Annual climate change report finds “planet on the brink”
Earth’s vital signs are “flashing red,” fossil fuel use is at peak levels and warming is increasingly impacting forests, oceans and disaster frequency, according to a new report.
climate change
US oil production on federal lands reaches record high. Will it last?
By Brian Bienkowski
Crude oil production on federal lands in the US is at a record high, increasing sixfold over the past 15 years, according to a new report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
US House 2026 budget guts environmental protections
By Brian Bienkowski
Republicans are proposing deep cuts to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill, which additionally would provide new protections for pesticide makers and would limit federal help for farmers dealing with “forever chemical” contamination.
Juneteenth, the EPA and recognition of freedom, liberty and justice
By Stephanie Reese
Juneteenth and environmental protections share something fundamental — they represent hard-fought acknowledgment of systemic harms, and they both underscore the urgent need for a more just, sustainable, and equitable future.
EPA proposes repealing some mercury and greenhouse gas limits
By Brian Bienkowski
Federal regulators are proposing to repeal Obama- and Biden-era regulations that forced power plants to cut harmful pollutants, including mercury, lead and arsenic, as well as greenhouse gases, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin announced on Wednesday.
$9 trillion in heat damages traced to 5 fossil fuel giants, study finds
By Dana Drugmand
Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the world’s biggest fossil fuel producers have likely caused trillions of dollars in economic damages due to intensifying heatwaves over the last 30 years, according to new peer-reviewed research.
Past greenhouse gas emissions may raise sea levels by nearly two feet, study finds
By Dana Drugmand
Heat-trapping emissions released over more than a century and a half by the world’s largest fossil fuel and cement producers are projected to cause global sea levels to rise about one to two feet through the year 2300, even if future emissions are drastically cut, according to new peer-reviewed research.
House hearing probes Biden climate spending as Zeldin threatens clawback
By Shannon Kelleher
A Republican-led House committee on Wednesday held a hearing that scrutinized the Biden administration’s spending on energy and environmental projects, amid concerns about possible conflicts of interest and the fast pace of funds appropriated in the former president’s final months in office.
USDA’s climate webpage purge breaks laws and hurts farmers, lawsuit alleges
By Shannon Kelleher and Carey Gillam
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) broke the law when it purged government websites of climate-related information and disabled access to key datasets, making it hard for farmers to access information on climate adaptation strategies and financial assistance, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by a coalition of advocacy groups.
Postcard from California: The long-term public health toll of the LA fires
By Bill Walker
The horrific fires that incinerated more than 40,000 acres in Southern California last month were still burning when newly-inaugurated President Trump flew in to view the devastation. At a Jan. 24 press briefing with local officials, he groused that he had heard people who lost their homes would not be allowed to rebuild for up to 18 months.