Environmental news from mainstream news sources Reuters, CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press USA Today and BBC America.
- Leaf Blowers Destroy the Environment Nearly everything about how Americans “care” for their lawns is deadly, but these machines exist in a category of environmental hell all their own.
- Containers ablaze on cargo ship A fire broke out on Saturday on containers on a cargo ship carrying mining chemicals off British Columbia, and the Canadian Coast Guard said it is working with the U.S. Coast Guard to assess the situation, including environmental hazards.
- Before ‘Dune,’ Frank Herbert Learned From Native Americans Native Americans’ warnings of environmental catastrophe inspired the landscape of “Dune.” Now their tribal lands are flooding.
- Review: 'Becoming Cousteau' sings an ode to the ocean explorer and his 20th-century climate warningsJacques Cousteau was a man ahead of his time in multiple respects, which provides the backbone of "Becoming Cousteau," a documentary devoted to both the ocean explorer's life and his early environmental advocacy. Brought to life by his own words and appearances, the film touches on various themes while letting its lovely images and music wash over you.
- This might just look like grass, but it has the power to absorb a load of our carbon emissionsForests have long been celebrated as the natural heroes in the fight against the climate crisis. They are so good at absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, a consortium of environmental groups are calling on the world to plant one trillion trees over the next decade.
- Orion: Nasa's Moon-ship is attached to SLS megarocketNasa's next-generation spaceship is attached to the rocket that will launch it to the Moon.
- Apparent human remains found in Florida park during search for Brian Laundrie, missing fiance of murder victim Gabby PetitoThe FBI also found "items of interest" in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park near the sprawling Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County.
- How Chemours and DuPont Avoid Paying for PFAS PollutionDuPont factories pumped dangerous substances into the environment. The company and its offspring have gone to great lengths to dodge responsibility.
- Beef and Climate Change: This Seattle Steakhouse Wants to Be Part of the SolutionBateau aims to reinvent the steak restaurant by showing how to sidestep the waste and environmental damage caused by the meat industry.
- How a Single Senator Derailed Biden’s Climate PlanThe centerpiece of the president’s environmental agenda has fallen apart because of the objections of a single senator.
- 'We dodged a bullet': California oil spill could have decimated Huntington Beach. Why didn't it?The 25,000-gallon spill could have ravaged Huntington Beach, the environment and local economy. A combination of preparedness and luck came into play.
- Biden admin launches roadmap to tackle pollution from widely used 'forever chemicals'The White House on Monday announced a new plan to combat pollution from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals that can cause severe health problems and linger in the environment after being released.
- Can Fortescue's Andrew Forrest, a Carbon-Emitting Iron Ore Tycoon, Save the Planet?Andrew Forrest made a mining fortune. Now he wants to lead a climate change revolution — and beat the fossil fuel giants along the way.
- What happens if Gabby Petito's fiancé isn't found soon• A timeline of Gabby Petito's case • CNN analyst's 'striking' takeaway from coroner's announcement • Time and environmental factors are complicating the search for Brian Laundrie, experts say
- Plant-Based Food Companies Face Critics: Environmental AdvocatesSome analysts say they cannot determine if plant-based foods are more sustainable than meat because the companies are not transparent about their emissions.
- Complaints Against Texas’ Juvenile Prisons Include Violence and Sex AbuseThe extensive allegations present a portrait of an environment inside the state’s juvenile prisons that is rife with physical attacks.
- What’s Behind the Energy Crunch in Britain and EuropeNatural gas prices have skyrocketed, pressuring manufacturers and households with high energy bills.
- LinkedIn to End Service in China, Citing ‘Challenging’ EnvironmentThe Microsoft-owned service had censored posts in China, in compliance with the country’s laws, to operate there.
- As Western Oil Giants Cut Production, State-Owned Companies Step UpIn the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, government-owned energy companies are increasing oil and natural gas production as U.S. and European companies pare supply because of climate concerns.
- Putin Suggests Germany Approve Nord Stream 2 to Solve Energy CrisisIn his most direct comments to date on the contentious Russian pipeline, President Vladimir V. Putin called it an “obvious” way to relieve Europe’s soaring natural gas prices.
- William Shatner in space: 'The most profound experience I can imagine'The Star Trek actor becomes the oldest person to go into space and returns 'filled with emotion'.
- Star Trek's William Shatner blasts into space on Blue Origin rocketThe actor who played Captain Kirk in the classic TV show is the oldest person ever to go to space.
- Wolf pups 'adopted' by Idaho high schoolers killed by federal agentsConcerned environmentalists say the pup deaths are part of "an all-out frontal assault on wolves".
