Our Neighborhood Earth - Environmental Impact

Our Neighborhood

Earth

Keeping It Green

(There's No Planet B)

Atmospheric CO2 Levels

(Monthly Averages)

August 26, 2026: 428.5 ppm
10 years ago: 396 ppm
Pre-industrial base: 280
Safe level: 350 ppm

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Page Updated:
August 11, 2026

US Emissions by Sector Chart

Where is all that CO2 coming from? This graph breaks it down by economic sector.
Greenest U.S. Cities
Safe Water in Pictures
U.S. WEA Grassroots Accelerator
Safer Habitats

Environmental Impact News - Within the Past Month (Latest Dates First)
• Evacuations Lifted In El Paso County After ‘Rapidly Growing Fire’ Contained Closures In Place On Bradley Road, Grinnell Boulevard and Goldfield Drive {The Denver Post} August 11, 2026 -Evacuation orders were lifted for homes near Colorado Springs after a ‘rapidly growing fire’ was contained on Monday, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Mandatory evacuations were issued shortly after 3 p.m. Monday for homes on Passing Sky Drive, and road closures were in effect for Bradley Road, Grinnell Boulevard and Goldfield Drive, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. The evacuations and closures were lifted less than an hour later. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but a “loud lightning strike” was reported in the area shortly before the flames were spotted, Security Fire Department officials said. • Over 160 People Killed In Colombia’s Strongest Earthquake In Years The 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Caused Serious Damage to Infrastructure and Left People Trapped In Collapsed Buildings {NBC NEWS} August 11, 2026 -At least 169 people were killed Monday in a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that shook western Colombia, collapsing hospitals, schools and other buildings and leaving people trapped under the rubble. The worst-hit cities include Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales and Armenia, all of which remain under “red alert,” the nation’s highest-level disaster threat level, according to Colombia’s nonprofit Association of Capital Cities, which provided the death toll. • Water Systems Are Ripe For Cyberattacks, Experts Warn After Suspected Iranian Hacks As Lawmakers Call For Protections After Incidents In 12 States, an EPA Rule That Republicans Fought Would “Remove Most of the Low-Hanging Fruit” August 10, 2026 -In late 2022, Microsoft detected the hack of a water system in Guam that U.S. intelligence agencies in the following months determined was orchestrated by China. The idea wasn’t new. The spy agencies had long watched as Iran targeted Israeli water systems. “That another nation state was doing it to us — that was unsettling,” recalled one former U.S. official, who, like several others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity. • Explosive Wildfire in British Columbia Leaves 1 Dead About 20,000 People Were Ordered to Evacuate Over the Weekend From the Bald Range Fire August 10, 2026 -At least one person died in an explosive wildfire in British Columbia that prompted evacuation orders for roughly 20,000 people over the weekend, the authorities said on Sunday, as more than 100 blazes burned across the Canadian province. The Bald Range fire had consumed more than 33,000 acres as of Sunday night, according to the British Columbia Wildfire Service. The fire was out of control, and dozens of firefighters and other personnel were at the scene, the agency said. • WA Wanted Clean Energy. But... Utilities Plan Fleet of Gas Plants August 9, 2026 -By 2045, state law requires all electricity sold in Washington to be carbon-free, one of the most aggressive deadlines in the country. But to meet skyrocketing electricity demand, utilities are preparing to build a fleet of power plants fueled by natural gas. This contradiction is setting the stage for a renewed battle over Washington’s clean-energy transition. • Spokane Wildfires Raise Homeowner Fears Over Insurance Coverage A Wildfire Season That Has Only Just Begun In Washington Has Already Proved Devastating August 9, 2026 -At the ash-covered site where she lost her home to a June wildfire, Andren Moyer can still see signs of an old normalcy. The folded metal of patio furniture she and her husband, Chris, put up the night before the fire. The burned-out frame of her PT Cruiser convertible. The melted remains of a bass clarinet and two saxophones — just a few of the musical family’s vast collection of instruments. • Lake Mead, the Nation’s Largest Reservoir, Is Smaller Than Ever A Continued Drop Would Imperil Water Supplies For Millions and Cut Electricity From the Dam August 9, 2026 -Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir and a vital source of water for more than 25 million people across the Southwest, has dwindled to its lowest levels ever as the region struggles through a punishing drought. The record, first broken on Thursday night and then again on the following days as the water level continued to fall, is the latest warning of the Colorado River’s dire condition. • Massive Wildfires Test the Limits of International Cooperation Countries Increasingly Need Each Other’s Assistance to Fight Fires. But... August 8, 2026 -When wildfires began raging across France and Spain last month, the European Union sent aircraft and firefighters from nine other countries. The Pacific Northwest, where fires have forced tens of thousands to evacuate, has landed help from Australia and New Zealand. Wildland firefighters have increasingly shared resources across borders, sending personnel and equipment to help in severe fire seasons. The trend is driven partly by climate change worsening wildfires, experts say. But now, wildfire seasons are becoming so bad they are stressing governments’ ability to share resources when they’re needed most. • Growing Colorado Wildfire Puts Entire Mountain Town On Pre-Evacuation Notice The Elk Fire Has Charred Nearly 6,000 Acres and is Forcing Mandatory Evacuations Around Lake City {The Denver Post} August 8, 2026 -A lightning-sparked wildfire burning in southwestern Colorado grew significantly Thursday, forcing nearby residents to evacuate and placing an entire mountain town under pre-evacuation. The Elk fire grew by 2,236 acres, or 3.5 square miles, between Thursday and Friday evening. It is burning across 5,763 acres, or 9 square miles, a little more than a mile northwest of Lake City, which is home to about 400 people in the San Juan Mountains. • Scientists Find Two New Ways To Break Down “Forever Chemicals” in Water An HZDR Research Team has Developed Methods For Breaking Down “Forever Chemicals.” {SciTechDaily} August 8, 2026 -The carbon-fluorine bonds inside PFAS are among the strongest in chemistry, allowing these industrial pollutants to persist in water for years. Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) are testing two ways to break those bonds: hydrodynamic cavitation and cold atmospheric plasma combined with gas dispersion. Analyses by experts at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) confirmed that both processes degraded per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and released fluoride. If developed into practical industrial systems, the methods could help limit the amount of these highly persistent chemicals entering rivers, lakes and oceans. • Malden, a WA Town Scarred By Wildfire, Under ‘Go Now!’ Evacuation Order Go Now, Not Later August 8, 2026 -A wildfire in Whitman County started Saturday afternoon, prompting a Level 3 (“Go Now!”) evacuation order for residents in Malden — a valley town that burned in the 2020 Babb Road fire that destroyed 80% of its homes. The new fire, named the Wells Road fire, sparked around 4 p.m. north of the town in Eastern Washington and was blazing about 200 acres, according to the Whitman County sheriff’s office, adding that conditions “may change rapidly.” • A New Vaccine Could Vanquish a Major Cause of Deadly Diarrheal Disease In the World of Public Health, However, the Disease Often Does Not Get the Attention It Deserves {NPR} August 8, 2026 -Diarrhea has been a headline story in the United States this summer, with thousands of cases of explosive diarrhea traced to Cyclospora from tainted lettuce –- and the first two deaths from the outbreak now confirmed in Michigan. In other parts of the world, diarrhea is a constant — and deadly — threat. Over 1 million people die from diarrheal illness such as dysentery every year. Nearly half of them are children under age 5. Chad has the highest rate of childhood deaths: roughly 1 in 140 children under 5 die each year. • New Amazon Data Center Stokes Worry It Would Be the Most Polluting Power Plant in the U.S. The Tech Giant is Investing In the Natural-Gas-Burning Power Plant as Part of a Huge Data Center in Texas... August 8, 2026 -Amazon is investing in a large-scale natural-gas-burning power plant as part of a huge data center in Texas, the company confirmed on Friday, a facility that could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States. Amazon and other tech giants are racing to build enough data centers to keep up with surging demand for artificial intelligence services, and to secure the electricity to power them. A company spokeswoman said in a statement that its planned data center, in Pecos County, would be “powered by new on-site generation that won’t raise electricity costs for Texas families.” • Typhoon Dolphin Hits Japan's Okinawa China Shuts Ports Ahead of Landfall August 8, 2026 -Typhoon Dolphin lashed Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings, while China shut ports and halted ferries ahead of the storm's expected arrival on its east coast. Five elderly people, three of whom fell due to strong winds, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in Okinawa while another person was injured in Kagoshima prefecture, authorities said. • Global Food Prices at Three-Year High as Heatwaves and Wars Push Up Crop Costs UN Index Says Weather Affects Wheat Yields While Conflicts in Ukraine and Iran Hit Exports and Drive Up Prices August 7, 2026 -Global food prices have hit their highest level in three and a half years, as summer heatwaves and conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East push up crop costs. