Tag: Environment
Biden pick for transportation, Buttigieg, advances in Senate
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel on Wednesday easily advanced President Joe Biden’s nomination of Pete Buttigieg to be transportation secretary, setting up a...
Biden aims for most ambitious US effort on climate change
WASHINGTON (AP) — In what would be the most ambitious U.S. effort ever to stave off the worst effects of climate change, President Joe...
Empty seas: Oceanic shark populations dropped 71% since 1970
WASHINGTON (AP) — When marine biologist Stuart Sandin talks about sharks, it sounds like he’s describing Jedis of the ocean. “They are terrific predators,...
Newly found Fukushima plant contamination may delay cleanup
TOKYO (AP) — A draft investigation report into the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown, adopted by Japanese nuclear regulators Wednesday, says it has detected dangerously...
Kerry aims to talk US back into a lead role in climate fight
From a wood-paneled library in his Boston mansion, new climate envoy John Kerry is talking the U.S. back into a leading role in global...
AP sources: Biden to pause oil and gas sales on public lands
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to announce a wide-ranging moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands and waters,...
Kerry aims to talk US back into a lead role in climate fight
From a wood-paneled library in his Boston mansion, new climate envoy John Kerry is talking the U.S. back into a leading role in global...
EU approves more state aid to boost car batteries industry
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has approved 2.9 billion euros in subsidies from 12 member countries for a second pan-European project to develop...
Rubbish-covered lake brings to light Balkans waste problem
PRIBOJ, Serbia (AP) — Trucks and building machines are parked on a river dam in southwest Serbia but not for construction work. Instead, huge...
UN chief: World faces ‘existential threats,’ fragilities
NEW YORK (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned global leaders Monday that the world is not only facing a COVID-19 emergency and the...
Kerry: US will make up for 4 years of lost action on climate
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The world must take decisive action to build resilience to the devastating effects of climate change, U.S. climate envoy...
China’s Xi calls for unity in fighting virus, climate change
Countries must cooperate more closely in fighting the challenges of the pandemic and climate change and in supporting a sustainable global economic recovery, Chinese...
Grizzly, 34, confirmed as Yellowstone region’s known oldest
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A 34-year-old grizzly bear captured in southwestern Wyoming has been confirmed as the oldest on record in the Yellowstone region,...
Mine OK’d in Trump’s last days may boost Biden energy plan
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — One of the keys to President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion clean energy plan could be a mineral that lies...
Biden’s pause on oil cause for big concern in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s 60-day moratorium on new oil and natural gas leases and drilling permits is prompting widespread concerns in...
Oklahoma lawmaker proposes ‘Bigfoot’ hunting season
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A mythical, ape-like creature that has captured the imagination of adventurers for decades has now become the target of a...
Lake Tahoe resort security guards rescue man from drowning
STATELINE, Nev. (AP) — A California man who almost drowned at a Lake Tahoe resort on Monday night has been discharged from the hospital,...
Biden halts oil and gas leases, permits on US land and water
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Biden administration announced Thursday a 60-day suspension of new oil and gas leasing and drilling permits for U.S. lands...
Group urges climate adaptation funding in pandemic recovery
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An organization that promotes efforts to adapt the environment to cope with the effects of climate change is calling...
Key West wants to ban people from feeding roaming chickens
KEY WEST, Fla (AP) — Feral chickens run free in Key West, just one of those things that keep the Southernmost City charmingly weird....
First-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons enters into force
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The first-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons entered into force on Friday, hailed as a historic step to rid the...
Trump gives permit to ranchers whose case led to occupation
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management in the final days of the Trump administration issued a grazing permit to Oregon...
Biden Cabinet: Buttigieg urges big funds for Transportation
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of transportation, Pete Buttigieg, was headed down a smooth path to quick confirmation, pledging to...
Bernie Sanders spawns splash of memes with inaugural attire
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Wearing mittens made out of recycled materials and a warm winter jacket, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders pulled off a casual...