- Superman Comes Out, as DC Comics Ushers In a New Man of SteelThe new Superman, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, is concerned about the environment, does not shy away from politics and will soon begin a romantic relationship with a male friend.
- One-fourth of US infrastructure is at risk of flooding amid 'changing environment,' report saysFlooding is the most expensive natural disaster in the US. A new report pinpoints who is most at risk: Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky and West Virginia.
- Rohingya on Bangladesh Island of Bhashan Char Seek to LeaveBangladesh is relocating Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar to a vulnerable, environmentally unstable island that is giving some cause to run again.
- 'These issues are hard': Coal country's centrist senator may hold up Biden's climate change agendaThis senator from coal country is holding up climate legislation. And that has environmentalists worried.
- Kyrsten Sinema Wants to Cut $100 Billion in Proposed Climate Funds, Sources SayThe Arizona senator, who started in politics as an environmentalist, is one of two centrist Democrats who could make or break a spending bill at the center of President Biden’s legislative agenda.
- Tar balls possibly linked to California oil spill are appearing on San Diego beaches amid fears environmental impact is spreadingTar balls that may be linked to the oil spill off the coast of Orange County, California, are washing up on San Diego beaches, county officials said Thursday, highlighting concerns about the widening environmental impact days after tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean.
- UN says access to a 'clean, healthy' environment is a human rightThe United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) acknowledged Friday that access to a "safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment" is a basic human right for the first time.
- Biden Administration to Restore Climate Criteria to Landmark Environmental LawA proposed rule would require agencies to study the climate impacts of new highways, pipelines and other projects, reversing a Trump-era effort to weaken reviews.
- Damaged US sub was in one of world's most difficult undersea environments, analysts say
- Biden Administration to Restore Climate Criteria to Landmark Environmental LawA proposed rule would require agencies to study the climate impacts of new highways, pipelines and other projects, reversing a Trump-era effort to weaken reviews.
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded for Tool to Build MoleculesBenjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan were honored for work that spurred research into new drugs and reduced the effect of chemistry on the environment.
- GM: Switching to electric will help double our salesGeneral Motors' transition to an all-electric vehicle lineup will help the environment. It will also help make GM a 100% more successful business, the company says.
- What we know so far about the California oil spillA leak in an oil pipeline caused a major spill off the coast of southern California on Saturday, sending oil spewing into the local environment and potentially harming wildlife and nearby human residents.
- Cuomo’s $5 Million Book Deal Is Subject of a New Ethics InquiryThe move by a state ethics panel is a forceful example of how much the political environment has been reshaped since Andrew Cuomo resigned as governor.
- Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Pandemic proofing your life is not what you thinkI have bad news for you: We're stuck with this novel coronavirus in our environment perhaps indefinitely. And there might be another, more deadly and contagious pathogen right behind it that's poised to dart around the world and stir yet another pandemic. But here's the good news: Pandemic proofing your life is easier than you think, and it's not about building a bunker or megadosing on supplements and waiting white-knuckled for the next booster shot. A remarkable suit of armor is already within you.
- How Can We Make Crypto Green? A Times EventToday at 1 p.m. E.T., Andrew Ross Sorkin and the DealBook team explore the environmental impact of digital currency and efforts to make it more sustainable.
- Indonesian museum made from plastic bottles, bags highlights marine crisisEnvironmentalists in Indonesia keen to send a message about the world's worsening ocean plastics crisis have created a museum made entirely from plastics, to convince people to rethink their habits and say no to single-use bags and bottles.
- Key trends have produced a political environment that's making it increasingly difficult to pass legislationAnger is peaking among a wide range of Democrats toward Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema over their resistance to President Joe Biden's economic agenda, but the Democrats' struggle to pass Biden's sweeping plan is rooted in more than the personal idiosyncrasies and electoral calculations of two individual senators.
- The California oil spill is endangering wildlife. Here's how authorities are trying to prevent its spreadThe pristine beaches and beautiful wildlife in Southern California are now suffering after a weekend oil spill that responders and environmental officials say will take months, if not years, to clean up.
- Jury orders Tesla to pay $137 million to former employee over racist treatment.A jury agreed with Owen Diaz that Tesla had created a hostile work environment at its factory in Fremont, Calif.
- Energy Prices Spike as Producers Worry Over Pandemic and ClimateEven as more costly fuel poses political risks for President Biden, oil companies and OPEC are not eager to produce more because they worry prices will drop.