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) index of food commodity prices rose last month to its highest level since January 2023, after a jump in prices for cereals, sugar and vegetable oil. • WA Companies Respond to Spokane Wildfires With Money, Supplies, Tech Help A New Fund Called the Phoenix Species Project Will Provide $200 Million to Help Pull Imperiled Wildlife Back From the Brink of Extinction August 7, 2026 -As wildfires raged in the Spokane area this week, several Washington corporations stepped in to provide money, supplies and technological support. Amazon, which doesn’t have a corporate presence in Spokane but has several warehouses in Spokane County, activated its disaster relief network this week in response to the wildfires. • Fires Wrecked Their Village in France. Now They Want Answers After Fleeing France’s Worst Wildfire In Decades, Residents of Le Porge Returned home 13 days later, Finding a Town In Ruins August 6, 2026 -As Mario Freitas, a carpenter, walked through what was left of the wooden house that he built himself a decade ago, his brother-in-law pulled scraps of carbon fiber from a pile of charred rubble. “That’s my carbon bike; it was a present,” said Mr. Freitas, 61. The remains of his bicycle were among the few recognizable pieces of debris that were left in his property on Monday after an inferno swept through his village last month, reducing even concrete to dust. Of Mr. Freitas’s home and workshop, all that otherwise remained were a pile of roof tiles and scraps of metal, including several bed frames. • Southeast Asia’s Fragile Grids Threaten Billions In Clean Energy Investment Renewables Developers Need Reliable Electricity Infrastructure and Stable Policies to Help the Region Meet Climate Goals and Surging Power Demand {CLIMATE HOME NEWS} August 6, 2026 -When heavy storms triggered a fault on a major power line in Indonesia’s Sumatra in late May, blackouts plunged homes and businesses across the island into darkness, leaving millions to cope without power in the humid heat for up to a day. Failed traffic lights caused chaos on the streets of Medan, one of the country’s biggest cities, and restaurants and shops had to shutter or throw out food after fridges stopped working. Four people were reported to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning from generators. • Mexican Jalapenos Tied to Salmonella Outbreak in 27 U.S. States Salmonella Infections Can Cause Diarrhea, Fever, and Stomach Cramps and More... {CNBC} August 6, 2026 -U.S. health officials are investigating a Salmonella outbreak linked to Mexican jalapeno peppers that has sickened 345 people in 27 states, prompting supplier Coast Citrus Distributors to recall peppers sent to restaurants including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said 36 hospitalizations and no deaths have been reported, while the investigation remains ongoing. • When Taps Run Dry In the Caribbean, It’s Not Enough to Blame El Niño Climate Change Means El Niño is Heating Already Hotter Land and Sea, Causing Devastation Across the Region and the World {CLIMATE HOME NEWS} August 6, 2026 -El Niño, likely to be one of the strongest in modern history, has arrived on Caribbean shores. Drought is slowly creeping up on our islands. But unlike the fiery wildfires ravaging parts of Europe, there’s no smoke signalling the damage being done, no sirens to warn of the danger. Only announcements from public health officials to stay indoors and remain hydrated — as if outdoor workers and farming communities have the luxury to heed such advice. • Trump’s Vision for A.I. Dominance Comes With Major Air Pollution Trump’s Push For Data Centers Drives a Boom In Gas-Burning Power Plants August 6, 2026 -In March, a developer working on a Meta data center in El Paso applied to power the site with a gas-burning plant large enough to supply electricity to 300,000 homes. Typically, approving a big power plant might require public hearings and months of detailed vetting. But Texas environmental regulators signed off in just 20 days. • How Much of N.Y.C. Is Covered by Trees? Not Enough A Goal To Improve and Expand the City’s Tree Canopy Lacks a Solid Plan and the Money to Enact One August 6, 2026 -Concrete jungle or urban forest? New York City is trying to transform the former into the latter, but it won’t be easy. The city’s tree canopy — defined as the layer of leaves, branches and stems from trees that cover and shade the ground at the height of summer — comprises around seven million trees spread out over 42,656 acres. As of 2021, citywide canopy coverage was around 23 percent, according to the nonprofit Nature Conservancy, as cited in a recent report from the comptroller’s office. An earlier goal to expand that coverage to 30 percent by 2030 was deemed too ambitious. The city’s new 2026 plan pushed the date to 2040, but set no guarantees on how it would be accomplished. • A.I. Gas Guzzlers Today We’re Looking at a Major Side Effect of Trump’s A.I. Blitz August 6, 2026 -You don’t have to be a technophobe to hate data centers these days. And you don’t have to have much skin in the game, either. Even if there’s no blocky, gas-guzzling, million-square-foot behemoth coming soon to a neighborhood near you you probably still loathe these bad boys. More than half of Americans say they’d support a national ban. Savvy politicians are converting the pitchforks into votes. In Michigan, where OpenAI is building a very big, very unpopular data center, a progressive organizer campaigning on a moratorium walloped two better-funded candidates in a House Democratic primary on Tuesday. • Nuclear Nightmares Are Back A Grim Anniversary Points to Fading Memories and a Fraying World Order {The Economist} August 6, 2026 -The survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have had to live through several stages of trauma. First came the horrors of August 6th and August 9th 1945: the blinding flash, the ferocious force, the flesh-melting heat; plus the black rain, the flattened buildings, the charred corpses. “It was a real hell,” recalls Tanaka Shigemitsu, who was just four years old in Nagasaki when the bomb dropped there. Then came decades of quiet suffering, as radiation ate away at victims’ bodies and stigma at their souls. Finally there have been the frustrations of recent years, as the hope of a world without nuclear weapons has receded into the distance. • All Bodies of Water in England Polluted With Toxic Chemicals Environment Agency Assessments Find Just 14.3% of Country’s Surface Waters In Good Ecological Status August 6, 2026 -Every single English water body is polluted with toxic chemicals, new government data shows, while just 14.3% of surface waters achieved good ecological status. Each of the country’s rivers, lakes and estuaries was assessed by the Environment Agency as part of a six-yearly evaluation of England’s water quality. The EA checked for a range of toxic chemicals, from Pfas – or “forever chemicals” – to microplastics. Waters were also checked against a range of standards covering wildlife, water quality and physical habitat. • These Neighborhoods Seemed Safe From Wildfire Then They burned August 5, 2026 -Michelle Angstrom expected she would cry when she returned to see what was left of her home, but she didn’t. She stood there in her husband’s arms looking at the smoldering ruins of the house she bought 20 years ago as a single mother of two. The house was a reflection of the life she built. She had to start over again after her first marriage ended; building a career, raising her children. She had returned to the neighborhood where she grew up to give them what she experienced: a safe place off the beaten path where she could roam freely by bike. • Michigan Winemakers Have a New Climate Worry More Wildfire Smoke August 5, 2026 -When wildfire smoke blanketed northern Michigan skies last month, Kasey Wierzba thought the vineyard at Shady Lane Cellars in Suttons Bay looked like a different planet. “That kind of pinky, peachy haze really was filtering through the whole vineyard. The visibility was really minimal,” said Wierzba, the general manager and executive winemaker at Shady Lane Cellars, a winery and vineyard that sits on the “little finger” of the state on Leelanau Peninsula, a region famous for its winemaking. • New Fire Sparks West of Spokane, Prompting Brief Evacuation Order From Climate Lab August 5, 2026 -A fourth wildfire sparked Wednesday afternoon in the Spokane area, prompting a brief evacuation notice as crews scrambled to contain the flames west of town. Crews quickly stopped the spread. Tens of thousands in the area still remain out of their homes as a trio of wildfires grew prodigiously — fueled by unprecedentedly dry conditions, high temperatures and wind speeds — and tore into the city. Hundreds of homes and other buildings have already been burned, but so far no deaths or injuries have been reported. • Colorado Tied For Most Salmonella Cases In Nationwide Outbreak Colorado and Minnesota Each Report 110 Cases {KKCO11NEWS} August 5, 2026 -Another foodborne illness is striking Coloradans via a vegetable — this time, it’s jalapeños. 345 people across 27 states have been sickened with salmonella infections, but the vast majority of the cases are occurring in Colorado and Minnesota. The two states are seeing 110 cases each, according to the CDC. 27 people nationwide have been hospitalized. The FDA has not yet determined whether the peppers were distributed to grocery stores. • Trump’s Vision for A.I. Dominance Comes With Major Air Pollution The President’s Push For Data Centers is Driving a Boom In Gas-Burning Power Plants August 5, 2026 -In March, a developer working on a Meta data center in El Paso applied to power the site with a gas-burning plant large enough to supply electricity to 300,000 homes. Typically, approving a big power plant might require public hearings and months of detailed vetting. But Texas environmental regulators signed off in just 20 days. • All of Colorado's 64 Counties Are Under an Air Quality Alert For Wildfire Smoke Elevated Ozone Levels and Fine Particulates Expected {9NEWS} August 5, 2026 -All of Colorado's 64 counties are under an Air Quality Alert through at least 4 p.m. Wednesday for wildfire smoke. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said warming temperatures and abundant sunshine, along with the presence of wildfire smoke, will result in elevated levels of both ozone and fine particulates throughout Colorado. • An Invasive Mosquito Is Spreading With Alarming Speed Threatening Africa’s Cities August 5, 2026 -An invasive, malaria-carrying, insecticide-resistant mosquito that thrives in cities, where malaria has not been a major threat, has moved farther and faster across Africa than even pessimistic scientists had feared. And many public health experts believe it is too late to eliminate, or even contain, it. A new genomic analysis of the mosquito, called Anopheles stephensi, using specimens collected from 10 countries, showed that those found in Africa had genetic resistance to all of the chemicals currently used in spraying campaigns and other mosquito-control efforts, meaning those insecticides will not kill it. • Mexico Declares War on Stinky Seaweed A Changing Climate is Helping to Fuel the Growth of a Gigantic Blob of Foul-Smelling Seaweed August 4, 2026 -Mexico’s beaches are contending with a record-breaking influx of noxious seaweed as up to 9,000 tons per day wash onto their pristine shores along its Caribbean coast, home to tourist destinations like Cancún. Sargassum, a type of floating macroalgae that emits a rotten-egg smell as it decomposes, can threaten the health of cleanup workers and send tourists back indoors. • What the Cyber Threats to US Water Systems Mean For Power Pros Sounding the Alarm {energy central} August 4, 2026 -What happened: Over 12 states have reported potential cyberattacks on water and wastewater utilities, ABC News reported. So far, Michigan, South Dakota, and Minnesota have publicly confirmed incidents (and Wisconsin has raised alarms). But no communities have seen major disruptions. More details: Hackers are remotely tampering with programmable logic controllers (PLCs), the FBI noted…the same tech that 50-80% of US grid control endpoints depend on. In April, federal officials warned of this specific threat to US water and energy systems. • At Least 12 States Face Cyberattacks On Their Water Systems So Far, There's Been No Widespread Disruptions to Water Supplies Or Treatment {abc NEWS} August 4, 2026 -Possible cyber intrusions targeting water and wastewater utilities have now been reported in at least a dozen states, multiple sources told ABC News. Iran is the prime suspect in the cyberattacks, which can blind utility operators by changing passwords or disabling alarms, according to the sources, though its involvement has not been officially confirmed. There have been no widespread disruptions to water supplies or wastewater treatment so far, sources said. • Mexico’s President Unveils Plan to Fight Seaweed That Is Choking Beaches Sargassum — has Plagued Mexico and the Broader Region For More Than a Decade August 4, 2026 -President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico unveiled a $115 million plan on Thursday to combat one of the most pernicious threats to the nation’s crucial tourism industry: a record-breaking scourge of seaweed that is spoiling vacations up and down Mexico’s prized Caribbean coast. The plan centers on two 200-foot ships that can haul in more than three tons of seaweed a minute and that will trawl the open seas off Mexico’s east coast, Ms. Sheinbaum said during her daily news conference. Mexico’s Navy will also install more than 30 miles of containment barriers to trap the seaweed as it nears the shore. And hundreds of workers from the military, as well as hotels and local governments, will use heavy machinery and pitchforks to heave off the mess that makes it through. • Utility’s Idle Transmission Tower Caused 2025 Eaton Fire That Killed 19 This, According to Los Angeles Officials August 4, 2026 -Sparks from an idle transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison caused the 2025 Eaton fire in the Los Angeles area that killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and businesses, Los Angeles County fire officials said in a report released Tuesday. It took firefighters nearly a month to extinguish the blaze, which scorched 22 square miles (57 square kilometers). The Eaton fire burned at the same time as the wind-whipped Palisades fire. An AP analysis at the time showed both blazes torched more urban area than any California fire in decades. • UK Plastic ‘Waste Colonialism’ Found to Be Polluting Turkey’s Farming Heartland A Guardian Investigation Finds Irrigation Canals Polluted With Microplastics in Turkey, a Major Destination for UK Waste August 4, 2026 -High levels of microplastics and other plastic contamination have been discovered in a waterway close to a major recycling hub in Turkey supplied with plastic waste by British companies. The polluted waterway, which floods into agricultural fields after heavy rain, feeds into a larger canal used for irrigating crops on the Çukurova plain, in the city of Adana, in the south of the country. It is one of the largest and most fertile agricultural basins in Turkey. • What Another Texas Flood Revealed About the State’s Warning System Texas Revamped Its Early Warning System After a Hill Country Flood Killed 139 People Last Year August 4, 2026 -When torrential rain doused the Texas Hill Country last month, Paul Welch stayed up past his bedtime checking radar and rain gauges on RiverHub, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority’s new tracking website. At midnight, comforted by what he saw, he went to bed. Four hours later, his phone rang. It was a neighbor, the same fellow who had awakened him the previous July, just before floodwaters swamped Welch’s riverfront cabin near Comfort. “Get up. Get out. Quick,” he said, speaking calmly into the phone. The water at Center Point, 4 miles upstream, had risen 25 feet as Welch slept. A wall of water was heading his way. • First US Deaths Related To Diarrhea- Causing Parasite Reported In Michigan The Department of Health and Human Services Stated That They Aren’t Able To Provide Any Additional Information at the Time {DAILY CALLER} August 4, 2026 -According to Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services, two residents in the state who came down with cyclosporiasis, the parasitic illness that causes diarrhea, have passed away. In a statement issued to FOX Weather, the agency said that the deceased had serious underlying health conditions that could have gotten worse as a result of the parasite, which potentially led to dehydration. The identities of the individuals haven’t been publicly released. • European Rivers Dwindle Amid Severe Drought Water Shortages Threaten a Romanian Nuclear Plant, Commercial Traffic in Holland and Drinking Water In the Foothills of the Italian Alps August 4, 2026 -The Romanian Navy is blasting out the Danube River bed to maintain the flow of cooling water to a nuclear power plant as a continent-wide drought dries up rivers across Europe. The first high-powered detonations happened on Monday, according to social media posts by the Romanian Ministry of National Defense, in an effort to divert the course of Europe’s second largest river toward the Cernavod? Nuclear Power Plant. • Guatemala Evacuates Villages After Fuego Volcano Erupts Residents of Two Villages have Evacuated Their Homes Near Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano Following an Eruption August 4, 2026 -The eruption began Monday morning and continued throughout the day, leading to the evacuation orders for the villages on the southern side of the mountain., according to Claudinne Ogaldes, executive secretary of the Guatemalan disaster managing agency, CONRED. During a previous eruption of the Fuego volcano in June 2018, hundreds of people were killed and a whole village was destroyed. That episode affected as many as 1.7 million people, according to authorities. • Air Quality in Seattle to Worsen as Wildfire Smoke Lingers Over WA Wildfire Smoke Can Cause and Worsen Health Problems... August 4, 2026 -The morning sunlight is shining through with a burnt orange tint Tuesday after a change in airflow drew a blanket of wildfire smoke over Seattle overnight. Air quality alerts have been issued through Wednesday in King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston counties, as air quality is expected to deteriorate while northwesterly flows turned northeast Monday afternoon, pulling in smoke from the Spokane Complex wildfires and numerous others around Eastern and Central Washington. • Rhode Island Increases Risk Level of West Nile Virus to High This, Amid More Positive Tests From Mosquitoes {DAILY CALLER} August 3, 2026 -Officials in Rhode Island have increased the risk level of West Nile virus to high following the state detecting the disease in the 2026 mosquito season. Collected in Providence, North Providence and East Providence by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the virus was discovered July 20 in mosquito samples. • Could the Cheese Byproduct Heat Our Homes and Fuel Our Cars? Whey to Go! August 3, 2026 -Name: Whey. Age: As old as milk. Appearance: Translucent, yellow-tinged. What is it? Whey is what remains after you’ve made cheese: the milk curdles, the curds are strained and the whey is left over. Yeah, but what’s in it? About 75% to 93% of it is water. The rest is lactose, protein and fat. Salty whey, produced when cheese curds are salted early in the process, also contains a lot of salt – as much as 10%. What is it used for? Whey can be used to produce more cheese and cheese-style foods – ricotta, manouri and the caramel-like Norwegian spread brunost are made from whey – and the protein can be extracted for nutritional supplements. But salty whey is generally considered a waste product. • Ships Can’t Move and Power Plants Shut Down as Drought Saps Europe’s Rivers A Prolonged Dry Spell Is Posing a Challenge to the Region’s Already Stressed Economy {THE WALL STREET JOURNAL} August 3, 2026 -A drought is wreaking havoc along Europe’s rivers. In Romania, authorities set off an explosion beside a river in a bid to divert much-needed water to a power plant. In Bulgaria, almost 200 vacationers had to be evacuated from a stranded cruise ship. In Germany’s industrial heartlands, companies are curbing production and struggling to ship goods. The incidents are all signs of how perilously low water levels in some of Europe’s most significant waterways are posing a major challenge to the region’s already stressed economy. • The Paper in Your Paper Towel Is a Candidate for a Radical Overhaul Kimberly-Clark Says It's Developing a Fiber With the Promise to Revolutionize Paper-Based Products {THE WALL STREET JOURNAL} August 3, 2026 -For two decades, Kimberly-Clark KMB -3.30% decrease; down pointing triangle has scoured the Earth for a material that could replace wood fiber. The maker of Scott paper towels, Cottonelle toilet paper and Huggies diapers now says it has made a breakthrough. Paper-based products of the future, the company says, could be made with hesperaloe, a plant with long, pointy leaves that grows in arid climates. • 2 Killed as Firefighting Helicopters Collide in Greece The Aircraft Crashed While Battling