World leaders cheer US return to climate fight under Biden
BERLIN (AP) — World leaders breathed an audible sigh of relief that the United States under President Joe Biden is rejoining the global effort...
Judge gives preliminary OK to $641M Flint water deal
DETROIT (AP) — A judge granted preliminary approval Thursday to a $641 million deal that would benefit thousands of Flint residents who were harmed...
US government approves routes for Wyoming CO2 pipelines
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The U.S. government has approved routes for a system of pipelines that would move carbon dioxide across Wyoming in what...
Natiruts, Marley, Aparicio sing for unity of the Americas
NEW YORK (AP) — With a trilingual song that calls for the people of the Americas to unite in a more fair and loving...
Kerry laments ‘wasted years’ in climate fight under Trump
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Thursday lamented “wasted years” under the Trump administration to slow climate change and urged faster work to curb...
China hopes for cooperation, better relations under Biden
BEIJING (AP) — China on Thursday expressed hope the Biden administration will improve prospects for people of both countries and give a boost to...
World hopes for renewed cooperation with US under Biden
MEXICO CITY (AP) — World leaders welcomed into their ranks the new U.S. President Joe Biden, noting their most pressing problems, including the COVID-19...
Biden puts U.S. back into fight to slow global warming
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden returned the United States to the worldwide fight to slow global warming in one of his first official...
On Day One, Biden targets Trump policies on climate, virus
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is moving swiftly to dismantle Donald Trump's legacy on his first day in office, signing a series of...
Biden plans temporary halt of oil activity in Arctic refuge
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration announced plans Wednesday for a temporary moratorium on oil and gas leasing in Alaska's Arctic National...
Biden to review Trump’s changes to national monuments
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday he plans to review the Trump administration's downsizing of two sprawling national monuments in...
No-go for Joe Exotic: Trump pardon list omits ‘Tiger King’
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — One name missing in President Donald Trump's flurry of pardons was “Tiger King” Joe Exotic.
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Gray whale population drops by quarter off U.S. West Coast
SEATTLE (AP) — Researchers say the population of gray whales off the West Coast of the United States has fallen by nearly one-quarter since...
Biden’s first act: Orders on pandemic, climate, immigration
In his first official acts as president, Joe Biden is signing executives orders on a broad range of issues, from the coronavirus pandemic to...
Theresa May rebukes Boris Johnson as UK welcomes Biden era
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the start of a new U.K.-U.S. chapter on Wednesday under incoming U.S. President Joe Biden,...
Biden charts new US direction, promises many Trump reversals
WASHINGTON (AP) — Stop. Stabilize. Then move — but in a vastly different direction.
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Nine lawsuits by California mark Trump’s final day in office
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra sued the Trump administration nine times on Tuesday, a fitting send-off from a state known...
Washington state nixes methanol plant meant to supply China
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Officials in Washington state denied a key permit for a large proposed methanol plant Tuesday, saying the project that aims...
Federal court strikes down major Trump climate rollback
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a last-minute slap at President Donald Trump, a federal appeals court struck down one of his administration’s most momentous climate...
Monarch butterfly population moves closer to extinction
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The number of western monarch butterflies wintering along the California coast has plummeted precipitously to a record low, putting the...
Supreme Court takes on early stage of global warming case
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed cautious about siding with oil and gas companies in a case involving global warming.
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Biden has set sky-high expectations. Can he meet them?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Back when the election was tightening and just a week away, Joe Biden went big.
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Canada urges Biden not to cancel oil pipeline on first day
TORONTO (AP) — Top officials in Canada want a chance to make the case for a long disputed oil pipeline to be built amid...
Biden says his advisers will lead with ‘science and truth’
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — In a dig at the outgoing Trump administration, President-elect Joe Biden introduced his slate of scientific advisers Saturday with the...
Freezing temps bring Europe traffic chaos, smog, avalanche
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Extreme cold has hit large parts of Europe, with freezing temperatures cracking railroad tracks in Poland, snow blanketing the Turkish...