- 'Environmental catastrophe': Crews race to slow massive oil spill along Southern California coastCrews along the Southern California coastline worked feverishly Sunday to stunt the growing environmental disaster following this weekend's oil spill.
- This electric car can go 520 miles on a charge but the CEO says that's not importantThe Lucid Air Dream Edition was recently rated by the Environmental Protection Agency with an estimated driving range of 520 miles on a full charge. That's the longest range of any purely battery-powered car yet rated by the EPA, including Tesla's Model S Long Range.
- Legoland Is Now Open. Can Residents of Goshen, N.Y. Learn To Live With It?When Legoland arrived in Goshen, N.Y., it divided residents into first-time environmental activists or business boosters. Now that the park is open, can neighbors piece together a way to move ahead?
- The Environment Affects Baseball. These Players Want to Help.Beach cleanups, plastic reduction, rethinking travel: A group of major leaguers is pushing back in a wasteful sport.
- 18-hour days and panic attacks: Former Ozy staffers allege an abusive environmentAround midnight one Saturday late last year, Eva Rodriguez, 24, had trouble breathing. She lost her vision, started sweating and felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She worried she was having a heart attack.
- Join Us for a Conversation on Greening CryptocurrencyOn Oct. 5, Andrew Ross Sorkin and the DealBook team explore the environmental impact of digital currency and efforts to make it more sustainable.
- Clarissa Ward is back in Kabul. Here's what she's seeingWomen will no longer be allowed to attend classes or work at Kabul University "until an Islamic environment is created," the school's new Taliban-appointed chancellor announced, in the latest move excluding Afghanistan's women from public life. CNN's Clarissa Ward reports.
- Afghan women barred from teaching or attending Kabul UniversityWomen will no longer be allowed to attend classes or work at Kabul University "until an Islamic environment is created," the school's new Taliban-appointed chancellor announced on his official Twitter account Monday.
- Prince William, Michael Bloomberg: We're in a race to save Earth from climate changeThe Earthshot Prize will recognize innovators and pioneers each year, providing at least 50 solutions to the world's environmental problems by 2030.
- Ford Will Build 4 Factories in a Big Electric Vehicle PushThe automaker and a supplier will spend $11.4 billion on three battery factories and a truck plant, creating 11,000 jobs.
- How one man uses scuba diving to encourage youth to protect the environmentFredricka Whitfield goes deep with Kramer Wimberley, a lead instructor for Diving With a Purpose, about how he and a team of other Black divers mentor and encourage youth to pursue underwater archeology and SCUBA.
- Portland police challenged in 'really tough environment' as violence spikesChuck Lovell was sworn in as Portland's police chief in June 2020, not long into the pandemic and just a couple of chaos-filled weeks after George Floyd was murdered by a Minnesota police officer.
- Timberwolves' toxic office environment, interoffice relationship led to Gersson Rosas' firingGersson Rosas' consensual relationship with another Minnesota employee was not the main reason for his firing, but it did accelerate the process.
- White House Is Set to Announce Limits on HFCsThe Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue a final regulation on Thursday morning that will slash the use of hydrofluorocarbons, widely used in air-conditioning and refrigeration.
- McDonald's Happy Meal toys might start looking a little different next yearMcDonald's pledged Tuesday to significantly reduce the use of plastics in its Happy Meal toys worldwide, two years after the fast food giant faced backlash in the United Kingdom over environmental concerns.
- Nasa selects landing site for Moon rover missionThe space agency will send a rover to look for water-ice near a crater at the Moon's South Pole.
- Royal Dutch Shell Is Selling Its Permian Basin Oil Holdings to ConocoPhillipsThe deal with ConocoPhillips comes with oil prices high, Permian production strong and Shell under pressure to move faster to cut carbon emissions.
- As Climate Change Fears Grow, a Real Fight Over Fake TurfA city’s decision to replace actual grass with a synthetic version sets off a conflict over the possible environmental and health risks of the move.
- Climate Change and Climate Disaster Must Take Center StageClimate changes is a global problem that we must address in our own lives.
- Tim Cook Faces Surprising Employee Unrest at AppleHundreds of current and former Apple workers are complaining about their work environment, a rarity for the once tight-lipped company.
- Why Louisiana’s Electric Grid Failed in Hurricane IdaMuch of the state, including New Orleans, lost power for days because many of Entergy’s electrical poles and towers were not built to withstand a major hurricane, energy experts said.
- Some small businesses are happy about Biden's vaccine mandateMaintaining a healthy environment during a pandemic without alienating employees and customers who don't want to wear masks or get vaccinated has been a headache for small business owners.