a Wildfire Northwest of Athens, as Greece Fought More Than 200 Fires In the Past Week August 3, 2026 -Two men aboard a firefighting helicopter were killed when two aircraft collided during an operation northwest of Athens, the authorities said, in the latest deadly setback as Greece struggles to contain hundreds of fires. The helicopters were fighting a blaze on Sunday in the Attica and Boeotia regions and carrying two Greek nationals and two foreign nationals, the Hellenic Fire Service said. The men aboard the second helicopter survived, it added. • These Heroic Pups Have the Cutest Job Ever — And They’re Saving an Entire Ecosystem Three Adorable Black Labs Work as Conservation K9s Protecting Alberta’s Waterways From Invasive Mussels {HAPPY HEALTHY NEWS} August 3, 2026 -Invasive species of Asian mussels have met their match in Alberta’s most adorable defenders. These four-legged heroes aren’t your average pets — they’re highly trained conservation canines with an important mission that will warm your heart. The provincial government has employed these special K9 conservationists for over a decade to help prevent zebra and golden mussels from colonizing the rivers and lakes of Alberta. Meet Hilo, Jane, and Winnie: two enthusiastic black labs and one black-lab cross who take their jobs very seriously (but still have time for belly rubs). • America’s Lettuce Crisis Has Shoppers Ditching Supermarkets for Farmers Markets Outbreaks of cyclosporiasis push more Shoppers to Their Local Farmers Markets {THE WALL STREET JOURNAL} Aug. 2, 2026 -Joshua Hargrove had sworn off leafy greens, berries and just about anything else that grew in the ground. The 24-year-old Howard University law student has spent weeks steering clear of produce, unnerved by cyclospora outbreaks that have made thousands of people sick this summer. Then, on his way home from a run, he stumbled on a loophole: a neighborhood farmers market. • How a ‘Perfect Storm’ Spread Fire, Heat and Smoke Across the Northern Hemisphere About 20 Percent of the Land Area — Covering Around 7.5 Million Square Miles — Experienced Moderate Or Greater Concentrations of the Soot... August 2, 2026 -Major wildfires and their massive, suffocating plumes of smoke blanketed vast swaths of North America and Europe, in some cases combining with intense heat waves that exacerbated flammable conditions and contributed to human misery. According to a wildfire smoke analysis by The Washington Post, about 20 percent of Northern Hemisphere land area — covering around 7.5 million square miles — experienced moderate or greater concentrations of black carbon, the soot particles released by wildfires, at some point during July. • Spokane Wildfires Force 60K to Evacuate, Burn Roughly 700 Structures The Current Wildfire Story August 2, 2026 -Hundreds of homes and other structures have been destroyed in devastating wildfires in Spokane that flared up Saturday afternoon. A series of three wildfires, described together as the Spokane Complex wildfire, exploded into massive conflagrations over the weekend, forcing more than 60,000 people out of their homes. Officials on Sunday were beginning to get a clearer picture of the damage wrought by the fire: Fire officials said roughly 700 structures had been lost. There were no known deaths or reported injuries. • Innovative Mining Project Will Capture Massive Amounts of Carbon While Producing Critical Materials {HAPPY HEALTHY NEWS} August 3, 2026 -Groundbreaking nickel mine approved in Ontario combines resource production with environmental benefits. Project will capture and store 1.5 million tons of carbon annually during operation. First approval under Canada’s streamlined permitting process for high-quality projects. A revolutionary mining project in Ontario has received the green light to move forward, marking a significant milestone in combining natural resource extraction with environmental stewardship. On July 31st, Canada Nickel Company announced it had received final permitting approval from the Ontario government for its innovative nickel mining and carbon capture operation. • Rhode Island Increases Risk Level of West Nile Virus To High Amid More Positive Tests From Mosquitoes {DAILY CALLER} August 3, 2026 -Officials in Rhode Island have increased the risk level of West Nile virus to high following the state detecting the disease in the 2026 mosquito season. Collected in Providence, North Providence and East Providence by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the virus was discovered July 20 in mosquito samples. • Two Cyclospora-Related Deaths Reported in Michigan The People Who Died Had “Significant Underlying Health Conditions" August 3, 2026 -Two people have died in connection with the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan, state health authorities announced Monday. The people who died had “significant underlying health conditions” that may have been affected by the intestinal illness and dehydration, the state health department said, adding that no more information would be provided on the cases. • EPA Warns Utilities After Cyberattacks On Water Systems in Nine States, Not Including Mass The EPA Issues a Warning to Utilities Across the U,.S. After Cyberattacks Targeted Water Systems in Nine States {WCVB5} August 2, 2026 - The attacks have not affected water safety, but some areas have issued boil water orders as a precaution. Cybersecurity analysts have raised concerns about the potential impact of such hacks. "If these Iranian or whoever, these hackers are able to mess with the chemicals, they could turn off the water supply. They could change the chemical feed. So an alert would go off saying, this is not drinkable water," analysts said. • How Wildfire Smoke is Reshaping Childhood Smoky Summers Are Becoming the New Normal Across the American West, Forcing a Generation of Children to Grow Up Indoors August 1, 2026 -For generations, summer in Montana has meant long days outdoors. Children spent afternoons riding bicycles through quiet neighborhoods, swimming in lakes and rivers, hiking forest trails, and playing baseball past sunset. Families planned camping trips months in advance, double-checking that they had all the fishing, paddling, and tenting gear they needed to sleep in cool mountain air under clear skies. Today, many parents instead check the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index before deciding whether their children can play outside at all. • New Fire Sparks In Southwest Colorado Crews Make 'Remarkable Progress' {DENVER7} Aug. 1, 2026 -Two homes have been evacuated and other residents have been told to prepare to evacuate amid a new fire in southwest Colorado. The fire, dubbed the Cross Canyon Fire, is burning near the Colorado-Utah state line in Dolores County. Two homes have been evacuated and other residents have been told to prepare to evacuate amid a new fire in southwest Colorado. Emergency officials said Bureau of Land Management and several large airtankers were fighting the fire near Squaw Canyon. Officials announced the fire just before 5 p.m. • Race to Rescue Remaining Climbers After Deadly Avalanche in Pakistan Rescue Teams Carry Out a Second Day of Search For Climbers Caught in an Avalanche On the World's 12Th-Highest Summit {YAH00!NEWS} August 1, 2026 -Among the seven still missing from the 10-person expedition on Broad Peak, on the border with China, is renowned Nepal-born climber Nirmal Purja. The operation has expanded with local Pakistani climbers volunteering, together with others from Nepal who have halted their expeditions on nearby K2. • Heavy Rain Sparks Dangerous Flooding in Colorado Wildfire Burn Scars Emergency Evacuations Were Ordered in Ouray County as Mudslides Closed Red Mountain Pass and Floodwaters Inundated Parts of Pueblo County {THE COLORADO SUN} July 31, 2026 -Intense rainfall triggered flooding and debris flows on recent wildfire burn scars Wednesday evening, prompting emergency evacuation orders in southern Colorado counties. Red Mountain Pass between Silverton and Ouray remained closed in both directions Thursday as state transportation crews responded to at least eight mudslide areas, the Colorado Department of Transportation said in a post on social media. Photos shared by the agency show water rushing over the highway in areas and crews using heavy machinery to clear massive piles of mud and rock that rendered the road impassable. • Hackers Targeted Municipal Water Systems in 7 States This Week The Federal Warning Comes After More Than 30 Water Facilities in Minnesota Were Breached {NBC NEWS} July 31, 2026 -Cyberattacks targeting municipal water systems have been reported in at least seven states this week, prompting the FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency to warn utilities nationwide that hackers are trying to disrupt critical water infrastructure. In a public service announcement Thursday, the agencies said water and wastewater utilities have reported incidents to the FBI, with some malicious activity degrading water operations. The announcement does not name the states. • At Least 34 Dead From Coal Mine Blast in Pakistan Rescuers Were Searching For Missing Bodies From the Accident In One of the Country’s Mining Hubs, Where Methane Gas Explosions and Mine Collapses Are Frequent July 31, 2026 -Pakistani rescue teams were searching on Friday for missing workers trapped underground after an explosion at a coal mine in southwestern Pakistan that killed at least 34 people, according to government rescue officials. The blast occurred on Thursday in a mountainous area on the outskirts of Balochistan’s provincial capital, Quetta, where such accidents are frequent. • U.S. Raises Threat of Steep Water Cuts in Lower Colorado River Basin A Federal Plan Would Impose Drastic Water Cuts on Arizona, California and Nevada... July 31, 2026 -Communities and farms across Arizona, Nevada and California face potentially drastic cuts in the water they can use from the Colorado River over the next decade under a plan the Trump administration published on Friday. The proposal is meant to try to break a logjam among the seven states that rely on the Colorado and comes as rising temperatures and decades of drought and water overuse have overwhelmed a river system that feeds major cities and important farmland. • Death Toll From Southwestern Japan Quake Climbs to 34 Rescuers Search For Survivors After Earthquake in Japan {NPR} July 31, 2026 -The death toll climbed to 34 from a powerful earthquake in southwestern Japan that set off an explosion at a mall, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes, the Kumamoto prefectural government said Friday. