HRW: European Companies Ditching Toxic Ships on Bangladesh Beaches Human Rights Watch (HRW) has claimed that European shipping firms are dumping their old ships on dangerous and polluting scrap yards on beaches in Bangladesh, allegedly using loopholes in international regulations to make profit at the expense of Bangladeshi lives and the environment.... Environment & Energy
Climate Change: Six Young Activists Sue 32 Countries Six Portuguese citizens, including three siblings, are suing the governments of 32 European nations over a lack of sufficient action to tackle climate change.... Social issues
UK: Development of Largest Untapped Oil Field Approved The UK's Northeast Transition Authority on Wednesday approved Norway-based energy company Equinor to develop the Rosebank oil and gas field, located northwest of the Shetland islands in the North Sea.... World
Antarctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low On Monday, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) announced that the sea ice in the waters that surround Antarctica reached a new record low this past winter.... Environment & Energy
Libya: Warnings of Unexploded Munitions Following Floods The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is leading the rescue efforts in Libya after devastating floods ripped through the country earlier this month, has warned that unexploded ordnances from years of conflict pose a risk to recovering the deceased.... Weather
Philippines Mulls Legal Action Against PRC Over Coral Reefs The Philippines is accusing China of destroying coral reefs located within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea and is considering legal action against Beijing.... Environment & Energy
California Sues Fossil Fuel Giants California has filed a civil lawsuit against some of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies over claims they intentionally mislead the public about their products’ impact on climate change, which the suit alleges is now causing billions of dollars in damage.... Environment & Energy
Mass. Gov. Bans State Agencies From Buying Plastic Bottles Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced that she will sign an executive order banning state agencies from buying single-use plastic bottles, making Mass. the first state in the US to enact such a measure.... Environment & Energy
Study: Antarctic Sea Ice Surpasses Lowest Level in 36 Years According to a study published by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (a research institute affiliated with the University of Colorado Boulder), on Sept. 13, 2023, Antarctica's sea ice level is over 1M sq km (386K sq mi) below the previous record low maximum set in 1986.... Environment & Energy
Greenland: Cruise Ship Stranded After Running Aground is Freed Three days after it ran aground in Alpefjord, a remote part of Northest Greenland National Park, a cruise ship carrying 206 passengers and crew was pulled free on Thursday. The ship's owner stated that it was freed 'based on a pull' from a fisheries vessel as well as the ship's 'own power.'... Environment & Energy
Nigeria Suffers Nationwide Power Outage On Thursday, Nigeria suffered a nationwide power outage due to what several electricity distribution companies described as a 'total system collapse.'... Environment & Energy
EU Launches China EV Subsidy Probe On Wednesday, the EU announced an investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles (EV) sold in Europe, alleging that 'global markets are now flooded with cheaper electric cars and their prices [are] kept artificially low by huge state subsidies.'... Environment & Energy
UN: Sand Dredging is Destroying Sea Floor According to a new report published by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on Tuesday, about 6B tons of sand is dredged from the world's oceans every year, making sand the world's second most widely used natural resource, following closely behind water.... Environment & Energy
Dutch Police Detain 2.9K Climate Activists Dutch police detained an additional 500 climate activists on Sunday, a day after arresting nearly 2.4K out of an estimated 10K protesters blocking the A12 highway into The Hague. Some of those demonstrating were minors.... Environment & Energy
Report: US Sets Record ‘Billion-Dollar’ Disasters in 2023 On Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) reported that the US has so far this year experienced 23 climate catastrophes and weather events costing $1B or more each, breaking the previous record of 22 set in 2020.... Social issues
Ethiopia: Filling of Disputed Nile Dam Completed Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday announced that the East African country completed the fourth and final phase of filling a reservoir for its hydroelectric power plant on the Nile River, known as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).... Environment & Energy
US Confirms Seizing Iranian Oil Cargo in April The US Dept. of Justice acknowledged for the first time on Friday the seizure of a tanker carrying nearly 1M barrels of Iranian crude oil in April, claiming the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — designated a terrorist organization by Washington — was behind the shipment.... Politics
US Govt: Southern Border Wall Damaged Native Lands, Ecosystem The US Government Accountability Office on Thursday released a report detailing how construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border during former Pres. Donald Trump’s term disturbed Native American burial grounds and caused other damage.... Social issues
Climate Scientist Claims He Overstated Impact of Global Warming on Wildfires Dr. Patrick T. Brown, co-director of the climate and energy team at The Breakthrough Institute, has claimed that he overstated the impacts of climate change on wildfires in an influential paper to secure publication in the scientific journal Nature.... United States
Biden Admin. Cancels Alaska Oil and Gas Leases The US government on Wednesday announced it will terminate the seven remaining oil and gas leases — issued under former president Donald Trump — in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.... United States
UN: Invasive Species a Threat to Biodiversity, Economy The UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) on Monday revealed that 37K alien species have been released by humans into the wild worldwide – with more than 3.5K of those proving to be harmful.... Social issues
Europe's Automakers Seek to Match PRC EV Prowess During Munich's IAA ("Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung") mobility show, European carmakers, including Volkswagen, Renault, Mercedes Benz, and BMW, announced plans to rival Chinese companies in making affordable electric vehicles (EVs). Europe
Flooding and Mud Disrupts Burning Man Festival On Saturday, the Pershing County Sheriff's Office in Nevada announced that an investigation had been launched into a death that occurred at the notorious Burning Man Festival. Culture
House GOP Committee to Investigate Federal Response to Maui Wildfires Chairman of the US House Oversight Committee James Comer (R-Ky.) said his committee will "examine" the federal and state response to the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, and work with other committees to ensure accountability and minimize "the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars." Politics
Study: Air Pollution is the Greatest External Threat to Global Health According to a study published by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago on Tuesday, air pollution is the world's greatest external risk to human health. United States