Watchdog: Fossil fuel firms need to curb climate gas leaks
BERLIN (AP) — The International Energy Agency says oil and gas companies aren't doing enough to reduce the release of methane, a potent source...
Chiefs advance to 3rd straight AFC title game at home
The AFC title game is returning to a familiar place in Kansas City. The question all week will be whether Patrick Mahomes will be...
Biden’s long political evolution leads to his biggest test
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. has navigated a half-century in American politics by relentlessly positioning himself at the core of the...
Germany: Buried barrel may be linked to far-left group
BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say forestry workers have unearthed a barrel containing material that may be related to the far-left Red Army Faction...
Expo 2020 unveils key pavilion in Dubai as pandemic surges
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai on Saturday unveiled the signature pavilion for the upcoming Expo 2020, the world's fair that is scheduled...
Trump administration carries out 13th and final execution
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The Trump administration early Saturday carried out its 13th federal execution since July, an unprecedented run that concluded just...
PG&E will pay up to $190M to clean up San Francisco marina
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the nation's largest utility, has agreed to pay up to $190 million to clean up...
Flint water charges escalate debate over officials’ failures
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — When a former Michigan public health director was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Flint water crisis, the man who...
Apaches object to Forest Service review of huge copper mine
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service released an environmental review Friday that paves the way for the creation of one of the...
Oil giant Total withdraws from US energy lobbying group
PARIS (AP) — French oil and gas company Total said it has decided to withdraw from energy association American Petroleum Institute because it disagrees...
Germany approves resuming Russia gas pipeline work
BERLIN (AP) — German authorities gave permission Friday for work to resume on a subsea pipeline bringing natural gas from Russia that's been the...
Fake US leg band gets pigeon a reprieve in Australia
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A pigeon that Australia declared a biosecurity risk has received a reprieve after a U.S. bird organization declared its identifying...
Search now recovery mission for Oregon woman in landslide
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Searchers used inflatable yellow rafts and drove metal poles into deep mud Thursday as they searched for a woman who...
Groups ask court to restore protections for US gray wolves
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Wildlife advocates on Thursday asked a federal court to overturn a U.S. government decision that stripped Endangered Species Act protections...
For first time in 5 years, US gas mileage down, emissions up
DETROIT (AP) — A new government report says gas mileage for new vehicles dropped and pollution increased in model year 2019 for the first...
Trump administration slashes imperiled spotted owls’ habitat
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trump administration said Wednesday that it would slash millions of acres of protected habitat designated for the imperiled northern...
Hot again: 2020 sets yet another global temperature record
Earth’s rising fever hit or neared record hot temperature levels in 2020, global weather groups reported Thursday.
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Environmentalists move toward lawsuit over fuel break plan
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Environmentalists have filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S government to block plans to build up to 11,000...
Navajo Nation, New Mexico reach settlements over mine spill
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Navajo Nation’s Department of Justice announced Wednesday it has settled with mining companies to resolve claims stemming from a...
Endangered Indian rhinoceros baby is born in zoo in Poland
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — An endangered Indian rhinoceros was born last week in Poland's Wroclaw Zoo, a hopeful development in efforts to preserve the...
Climate activist Thunberg to appear on Swedish postal stamp
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg will appear on a postal stamp that will be issued Thursday in her native Sweden...
California toxics agency may take aim at zinc in tires
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California is considering asking tire manufacturers to look at ways of eliminating zinc from their products because studies have shown...
Michigan plans to charge ex-Gov. Snyder in Flint water probe
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new...
Sage grouse review done, but scant time for Trump’s changes
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration has completed a review of plans to ease protections for a struggling bird species in seven states...
5 CES Trends to Watch
CES, the annual gadget show that showcases the buzziest and brightest tech, looks different this year — less Vegas glitz, more internet efficiency. With...
Recovered Midwestern bird soars off endangered species list
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The interior least tern, a hardy Midwestern bird that survived a craze for its plumage and dam-building that destroyed...