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Japan's southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. As search operations entered a 4th day, it wasn't known how many people remained missing and the scale of the damage to homes across the region was still unclear. • Residents Of Small Colorado Town Claim Elected Officials Abandoned Them Over Tainted Water Supply ‘Impossible To Ignore’ {DAILY CALLER} July 31, 2026 -Residents of a small Colorado town have accused the state government of abandoning them after local elected officials resigned amid concerns over a tainted water supply. The Office of the Colorado Secretary of State declared the town of Hartman, Colorado, abandoned, according to a July 13 order issued by the Deputy Secretary of State Andrew Kline. The declaration followed a public hearing indicating that the town had “no Board of Trustees or Town Clerk, was unable to hold a town election, and owned infrastructure critical for the treatment or delivery of water to residents,” the outlet reported, citing a statement from the secretary of state’s office. The town has a population of 30 people, according to Census Reporter. In 2020, the town had roughly 60 people. • Meat Allergy's On the Rise — What Scientists Want to Know The Allergy is Caused By Ticks, But Researchers Have Much to Learn About It {nature} July 31, 2026 -Thomas Platts-Mills develops a rash if he eats red meat. The immunologist is one of thousands of people who are diagnosed each year with tick-induced allergy — a life-threatening allergy that is on the rise. People can develop the allergy after being bitten at least twice by ticks that carry a sugar molecule called galactose -1,3 galactose) in their saliva. Ticks are often carried on deer and can be transmitted to a human host when people walk through grasses or past shrubs that contain the parasites. • 6 Simple Swaps That Cut Exposure to Microplastics in Food Small Changes — Such as Cutting Down On Plastic Food Containers and Canned Foods — Can Help. July 30, 2026, by Christine Kao -To eat healthy, I follow some simple rules. I eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, beans and fiber-rich plants. I eat lean proteins like fish, tofu and poultry, along with fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut. And I try to avoid sugary drinks, candy, potato chips and other ultra-processed foods. But after two decades of reporting on nutrition, I realized I’d overlooked one part of healthy eating: the plastic products that come into contact with my food. A growing number of studies suggest that even nutritious foods can be contaminated with microplastics, plasticizers and other potentially toxic synthetic chemicals. • Bipartisan Anger Grows at Pentagon’s Delayed ‘Forever Chemicals’ Cleanups Hundreds of Bases Are Contaminated With PFAS, Which Are Linked to Low Birth Weight and Other Risks July 30, 2026 -In December, Representative Jack Bergman of Michigan, a staunch ally of President Trump and MAGA defender, took to the House floor to praise America’s military might, lauding its “will to face down potential aggressors.” Then his speech took an unexpected turn, to pollution. “We have much more to do,” he said. High on his list: cleaning up PFAS, the harmful “forever chemicals” that pollute hundreds of military sites nationwide. The Pentagon must prioritize “delivering environmental stewardship to communities impacted by PFAS,” Mr. Bergman said. • Colorado is Seeing a ‘Significant Increase’ in Salmonella Cases Here’s What You Should Know {DENVER7} July 30, 2026 -Colorado health officials are seeing a “significant increase” in salmonella cases this month, though where these cases are coming from or what food may be causing them remains a mystery. Over the past five years, Colorado has averaged about 125 cases of the foodborne illness during the month of July. But as of Tuesday, more than 250 salmonella cases have been reported to the state since the beginning of the month, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. • Humanity Has Already Used Up Nature’s Entire Annual Budget of Ecological Resources and Services July 30 is Earth Overshoot Day, Marking the Date When Humanity Has Exhausted Nature’s Budget for the Year {EARTH.ORG} July 30, 2026 -Today marks the day when humanity’s resource consumption exceeds the Earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources for the year, a reminder of how unsustainable modern consumption patterns are and how these are adding immense pressure to our planet’s ecosystems. Since the 1970s, human resource use has outstripped Earth’s capacity, building up a massive “ecological debt.” Wiping that debt clean would require 20.6 years of complete planetary rest and recovery – though much of the damage is likely irreversible. • As Wildfires Plague Europe, Scotland Races to Save a Cherished National Park Even Moorlands and Forests in the Cairngorms, in the Scottish Highlands, Have Fallen Victim to Rapidly Spreading Flames July 30, 2026 -Smoke billowing above rocky hilltops. Acres of vegetation left blackened and charred. And the sound of a helicopter hovering overhead, ready to water bomb the flames. Those scenes are increasingly familiar to parts of southern Europe, but many visitors to Britain’s largest national park, the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands, would be more prepared for rain than wildfires, even in summer. • American Red Cross Declares Second- Ever National Blood Supply Crisis Donations to Top US Provider Have Dropped to Four-Year Summer Low With Less Than a Day’s Supply of Type O Positive July 30, 2026 -The American Red Cross has declared the second-ever national blood supply crisis after blood donations fell to a four-year summer low. On Monday, the 145-year-old non-profit said that as the United States’ largest single provider of blood products, it now has less than one-day national supply of type O positive blood – the most commonly transfused blood. Type O positive blood accounts for about 60% of the ARC’s blood distributions and is used across everyday patient care as well as medical emergencies. It can be given to about 80% of patients, according to the ARC. • WA Shellfish Growers Worry For Future After Hood Canal Closure What's Next For Biotoxins? July 30, 2026 -Shellfish growers Nate Wight and Amber Taulbee should have been out on the tidelands this month harvesting Pacific oysters for grocery stores, restaurants and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. But Hood Canal, a pillar of the state’s shellfish economy, a popular draw for recreational harvesters and stewarded by Native people for millennia, has been closed to harvest all summer because of a potentially deadly biotoxin. • Bipartisan Anger Grows at Pentagon’s Delayed ‘Forever Chemicals’ Cleanups Hundreds of Bases Are Contaminated With PFAS, Which Are Linked to Low Birth Weight and Other Risks July 30, 2026 -In December, Representative Jack Bergman of Michigan, a staunch ally of President Trump and MAGA defender, took to the House floor to praise America’s military might, lauding its “will to face down potential aggressors.” Then his speech took an unexpected turn, to pollution. “We have much more to do,” he said. High on his list: cleaning up PFAS, the harmful “forever chemicals” that pollute hundreds of military sites nationwide. The Pentagon must prioritize “delivering environmental stewardship to communities impacted by PFAS,” Mr. Bergman said. • Heavy Rains Lead to Water Rescues, Grist Mill Destruction In Upstate New York The National Weather Service Warned On Thursday Morning That Some Areas of East Central New York State Are Under a Flood Warning Until 10:15 A.M. ET July 30, 2026 - Cleanup efforts were underway in parts of upstate New York on Thursday following two days of heavy rains that led to flash flooding, water rescues and the destruction of a centuries-old grist mill. Nearly a foot (30 centimeters) of rain fell in parts of Columbia and Rensselaer counties near Albany during a 48-hour period ending Thursday morning, the National Weather Service said. Albany, the state capital, was hit with 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain over the same period. • Saving the Klamath, Salmon, and Yurok Culture The Yurok Tribe has Inhabited the Lower Stretches of the Klamath River in Northern California Since Time Immemorial {LOE.ORG} July 31, 2026 -The Klamath River flows for roughly 260 miles through south-central Oregon and northern California. Dams went up along the river starting in the early 1900s, separating migrating salmon from spawning grounds and creating toxic river conditions that killed many fish. For the Yurok tribe, which has inhabited the lower stretches of the Klamath River since time immemorial, the problems caused by the dams created an existential crisis. Their culture is deeply intertwined with the salmon, and the Yurok saw a sacred obligation to protect them. Amy Bowers Cordalis is a Yurok mother, fisherwoman, and attorney who co-founded Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group. As General Counsel for the Yurok Tribe, Amy helped lead the legal and community movement that achieved an unprecedented dam removal and river restoration project on the Klamath. She’s written a wonderful 2026 book telling the story of this effort, called The Water Remembers: My Indigenous Family’s Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life. Amy Bowers Cordalis, welcome to Living on Earth! • Investigators Believe Iranian Hackers Are Likely Behind Cyberattack On Minnesota Water Systems FBI Tells Fox News Digital 'We Remain Well-Equipped to Protect Against Cyber Threats of All Varieties' {FOX NEWS} July 31, 2026 -U.S. investigators believe a cyberattack that targeted dozens of water systems in Minnesota this week likely was orchestrated by Iranian hackers, a report said. