neamt and Suceava were worst affected. Two rivers burst through their banks and killed a man aged 66, forcing hundreds to flee. All roads leading to the village Brosteni, in Suceava County,...

Western Europe

East Asia

Pollution

Beijing evacuates 4,000 people as rains increase

Authorities said that heavy rains intensified in Beijing and other provinces of northern China, increasing the risk of disasters such as landslides, flooding and mudslides. They also relocated over 4,000 people. CCTV reported that flash floods, landslides and massive rains continued to hit the northwest suburb of Miyun, Beijing, causing flash flooding and other problems. Many villages were also affected. In recent years, the north of China has experienced record rainfall, which puts densely-populated cities like Beijing at risk of flooding. Scientists attribute the increase in rainfall in China's normally arid north region to global warming. These storms are part...

Pollution

Rain in Northern China kills 2 and forces thousands of people to relocate

Authorities have warned that further rain could bring disasters such as landslides, flooding and landslides. CCTV, the state broadcaster, reported that two people were missing and two others dead in Hebei Province on Sunday morning. Fuping, a city in Baoding's industrial district, received 145 mm (5.8 inches) of rain per hour overnight. China's Water Resources Ministry issued flood warnings for 11 provinces, including Beijing and the neighbouring Hebei region, due to small and midsize river flooding and mountain torrents. CCTV reported that floods and landslides have affected many villages within the Miyun district in the capital. The rural town of...

Carbon Emissions

Australia PM promotes green steel when iron ore miner meets Chinese steelmakers

Australia and China need to work together more closely on green steel, said Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, in Shanghai, on Monday. He also called for China, the world's biggest steelmaker, to reduce its excess production capacity. China depends on Australia for two-thirds or its iron ore consumption by its massive steel industry. This trade will bring Canberra A$105 Billion ($68.90 Billion) in this financial year according to the most recent government estimates. Decarbonisation, which requires higher-grade iron ore from countries such as Guinea and Brazil, puts this trade at risk for Australia. Green steel is metal that's...

Environment

EU delays signing climate pledge with China, FT reports

A top climate official said in comments published by the Financial Times on Monday that the European Union will not sign a joint climate pledge with China during a summit to celebrate a half-century diplomatic relationship. EU climate targets are some of the most ambitious in the world, but have always been based on domestic emission reductions. The bloc has a deadline of mid-September to submit to the UN a new climate target for 2035. Officials from the EU said that Brussels refused Beijing's repeated demands for a climate agreement after the summit between the second and third largest economies...

Environment

EU delays signing climate pledge with China, FT reports

A top climate official said in comments published by the Financial Times on Monday that the European Union will not sign a joint climate pledge with China during a summit to celebrate a half-century diplomatic relationship. EU climate targets are some of the most ambitious in the world, but have always been based on domestic emission reductions. It faces a deadline of mid-September to submit to the United Nations a new climate target for 2035. Officials from the EU said that Brussels refused Beijing's repeated demands for a climate agreement after the summit between the second and third largest economies...

Environment

US rejects UN summit, but global leaders vow development push

The first ever summit of its kind began in Seville on Monday in scorching temperatures, with the world leaders increasingly under pressure to reduce poverty and limit Climate change Other key development goals are increasingly in danger. U.N. Chief Antonio Guterres stated that the event was intended to "repair and rev up" an international system in which "trust is fraying, and multilateralism has been strained." This was a jab at the most notable absence from the conference - U.S. president Donald Trump. The world's biggest economy and its traditional largest aid donor, refused to take part in the conference after...

Climate Change

At the Spain Summit, global leaders address poverty and climate goals

On Monday, a once-in-10-year summit began in Seville as world leaders are under increasing pressure to speed up progress on poverty reduction. Climate change The Sustainable Development Goals are at greater risk of failing. The U.N. Chief, Antonio Guterres said that the event was intended to "repair and rev up" an existing system of cooperation in which "trust is fraying, and multilateralism has been strained." The U.S. president Donald Trump was notably absent from the summit, which had been attended by more than 50 leaders of the world. This is because the leader of the largest economy in the world...

Environment

Stellantis and Renault fear China's rivals in the small car market, and lobby EU for less rules

Stellantis, a French company, and Renault, a Chinese automaker, are pushing for fewer safety features in small cars, which would make them more affordable. In the past two months, Stellantis chairman John Elkann has engaged in a public campaign that is rare to try and get the European Union's attention on the issue. It is a goal to revive the small car segment that was abandoned by Europe's automobile manufacturers because they were unprofitable. They blame this on regulations which make vehicles heavier, larger and more expensive. Elkann said last week that Europe needed its own version, which could be...

Pollution

Scientists in Japan have developed plastic that dissolves within hours in seawater

Researchers in Japan developed a plastic which dissolves in the seawater in just a few hours. This could be a solution to a problem that is destroying oceans today and harming animals. Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science at the University of Tokyo claim that their new material breaks up much faster and leaves no residue trace. The team showed that a piece of plastic vanished from a container of salted water after stirring it for an hour. The team's research, according to project leader Takuzo Aida, has drawn a lot of interest from the packaging industry....

Environment

Nikkei reports that China will resume seafood imports to Japan once the fears over Fukushima thaw.

The Nikkei reported Friday that China and Japan had agreed on procedures for resuming imports of Japanese fisheries products. This could be a sign that a trade embargo is ending, according to a source in Japan's ruling political party. The agreement was reached at a bilateral meeting between officials on Wednesday in Beijing. Both governments are working to reduce tensions resulting from the release of treated wastewater by Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2023. The report stated that under the agreed-upon measures, Japan would register its fishery processing plants with Chinese authorities and export shipments would include certificates of...

Refined Products

US to declare Biden fuel efficiency rules beyond legal authority

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...

Pollution

North and Central China is hit by heatwave

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...