- Meet the new iPhone 13Apple introduced four new iPhones at its annual event touting environmental-friendly design features and its new video "cinematic mode." Prices begin at $699
- Norway appears set to replace Conservative government amid oil debate, preliminary results showNorway appears set to put an end to the Conservative-led coalition government's eight years of rule, preliminary results from the country's parliamentary election showed on Monday — a shift that environmental advocates have long awaited as they push to end the country's dependence on its lucrative oil industry.
- Analysis: Proposed Texas-Mexico border wall draped in legal, ethical concerns and politicsA wall along the Texas-Mexico border will need exemptions from federal environmental laws, as well as land from private landowners in South Texas.
- What American fashion means today, according to Anna WintourAgainst the backdrop of a global pandemic and unprecedented political, social and environmental crises, culture in the United States has been swayed by extraordinary forces in recent years.
- 2020 was the deadliest year for environmental defendersBehind the veil of the Covid-19 pandemic, 227 people were killed last year protecting forests, water and other natural resources under increasing stress from climate change, making 2020 the deadliest year on record for environmental defenders according to a report published Monday.
- Biden’s New Vaccine Requirements Draw Praise, Condemnation and CautionPresident Biden’s plan was unveiled in a deeply polarized environment and even experts seemed split on its effectiveness. Here’s the latest.
- Biden Administration Moves to Protect Alaska’s Bristol BayThe bay, home to a key sockeye salmon fishery, sits atop a massive gold and copper deposit, pitting environmentalists against mining companies.
- South African wildlife photographer Chris Fallows on his storied careerFor many people, getting the chance to witness some of the world's most iconic wildlife up close and in their natural environment is high on the bucket list. If you're lucky, and your hands are steady in the moment, you might even capture the perfect photo and a vacation memory to last a lifetime.
- Biden Offers Ambitious Blueprint for Solar EnergyThe department’s analysis provides only a broad outline, and many of the details will be decided by congressional lawmakers.
- Growing Wildflowers Isn’t Difficult. And It’s Urgent.In a shifting climate, with environmental diversity at risk, it’s never been more important to propagate native plants. Here’s how.
- Biden’s Electric Car Plans Hinge on Having Enough ChargersThe United States has about 100,000 public chargers, far fewer than Europe and China. It needs 10 times as many, auto experts say, to complete the switch from combustion engine vehicles.
- Greener and cheaper: Crewless vessels are mapping the ocean thanks to an Irish startupOcean-based industries are growing fast, boosting demand for data on conditions at sea. But the huge research vessels that typically map the seas often come at great financial and environmental cost.
- Another COVID-19 school year? How these families survived – and are bracing to do it againAfter surviving a year of online school, families worry they're sending kids back to class in a more treacherous COVID-19 environment than last fall.
- Waste From Mine in Angola Kills 12 Downstream in Congo, Minister SaysToxic metals from Angola’s largest diamond mine spilled into the Kasai River in July, sickening thousands and causing an “environmental catastrophe,” researchers said.
- Climate change: Arctic warming linked to colder wintersA new study connects the heating of the Arctic region to extreme winter weather in the US.
- Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Rule Governing Water PollutionThe rule allowed fertilizers, pesticides and industrial chemicals to flow into small streams, marshes and wetlands. The judge warned of environmental harm.
- Hurricane Ida Exposes Grid Weaknesses as New Orleans Goes DarkA new natural gas power plant, meant to power the city in an emergency, did not come to the rescue when the storm disabled eight transmission lines.
- Cars have been guzzling leaded gasoline for 99 years. Not any moreNearly a century of leaded gasoline use on roads around the world has come to an end, the UN Environment Programme announced Monday, after Algerian service stations stopped selling the fuel last month.
- California’s Plan to Make New Buildings Greener Will Also Raise CostsA recent building code change for new construction could reduce emissions by requiring use of solar panels and batteries, raising prices in an already expensive state.
- Surgeon general urges parents and officials take these steps to protect children from Covid-19A return to in-person learning has led to thousands of students having to quarantine across the US, with Covid-19 cases among children surging to levels not seen since winter. With the increased threat, the US Surgeon General is urging parents and officials to take measures that reduce the risk of a child's environment.
- The ‘Hedonistic Altruism’ of Plant-Based MeatEthan Brown, the founder and C.E.O. of Beyond Meat, on his moral and environmental priorities.
- Is There a Nuclear Option for Stopping Climate Change?Once the bête noire of environmentalists, nuclear power is now being hailed by some as a solution to a warming world.