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) said the "coordinated cyberattack targeted operational technology at more than 30 Minnesota community water systems" on Sunday and Monday, but the Minnesota Department of Health is "not aware of any active requests from Minnesota cities to have their residents modify their drinking water usage." U.S. and state officials and others familiar with the incident told The New York Times that Iranian hackers were likely behind the cyberattack. • A New Colorado River Plan Requires Water Cuts For Three States Deeper Cuts Are Still Possible July 31, 2026 -Arizona, California and Nevada will be required to curb their use of the water from the Colorado River by a combined 20 percent over the next two years — and could ultimately face even larger cuts, according to three officials familiar with negotiations over a long-awaited federal plan to rescue the depleted waterway. The plan, part of which the Bureau of Reclamation described in an Environmental Impact Statement early on Friday morning, comes at a time of escalating crisis for the Colorado River, a crucial water source for seven states, 30 Native tribes and a swath of northwestern Mexico. But experts say it will not be sufficient to resolve a political standoff among the river’s many users or prevent the beleaguered waterway from teetering toward collapse. • Cyberattacks On Minnesota Water Systems Investigated As Officials Warn About Iranian Hackers Another Massive Heat Dome Will Break Temperature Records and Raise Wildfire Risks in the West This Weekend July 30, 2026 -Authorities were working Thursday to find the source of cyberattacks that targeted over 30 water systems in Minnesota and came amid warnings that Iranian hackers have been focused on such systems. Minnesota IT Services said state officials had yet to identify who was behind the attacks that took place Sunday and Monday. There were no reports that residents had been impacted by the attacks, though one city asked residents to conserve water for a couple hours while they tried to determine what was wrong. • Southwest China Landslide Leaves 51 Dead, 10 Missing Rescue Workers Search For Survivors At the Site of a Landslide Along Wujiang River July 30, 2026 - A total of 51 people have been confirmed dead after a landslide in southwestern China's Chongqing July 17, while 10 are still missing, the local government said in a statement late on Thursday. Search efforts in affected land areas have concluded, while dredging and search operations in the Wu River were still underway, the statement said. • Hundreds Evacuated After ‘Apocalyptic’ Wildfire Near Suffolk Nuclear Power Station Major Incident Declared With Sizewell B Power Station Monitoring Blaze and RSPB Nature Reserve Badly Hit July 30, 2026 -Hundreds of people have been evacuated and a major incident declared after a wildfire spread over more than 80 hectares (200 acres) on the coast of Suffolk, just a few miles from the Sizewell B nuclear power station. The fire – described by one witness as “apocalyptic” – was still not completely under control as of late Thursday afternoon, according to Jon Lacey, chief fire officer at Suffolk fire and rescue. • Japan Earthquake Kills At Least 13 Rescuers Search For People Trapped In Damaged Mall and Factory {CBS NEWS} July 29, 2026 -Soldiers and emergency workers combed through a badly damaged shopping mall, paper mill and collapsed houses looking for trapped survivors Wednesday after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 13 people and left many missing in southwestern Japan. Bullet train services and some airport operations remained suspended and damage was still being assessed a day after the magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu. • In Ohio, Toxic Wastewater Is Bubbling Up Out of the Ground The State is a Major Importer of Fracking Wastewater, Which Gets Pumped Underground But Doesn’t Always Stay There July 29, 2026 -In historic Marietta, Ohio, riverboats churn past shores once surveyed by George Washington. Trolleys bump along brick roads that pass between Victorian homes and 2,000-year-old Adena and Hopewell burial mounds. Its cemeteries hold more Revolutionary War officers than anywhere else in the nation. And there is something else buried deep beneath Marietta: Hundreds of millions of gallons of radioactive fracking wastewater. • Shell’s Fear of Niger Delta Clean-Up Costs Revealed Before It Passed On Responsibility By Selling Off Assets in Nigeria, Shell’s Concerns About Dealing With Oil Spills From Its Pipelines {CLIMATE HOME NEWS} July 29, 2026 -Newly-released internal documents from Shell suggest that a desire to avoid incurring the costs of shutting down its oil pipelines and cleaning up spills from them was part of the energy giant's motivation in selling off its onshore oil assets in the Niger Delta. The company has been accused by campaigners of cutting and running by selling its controversial oil infrastructure to African firms without the resources to deal with the pollution or decommission the pipelines, leaving Nigeria's oil-rich southern region worse off. • Europe’s Summer of Reckoning Is ‘Just the Beginning’ The Continent's Experiencing Some of Its Biggest Fires and Highest Temperatures Ever July 29, 2026 -A dense, yellow-orange pall hung over Bordeaux on Sunday, blotting out the sun and blurring the spires of the cathedral in this French city. A swirl of tiny ash particles stung eyes and stuck in throats. Twenty miles west of town, a mammoth forest fire burned so ferociously that it generated its own weather system. “We’ve never seen anything like it,” said Roger Peuron, 89, a retired engineer born before World War II, who was driven out of his home by the approaching flames. He could have been speaking for millions of people across Europe. • In Ohio, Toxic Wastewater is Bubbling Up Out of the Ground The State is a Major Importer of Fracking Wastewater, Which Gets Pumped Underground But Doesn’t Always Stay There July 29, 2026 - In historic Marietta, Ohio, riverboats churn past shores once surveyed by George Washington. Trolleys bump along brick roads that pass between Victorian homes and 2,000-year-old Adena and Hopewell burial mounds. Its cemeteries hold more Revolutionary War officers than anywhere else in the nation. And there is something else buried deep beneath Marietta: Hundreds of millions of gallons of radioactive fracking wastewater. • Southern Europe Burns As 3 Firefighters Die and France Battles Blaze 4 Times the Size of Paris As a Major Wildfire Continues to Threaten Communities In Southwestern France, the City of Bordeaux Has Converted Its Exhibition Center Into an Emergency Shelter For Evacuated Residents July 29, 2026 -An uncontained wildfire four times the size of Paris threatened to surge again in southwest France on Wednesday — as three firefighters died in Greece and crews across southern Europe confronted a punishing mix of heat, drought and strong winds. The deaths on Crete brought a fatal new dimension to a wildfire emergency stretching from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean. At the peak of the evacuations, a third of a million people were driven from homes and vacation sites in France and Spain. • China Unveils Climate Plan: 17% Carbon Intensity Cut By 2030 An Ambitious, Yet Achievable Goal {CGTN.COM} July 29, 2026 -China has set a new climate target. The country plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 17% by 2030 from 2025 levels, according to a national climate change plan made public on Wednesday. The plan, issued by multiple government departments including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Development and Reform Commission, outlines key climate goals for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). • Japan Mounts Rescues in Buildings That Collapsed After Strong Quake Emergency Workers Were Racing to Find People and Extinguish Fires After the 6.8 Magnitude Quake Struck the Southwestern Prefecture of Kumamoto July 28, 2026 -A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit southwest Japan on Tuesday afternoon, igniting fires near its epicenter, damaging buildings and highways, and injuring dozens, according to Japan’s public broadcaster. Fire officials said they were racing to rescue people feared trapped inside a shopping mall in a southern neighborhood of Kumamoto City, after its second floor collapsed and injured at least two people. Aerial footage showed extensive damage to the building. • How Your Next Stove Could Save You Money — and Upgrade the Electric Grid A New Generation of Home Appliances Promises to Cut Energy Bills and Make the Electric Grid Cleaner July 28, 2026 -Sixty years ago, giant mainframes dominated computing. Today, everyone has a supercomputer in their pocket. Something similar may be about to happen to our electrical grid. At the moment, we depend on massive centralized power plants analogous to the old, room-size mainframes. But a new generation of household appliances, like stoves with batteries inside, could distribute energy sources all around us, creating a cleaner, more efficient grid. • Europe’s Fires Are Just the Start They Are Not a New Normal. But Worse Can Nonetheless Be Expected {The Economist} July 28, 2026 -From 2006 to 2025 the total area burned by fires in France every year averaged some 15,000 hectares—a bit smaller than Washington, DC. By July 28th, the fire to the west of Bordeaux which started just six days earlier had burned almost three times that. Meanwhile, some 500km to the south, savage fires advanced perilously close to Madrid. More than 300,000 people have been evacuated. These fires may end up being the worst that Europe sees this summer. But do not bank on it. A series of heatwaves has left lots of places desiccated and flammable—and more hot weather is to come. Last year the European Union saw more than 1m hectares burn; this year could break that record. • Remote Chinese Province Struck By 2 Earthquakes In 20 Minutes A Remote Province In China Was Struck By Two Earthquakes Just 18 Minutes Apart Late Tuesday Morning July 28, 2026 -The earthquakes in Qinghai province at 11:16 a.m. and 11:34 a.m. had magnitudes of 5.7 and 5.8 at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), the USGS reported. