Germany is having a budget crisis. With the economy struggling, it's not the best time
Germany is struggling to find a way out of a budget crisis after a court decision struck down billions in funding for clean energy projects and help for people facing high energy bills because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Powerful storm pounds the Black Sea region, leaving more than a half-million people without power
A powerful weekend storm in the Black Sea region toppled trees, tore down power lines and caused coastal flooding, and government officials and media reports said more than half a million people were without power in southern Russia and Ukraine.
Buyers worldwide go for bigger cars, erasing gains from cleaner tech. EVs would help
The energy used by cars and their CO2 emissions could have dropped by over 30% in the past decade if not for the world’s growing taste for SUVs, a new report from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative suggests.
A landslide in Alaska has devastated one family, killing three members and leaving two kids missing
Authorities have identified those missing or killed in an Alaska landslide this week as five family members and their neighbor, a commercial fisherman who made a longshot bid for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House last year.
UN chief gives interview from melting Antarctica on eve of global climate summit
On the eve of international climate talks, U_N_ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited globally-important Antarctica, where ice that’s been frozen for millions of years is melting due to human-caused climate change, sending the message that “we absolutely need to act immediately.”.
Biden declares emergency over lead in water in US Virgin Islands
President Joe Biden declared an emergency over lead-in-water contamination in the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this week after tests on St. Croix revealed levels more than 100 times the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency – among the worst results a U.S. community has seen in decades.
EPA offers $2B to clean up pollution, develop clean energy in poor and minority communities
The Biden administration is making $2 billion available to community groups, states and tribes to clean up pollution and develop clean energy in disadvantaged communities in what officials called the largest-ever investment in environmental justice.
Solar panels will cut water loss from canals in Gila River Indian Community
In a move that may soon be replicated elsewhere, the Gila River Indian Community recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to put solar panels over a stretch of irrigation canal on their land south of Phoenix.
UN report says world is racing to well past warming limit as carbon emissions rise instead of plunge
A new United Nations report calculates that the globe is speeding to 2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius (4.5 to 5.2 degrees Fahrenheit) of global warming since pre-industrial times, set to blow well past the agreed upon international climate threshold.
Federal court overturns Texas agency’s pollution permit for Gulf Coast natural gas export terminal
Judges overturned a state air pollution permit that was issued last year, arguing that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality illegally enabled Port Arthur LNG to avoid emissions control requirements.
Asian economies must ramp up wind and solar power to keep global warming under 1.5C, report says
A German thinktank has reported that to prevent global warming from surpassing the critical threshold of 1.5 Celsius, major Asian economies must ensure they can get half of their total electricity from renewables by 2030.
There's another wildfire burning in Hawaii. This one is destroying irreplaceable rainforest on Oahu
A wildfire burning in a remote Hawaii rainforest is underscoring a new reality for the normally lush island state just a few months after a devastating blaze on a neighboring island leveled an entire town and killed at least 99 people.
Iceland evacuates town and raises aviation alert as concerns rise that a volcano may erupt
Residents of a fishing town in southwestern Iceland have left their homes after increasing concern about a potential volcanic eruption caused civil defense authorities to declare a state of emergency in the region.
How researchers, farmers and brewers want to safeguard beer against climate change
In the face of human-caused climate change impacting water access and weather patterns in the Willamette Valley — a region known for hops growing — farmers are using all the new strategies they can get to stay afloat and provide for large and small breweries alike.
Biden's movable wall is criticized by environmentalists and those who want more border security
The Biden administration’s plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas calls for a “movable” design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement.
How a small East Texas school district replaced its gas-guzzling buses with an all-electric fleet
The Martinsville Independent School District used a federal grant to replace four buses, which started transporting students last month. The principal believes he will save enough money on gas to hire a new teacher.
Judge in Alaska upholds Biden administration's approval of the massive Willow oil-drilling project
A federal judge has upheld the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow oil-drilling project on Alaska’s remote North Slope, a massive project that drew the ire of environmentalists who accused the president of backpedaling on his pledge to combat climate change.
TCEQ monitoring air quality following fire at chemical plant in San Jacinto County: What we know so far
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is monitoring the air quality following a massive fire at the Sound Resource Solutions plant that prompted evacuations and a shelter-in-place in San Jacinto County Wednesday.
Iceland's Blue Lagoon spa closes temporarily as earthquakes put area on alert for volcanic eruption
The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions, has closed temporarily as a swarm of earthquakes put the island nation’s most populated region on alert for a possible volcanic eruption.
Texans approved billions for water and broadband infrastructure. Now what?
The legislation behind the historic investment directs state agencies to send money to the state’s smaller, cash-strapped towns that have difficulty paying for upgrades. Federal money is also expected to flow to regions that need broadband.