- How Should the Fed Deal With Climate Change?When the economy hits hard times, survey data shows, people are less likely to worry about the environment.
- When Environmental Racism Causes a Hygienic HellMount Vernon is one of scores of cities around the country with an outdated or overtaxed sewage system.
- In an alarming sign of the deteriorating security environment, US diplomats in Kabul warned Americans to immediately leave several gates into the airportA grave and specific ISIS terror threat is hanging over the frantic endgame of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan with time fast running out to rescue up to 1,500 Americans and the fate of fleeing Afghans looking darker by the hour.
- The Cotton Tote CrisisYou can get cotton bags pretty much everywhere. How did an environmental solution become part of the problem?
- Analysis: How the political environment is moving toward RepublicansRepublicans gained a seat in the Connecticut state Senate this week. They won a special election in a district that President Joe Biden won by more than 20 points in 2020.
- A billion children are at 'extremely high risk' of climate shocks, UNICEF saysAlmost half of the world's 2.2 billion children are living in countries that face an extremely high risk of the impacts of the climate crisis, including environmental shocks such as cyclones and heatwaves, according to an index published Friday by UNICEF, the UN children's agency.
- Biden admin to ban pesticide tied to children's health problemsA widely used pesticide that could cause potential health issues in children can no longer be used on food in the US, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday, reversing a Trump-era decision not to ban the controversial chemical.
- Rittenhouse shooting victim's estate sues Wisconsin law enforcement, blames agencies for allowing vigilante activityAnthony Huber's family blames law enforcement for fostering a dangerous environment that led to his shooting by Kyle Rittenhouse during 2020 protests.
- US lab stands on threshold of key nuclear fusion goalA US science institute is on the verge of achieving a longstanding goal in nuclear fusion research.
- How to Fight the Poison of Environmental RacismThe defeat of the Byhalia Connection pipeline was a rare victory against environmental racism.
- Senate approves 'blueprint' for $3.5T plan that includes money for education, environment, child careThe Senate, after hours of debate, passed a resolution along party lines that gives committees in Congress instructions to begin crafting the bill.
- Tropical Storm Fred: Sixth Atlantic storm hints at above-average hurricane seasonMeteorologists have named the sixth Atlantic storm of 2021, hinting at an above-average season.
- Big Oil wants to keep drilling in the North Sea. The backlash is growingThe UK government has been warned to stop a massive North Sea oil project or see its hopes of becoming a climate leader dashed as the country prepares to host a crucial environmental summit later this year.
- Indonesia's controversial 'Jurassic Park' project going ahead in Komodo National ParkConstruction on an Indonesian tourism project dubbed "Jurassic Park" on social media will continue, the southeast Asian country's environment ministry said on August 5, despite UNESCO warnings the plans could have a negative environmental impact.
- Environment groups plan pro-climate pressure campaign during August recessTwo key climate groups are planning a multi-state blitz of ads and in-person events during the upcoming August recess, encouraging lawmakers to go big and bold on climate legislation.
- What was Andrew Cuomo thinking?On Tuesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the results of a stunning report finding that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo "sexually harassed multiple women and violated state law." Many brave women have come forward in recent years to share credible, shocking stories of harassment and misconduct they have faced by powerful men (including James' predecessor, Eric Schneiderman, who contested the allegations but stepped down in the wake of them). But, even amid a grim environment for women, one thing is clear: Cuomo's misconduct appears to have reached an unusually ugly level.
- 'A master class in gaslighting'CNN political commentator SE Cupp weighs in on a report released by New York Attorney General Letitia James that accused Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) of sexually harassing 11 women and creating a hostile work environment.
- A report from New York's attorney general found nearly a dozen credible sexual harassment allegations against the governorNew York's Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women and created a "hostile" work environment for women, a report released Tuesday by New York Attorney General Letitia James said.
- The future of cars is key for the planetWith the gas mileage and auto pollution decisions President Joe Biden is expected to announce in coming days, environmentalists are increasingly worried the administration will yield to automakers' pressure and adopt modest limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars, instead of the strict standards they say are necessary to combat climate change.
- 600 tons of marine life have washed up on Florida's shoresRed tide, a toxic algae bloom, has killed more than 600 tons of marine life in Florida. CNN's Nick Valencia reports that the Florida government and environmentalists are at odds over the cause of the bloom.
- A US company has turned a former coal plant into a gas-fired Bitcoin mineEnvironmentalists have criticised the gas-fired mine but the company says it offsets its emissions.
- The Best and Worst Cities to Live Without a CarWant to help the environment? Going carless is an excellent start.