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Qinghai province in China’s northwest is sparsely populated and often experiences earthquakes. A video from state broadcaster CCTV showed dust clouds rising from cliffs as the land shook. • Powerful Earthquake Strikes Southern Japan, Causing Destruction It Was the Country’s Most Intense Quake Since 2024 July 28, 2026 -A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s Kyushu island in the southwestern part of the country on Tuesday, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency, with reports of at least 50 injuries along with collapsed buildings, damaged roads, fires and power outages. It was the most intense quake to rock the country since 2024, according to Japan’s seismic intensity scale, which categorizes quakes based on the intensity of their shaking. On that scale, it registered as a 7 — the highest level. • It’s Not Like We Just Failed to Stop Ebola. We Caused It It Seems We've Not Learned Much From the COVID-19 Outbreak {ZME SCIENCE} July 27, 2026 -Ebola is once again making headlines and has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern — the World Health Organization’s highest level of alert — after cases crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of the Congo into Uganda. For many people this feels too distant to be of concern, but scientists and public health experts have been warning us that the conditions that allow Ebola and other diseases to spread from animals to humans have been building for decades. • The Wildfire Smoke is Back, Filling Skies as Far South as Florida Some will waft across a 2,500-mile path that includes the Plains, Midwest and East as dozens of uncontained fires burn across Oregon, Washington and British Columbia July 27, 2026 -Smoke from dozens of fires burning across Oregon, Washington and British Columbia is pouring across the United States and Canada. It will cause hazy skies and reduce air quality in some areas this week. Some of the smoke will reach as far south as Florida and the Gulf Coast on Monday, wafting across a 2,500-mile path that includes the Plains, Midwest and East. • Congo Ebola Death Toll Tops 1,400 as Vaccine Trials Start DR Congo's Ebola Outbreak has Continued to grow, With Confirmed Infections Reaching 3,200 and a Fatality Rate of Nearly One In Two {DW} July 27, 2026 -The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has continued to spread, with the number of confirmed infections rising to 3,200. The country's health authorities say that 1,405 people have died from the virus since the outbreak began in late April, with the current fatality rate standing at 43.9%. • New York Might Need Up to 105 GW of New Resources Over The Next Two Decades If Ambitious Zero-Emissions Rules Arrive In the Coming Decades, NY-ISO Sees Nuclear As a Prime Source of “High Firm Capacity Value” {energy central} July 27, 2026 -The outlook: Climate policy will dictate the near future of New York’s grid, according to NY-ISO. To meet strict zero-emissions targets under “higher demand conditions,” for example, the Empire State would need to add roughly 105 GW of generation by 2044. But under “less stringent decarbonization policies,” that figure falls to 30-60 GW, per the grid operator’s recent report. The reality check: Even the moderate scenario would be tough to pull off. NY has added less than 15 GW of new resources over the past 25 years. • Red Tape Slows Utilities From Preventing Wildfires On Federal Land An Ounce of Prevention? {energy central} July 27, 2026 -Just 3% of wildfires are caused by power grid equipment…but this minority has caused some major damage. Over the past decade, three fires linked to vegetation contact with power lines (the 2023 Lahaina Fire, the 2021 Marshall Fire, and the 2018 Camp Fire) together killed more than 185 people, destroyed over 20K structures, and caused more than $24B in damage. To avoid tragedies like these, utilities work to prevent wildfires year-round—monitoring lines, burying wires, and replacing wooden poles with metal ones, among other projects. But on federal land, these life-saving measures often get put on hold. • California Marine Sanctuaries Face Threats of New Trump-Backed Offshore Oil Leases Environmental Advocates and Indigenous Organizations Are Concerned About What New Leasing Could Do to Their Habitat and Community July 27, 2026 -After years trying to realize her father’s dream of designating a 4,543-square-mile expanse of California’s coast and ocean waters as the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, Violet Sage Walker said she is disappointed with the direction the sanctuary’s leaders are taking amid the Trump administration’s threats to open areas for new offshore oil and gas leases. “It’s unfortunate that the federal partners and NOAA … are considering prohibited items within the marine sanctuary and protected areas, but it’s not surprising considering what they’ve just recently done, opening up commercial fishing in the Hawaii sanctuaries and protected areas,” Walker, the chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, told Inside Climate News. She nominated the designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary in 2015. • Cities Conserve As Colorado River Reservoir Faces 'Dead Pool' Crisis Southwest Cities Are Intensifying Water-Conservation Measures As Lake Powell Drops to Its Lowest Level In Decades... {USA TODAY} July 26, 2026 -Cities across the Southwest are stepping up conservation efforts amid the growing crisis facing a key Colorado River reservoir straddling the Utah-Arizona border. While water costs could rise for Southwest residents, according to experts, it is unlikely that changes in the Colorado River will disrupt the availability of drinking water. Still, cities in Arizona, California and New Mexico aren't taking any chances. Some are recycling wastewater and limiting when people can water their lawns, while others are desalinating ocean water. • Wholesome News From Across the Pond Will Make You Breathe Easier Today Europe’s Air is the Cleanest It’s Been In Over a Decade, With Toxic Pollution Dropping By More Than Half In Some Areas {HEALTHY HAPPY NEWS} July 26, 2026 -Air quality across Europe has improved dramatically over the past decade, bringing fresh hope and healthier skies to millions of families. Emissions from major pollutants have declined by jaw-dropping amounts, restoring faith that positive environmental change is not only possible—it’s already happening. According to the annual Assessment Report on European Air Quality 2025, released by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), the overall picture remains remarkably positive. The EU program has been monitoring air pollution levels for years, and the latest data reveals a stunning turnaround. • Inside a Land Deal That Saved the Okefenokee The Conservation Fund Spent Years Negotiating and Fundraising For a $60 Million Purchase Few Thought Possible July 26, 2026 -As Stacy Funderburke glided through the Okefenokee, lily pads crowded the edges of the narrow water trail while cypress trees rose from the blackwater around him. “It’s funny,” he said. “I’m more of a mountain guy, but if someone asked me where they should go in Georgia, I’d tell them to go to the Okefenokee.” As he spoke, his yellow paddle slipped into the tea-colored water, one stroke at a time, propelling his kayak forward. He maneuvered through the narrow channels with the confidence of someone who knows the swamp by memory.		• A Contagious Cancer Is Spreading Through Catfish in a North American Lake It's the First Transmissible Cancer Discovered in Any Fish {ZME SCIENCE} July 25, 2026 -Black marks began appearing on catfish pulled from a lake along the Vermont–Quebec border more than a decade ago. Some looked like dark stains while others formed crusted lumps around the fishes’ mouths, fins and eyes, as though someone had burned tar into their skin. Pollution seemed like an obvious suspect. A virus was another possibility. The culprit, it turns out, is more horrifying. The growths are melanomas belonging to a single cancer lineage that appears to move from one fish to another. It is the first naturally occurring transmissible cancer documented in a fish—and the first found in a freshwater ecosystem. It also puts catfish in a very small and unfortunate club of animals that can pass cancer to different individuals. • Genesee Builds New Emergency Road to Enhance Wildfire Evacuation Safety Genesee Fire Protection District in Colorado Has Built a New Emergency Road to Improve Evacuation Safety For Its 4,400 Residents {YAHOO!NEWS} July 25, 2026 -Wildfire danger remains a major concern across Colorado and one mountain community is working to improve evacuation safety. About 4,400 people live in the Genesee Fire Protection District. When they learned it would take too long to get everyone out in an emergency, they decided to build a new road. • Will New UK PM’s Green Measures At Home Cause Climate Finance Pain Overseas? Andy Burnham Cuts Bus Fares and Household Electricity Tax In a Boost For Climate Action {CLIMATE HOME NEWS} July 25, 2026 -Britain's new prime minister announced in his first week that he will cut the cost of public transport and electricity, making lower-emission technologies like bus travel, electric vehicles and heat pumps more affordable for voters. But some of the funding for those policies will come from the budget for international climate finance, the government has said, raising concerns about fairness. • Replacing Gas Stove Can Help Asthmatics As Much As Some Drugs This, According too Experts {energy central} July 25, 2026 -Researchers tested whether swapping gas stoves for electric ones would improve people’s asthma symptoms. The verdict? It did—by a lot. The peer-reviewed study found a 70% drop in hospital admissions, and suggested that going electric had similar benefits to common asthma medications (if not more). Whether for health reasons or the sake of efficiency, more people are expected to opt for electric stoves in coming years. The question is: Can the grid keep up as we electrify more of our daily lives? ? • A Minnesota Forest Hit By DOGE Cuts is Now Ablaze Fire Crews Now Have to Thin Out Thousands of Acres of Dense, Dry Forest As Wildfires Burn July 25, 2026 -Last year, the Trump administration delayed a $10 million grant that was supposed to help Minnesota thin out about 4,000 acres of dense, dry forest at high risk of burning. Most of that work never got started, according to five people familiar with the situation and a document reviewed by The Washington Post. And now, some of those areas are on fire. • Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Eggs Has Sickened 98 People Since November Nearly 100 people In 17 States Have Been Sickened In a Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Recalled Eggs July 24, 2026 -The 98 people had illnesses that started between Nov. 21 and June 30, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. No deaths have been reported, but 26 people have been hospitalized. Investigators have determined that shell eggs recalled by Midwest Poultry Services are a likely source of the germ, but the Indiana-based company doesn’t account for all the illnesses. • U.S. to Resume Cattle Imports From Mexico After Screwworm Ban Authorities Stopped Trade After Detections of Flesh-Eating Parasitic Fly {THE WALLSTREET JOURNAL} July 24, 2026 -The Agriculture Department is lifting a more than yearlong ban on Mexican cattle imports, a move that could ease soaring beef prices. The U.S. plans to resume