Environmental Politics

"After 20 months of chaos, many U.S. scientists are hoping the results of the 3 November midterm elections will lead to changes in some of the White House policies they find most objectionable. But policy experts say there’s no guarantee that Democrats, even if they regain control of one or both chambers of Congress, will achieve meaningful boosts in federal support for research or an end to political interference by President Donald Trump’s administration."

"Households in the contiguous United States will pay thousands of dollars more for energy through 2040 because of federal policy changes since President Donald Trump returned to office such as canceling new clean energy projects, according to modeling released Friday by a nonpartisan think tank."

"An 18-year veteran of the US Department of the Interior has resigned in protest from the sprawling federal agency, denouncing “a deeply troubling assault on the rule of the law” that took place at the department under Donald Trump."

"The powerful El Niño climate pattern brewing in the Pacific Ocean is already influencing extreme weather around the planet. Federal forecasters say it could become the biggest yet, far outpacing any in recorded history and ultimately impacting millions of people."

"A slate of projects aimed at preserving the future of the iconic Joshua tree has been scrapped after the Trump administration blocked more than $25 million in funding for national parks this year."

"Armed Border Patrol agents raided a protest camp in Lochiel, in southeast Arizona, making way for contractors to cut down the last standing cottonwood tree Monday morning for a double border wall, after protesters protected it for more than 70 days."

"John Evich, a commercial fisherman in Washington and Alaska, has voted for President Donald Trump three times, viewing him as someone who would fight for his industry. But these days, Evich  is weary of the high cost of doing business at sea, with fuel prices rising and trade hostilities with Canada jeopardizing markets for the crabs that he pulls off the ocean floor."

"Cop31 leader calling for global curbs on climate-heating gas has landfills producing some of world’s worst plumes"

"The Supreme Court on Monday grappled with whether to let a novel lawsuit go forward that is seeking to hold two large oil companies liable for the effects of climate change, a decision that will be critical to similar litigation that dozens of states, counties and cities have brought in recent years." "After more than two hours of argument, it was unclear whether the justices would green-light Boulder, Colorado’s novel lawsuit against ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy."