Pollution

"The United Nations warned Wednesday that CO2 levels in the atmosphere saw their biggest annual jump on record in 2024, driven by fossil fuel emissions, wildfires and weakening natural absorption by land and oceans. The findings come ahead of November’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil, with scientists warning of a “vicious cycle” of feedback effects that could push the planet past critical tipping points."

"New rule would prohibit states from banning dangerous chemicals, and could invalidate hundreds of protections"

"A new rule proposed by the Trump administration would dramatically weaken safety reviews for some of the nation’s most toxic chemicals that are already on the market, public health advocates and an EPA employee warn.

"The state enhanced battery safety rules in response to the Moss Landing fire. The industry is on board, hoping better standards will reassure the public."

"The US Senate is poised to approve Donald Trump’s nomination of an industry lobbyist to lead the US Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical safety office." 

"Brazil’s government approved on Monday exploratory drilling by state-run oil-giant Petrobras near the mouth of the Amazon River. The decision comes only weeks before the United Nations climate conference in Belem, COP30, where efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels will be discussed."

"More than 700,000 federal employees have been sidelined and thousands more are at risk of being fired as the government shutdown drags on." "Federal workers who issue permits for oil, gas and mining operations are on the job, along with those working to repeal pollution limits."

"With trade threats from President Donald Trump, the U.S. derailed the world’s first global carbon fee on shipping as an international maritime meeting adjourned Friday without adopting regulations."

"Colorado oil and gas companies used toxic chemicals prohibited under state law in operations involving dozens of wells on either side of the Rocky Mountains over at least the last 18 months, a Capital & Main investigation found."

"A new law in Ohio will fast-track energy projects in places that are hard to argue with: former coal mines and brownfields."