Volkswagen triples electric car sales ahead of climate rules
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe's push into electric cars is gathering speed — despite the pandemic.
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Scientists decry death by 1,000 cuts for world’s insects
The world’s vital insect kingdom is undergoing “death by a thousand cuts,” the world’s top bug experts said.
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Gorillas test positive for coronavirus at San Diego park
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Several gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the coronavirus in what is believed to...
US triples daily numbers allowed at Southwest hike The Wave
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Outdoor enthusiasts and landscape photographers hoping to land one of the elusive permits needed to explore the colorful, contoured...
Study: Wildfires produced up to half of pollution in US West
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Wildfire smoke accounted for up to half of all health-damaging small particle air pollution in the western U.S. in recent...
Native American land activist Carrie Dann dies in Nevada
RENO, Nev. (AP) — Carrie Dann, a Native American land rights activist, Nevada rancher and longtime leader of the Western Shoshone Nation, has died.
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50 countries vow to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030
PARIS (AP) — At least 50 countries committed to protecting 30% of the planet, including land and sea, over the next decade to halt...
Germany’s Merkel: Trump’s Twitter eviction ‘problematic’
BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel considers U.S. President Donald Trump's eviction from Twitter by the company “problematic,” her spokesman said Monday.
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China’s Geely, Baidu announce electric car ventures
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese automaker Geely says it will form an electric car venture with tech giant Baidu, adding to a flurry of corporate...
South Korean diplomat in Iran over seized ship, frozen funds
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A South Korean diplomatic delegation arrived in Iran on Sunday to negotiate the release of a vessel and its crew...
UN envoy: Britain is `gung ho’ about world role after Brexit
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Britain’s new U.N. ambassador says the government is feeling “gung ho” about continuing its role as an important player on...
California governor’s budget booms despite pandemic problems
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is again swimming in money.
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Data shows 2020 was Europe’s warmest year on record
BERLIN (AP) — 2020 was the warmest year in Europe since records began, according to data published Friday by the EU climate monitoring service.
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Deal reached on project to protect lakes from invasive fish
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan, Illinois and a federal agency have agreed on funding the next phase of an initiative to keep Asian...
Stunned EU leaders yearn for Biden presidency — ASAP
BRUSSELS (AP) — For European Union nations, Joe Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration as the next U.S. president cannot come fast enough.
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One-third of America’s rivers have changed color since 1984
America’s rivers are changing color — and people are behind many of the shifts, a new study said.
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US holds first oil lease sale for Alaska’s Arctic refuge
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. government held its first-ever oil and gas lease sale Wednesday for Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an event...
Elusive Catalina Island Shrew spotted for 1st time in years
AVALON, Calif. (AP) — A tiny mouse-like animal has been spotted on Santa Catalina Island off Southern California for the first time since 2004,...
Major construction done at Hanford waste treatment plant
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A gigantic nuclear waste treatment plant in eastern Washington state that has been under construction for 18 years is largely...
Judge drops suit since Corps reconsidering plastics complex
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a challenge to a Taiwan-based conglomerate’s plans for a $9.4 billion plastics complex in Louisiana...
Judge allows oil, gas lease sales in Alaska’s Arctic refuge
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A U.S. judge on Tuesday refused to halt an oil and gas lease sale for Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge...
California governor plans $4 billion for economic recovery
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — After spending most of 2020 telling small businesses to close and limit their customers, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday...
A final EPA rollback under Trump curbs use of health studies
The Environmental Protection Agency released one of its last major rollbacks under the Trump administration on Tuesday, limiting what evidence it will consider about...
Regulators get plan for undoing the Atlantic Coast Pipeline
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The developers of the now-canceled Atlantic Coast Pipeline have laid out plans for how they want to go about unwinding...
Trump administration scales back wild bird protections
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration on Tuesday finalized changes that weaken the government's enforcement powers under a century-old law protecting most American...