importing Mexican cattle at the port of entry in Douglas, Ariz., in 30 days and eventually open two additional ports of entry in New Mexico. • Scientists Watch Orcas Ram a Sunfish So Hard It Explodes "Don't Play With Your Food" is a Rule Orcas Don't Seem to Follow {NPR} July 24, 2026 -Off the shores of Cabo San Lucas, Kathryn Ayres, a scientist at the ocean-health nonprofit Beneath The Waves, saw a surprising orca behavior: One orca holds a sunfish in its mouth, while another lines up and then rams it at high speed — leaving behind thousands of sunfish bits scattered like confetti. Ayres and her co-authors documented this "stabilize-and-ram" behavior in a paper published Thursday. "Seeing a large animal burst into fragments looks shocking," says study co-author Erick Higuera, a marine biologist at Conexiones Terramar. • Tens of Thousands Flee Fires in France, Blazes Merge Outside Madrid Spain Declares National Emergency For First Time Over Fires July 24, 2026 -Tens of thousands of people fled wildfires in southwest France by car and boat on Friday and Spain declared a national emergency as huge blazes merged outside Madrid and searing heat left tinder-dry conditions across the region. French authorities ordered the total evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula, a tourism hotspot on its Atlantic Coast. Two fires merged outside Madrid, and a third was on the verge of joining them, government officials said. • Deep Divisions Mark the Start of EU Carbon Market Reform Talks Talks About a Reform of the European Union’s Emissions Market Have Kicked Off With Deep Rifts Among National Governments, Highlighting the Challenge They Face in Reaching a Deal By Early Next Yea {Bloomberg} July 24, 2026 -Talks about a reform of the European Union’s emissions market have kicked off with deep rifts among national governments, highlighting the challenge they face in reaching a deal by early next year. The overhaul of the Emissions Trading System, proposed by the European Commission last week, will be discussed by environment ministers at an informal gathering in Dublin Friday. The review pits countries including Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands, which favor a rapid expansion of clean energy, against a bloc led by Italy, Poland and Greece, which is concerned about the cost of moving away from fossil fuels. Both camps say they have enough votes to block their opponents’ demands. • See How Disease-Bearing Ticks Are Invading the Midwest Lyme Disease and Alpha-Gal Syndrome Are Threatening Ohio and Michigan With a One-Two Punch {THE WALL STREET JOURNAL} July 24, 2026 -Warmer winters and shifts in land use have brought ticks—and the diseases they carry—into new territory. With summer in full swing, health officials are warning of increasing risks from two of the most common tick-borne conditions: Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome. Both are expanding their ranges, placing Ohio and Michigan squarely in their path. Lyme disease:Until recently, Ohio and Michigan had relatively low rates of Lyme disease. In 2025, cases jumped more than 60% in Ohio from a year earlier. In Michigan, they rose almost 80%. In May, the Ohio Department of Health warned Lyme disease was surging statewide. • CDC Expands Largest Known U.S. Cyclospora Outbreak to 9 States The Newly Linked States — Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania — Join Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia July 24, 2026 -The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked four additional states to a multistate cyclosporiasisoutbreak traced to shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. The newly linked states — Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania — join Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, and expand the nation’s largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak, according to an agency update posted Friday. • Dolphins and Kelp Forests Get Life- Changing Protection in New Zealand Heartwarming Ocean Win {HEALTHY HAPPY NEWS} July 23, 2026 -Nature lovers are cheering as New Zealand announces a beautiful victory for ocean conservation. Five brand-new marine reserves will officially protect 308 square miles of precious underwater habitats starting next month, and the news is already warming hearts around the world. The reserves surround the Otago district near the southeastern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, an area bursting with marine life that desperately needed protection. From playful dolphins to enchanting kelp forests, these waters are home to some of the ocean’s most beloved creatures. • Scientists Watch Orcas Ram a Sunfish So Hard It Explodes "Don't Play With Your Food" is a Rule Orcas Don't Seem to Follow July 23, 2026 -Off the shores of Cabo San Lucas, Kathryn Ayres, a scientist at the ocean-health nonprofit Beneath The Waves, saw a surprising orca behavior: One orca holds a sunfish in its mouth, while another lines up and then rams it at high speed — leaving behind thousands of sunfish bits scattered like confetti. Ayres and her co-authors documented this "stabilize-and-ram" behavior in a paper published Thursday. "Seeing a large animal burst into fragments looks shocking," says study co-author Erick Higuera, a marine biologist at Conexiones Terramar. • $30M Will Be Spent to Clear the Water At Scenic Grand Lake The Three Lakes CLEAR Fund Arrives After 18 Years of Painful Trial and Error to Keep the Natural Wonder Clear and Cool While Delivering Water to Northern Colorado {THE COLORADO SUN} July 23, 2026 -Northern Water will pay $30 million over the next 30 years to solve long-standing clarity and water quality problems at one of Colorado’s most treasured natural wonders, Grand Lake. Under the terms of the agreement, the giant water provider will spend $1 million annually to test and implement new solutions to the problem, including weed control, aeration and sediment removal. The deal is the first time a dedicated source of money has been set aside to help the lake, Northern Water spokesperson Jeff Stahla said. • Storms Rolling Across Colorado Spark Flash Flood Warning Possible Hazards at Burn Scars {DENVER7} July 23, 2026 -Storms will increase Wednesday afternoon into the evening across the foothills and Front Range, bringing heavy rainfall and the possibility of flash flooding to certain areas. The National Weather Service is reporting that several storms are already rolling across Colorado. They will continue to push east this afternoon, with another round of storms possible around 10 p.m. • 9 Confirmed Cases of Cyclosporiasis Linked To Lettuce Served at Cheshire Medical Center Nine People Who Ate Lettuce That Was Served At the Cheshire Medical Center Cafeteria In Keene Came Down With Confirmed Cases Of Cyclosporiasis {WCVB5} July 23, 2026 -Dartmouth Health said Cheshire Medical Center has identified 16 patients, including 10 employees, who were exposed to cyclosporiasis. Officials said the lettuce has since been recalled by Taylor Farms because of the national cyclosporiasis outbreak. DHHS has confirmed that the recalled lettuce is no longer being served at the facility, and Dartmouth Health said all salad bar options have been temporarily removed. • See These Killer Whales Explode Fish Into Pieces Researchers For the First Time Have Documented Orcas Cooperating to Smash Their Prey July 23, 2026 -ésar Alcaraz had only just become a firefighter in the late 1990s when he found himself ambushed by a fast-moving blaze. Barely able to breathe and with no more water left in his truck, he and his colleagues fled an inferno ravaging Spain’s Montgó mountain region, wishing their bosses had sent more support. But nearly three decades on, as an officer with Alicante’s provincial firefighters, Alcaraz has more sympathy for the agonising choices that commanders have to make. When wildfires overwhelm an area, his job resembles that of a doctor in an emergency room with too few ventilators. • Record-Low Water Levels In Major Western Reservoirs Could Curtail the Power Supply For Nearly 1M Homes The Water Threats Persist {energy central} July 23, 2026 -What happened: Colorado River reservoir Lake Powell is 23% full (a record low for July), while Lake Mead is 27% full (and less than a foot from its all-time record low, which was set in July 2022). The stakes: The Colorado River generates enough hydro to power roughly 700K homes. It’s getting increasingly difficult to source this electricity as 95% of the basin faces drought—conditions worsened by one of the driest winters ever documented. • France Evacuates 20,000 As Wildfires Spread in South-West Two Local Firefighters Died Earlier This Week Fighting Another Fire Close to Bordeaux Airport {PUBLIC RADIO OF ARMENIA} July 23, 2026 -About 12,000 people have been evacuated from the south-west of France and authorities are moving 8,800 others as wildfires spread in the Gironde region, the local prefect has said, the BBC reports. Sophie Brocas told reporters 2,400 hectares of land had already been destroyed around the Bay of Arcachon. Many of those who had to leave the area overnight were visitors to local campsites on the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula and the latest evacuations also involved campsites as a precaution. • Diesel Crisis Puts Poor Farmers Around the World at Risk The Closure of the Strait of Hormuz Has Limited the Shipment of Diesel, Depriving Farmers of Fuel For Irrigation Pumps and More July 23, 2026 -For three days, he waited at the gas station in a crush of hundreds of villagers, as the temperature rose to 104 degrees. People tried to cut the line, and fights broke out, drawing police officers wielding batons. This, Dulal Hossain endured for the chance to buy diesel fuel. He was tormented by worries about his rice plants, the source of most of his livelihood. The diesel he eventually carried home by bicycle, in a jerrycan strung from the handlebars, would fuel the pump that bathed his fields with groundwater. The pump was empty. • New Fire in Eagle, Garfield Counties Prompts Evacuations, Road Closure 'The Fire is Currently Burning in Dense Oak With a High Spread Potential' {DENVER7} July 22, 2026 -A new fire burning near the Eagle-Garfield county line prompted evacuations Wednesday. The fire, dubbed the Sleepy Creek Fire, was burning near the Buckpoint subdivision. As of 8 p.m., evacuations along Buck Point Drive remained in place, as did the pre-evacuation notice for the surrounding area, per the Eagle County sheriff's office. • Oil Firms Knew for Decades of Methane’s Danger to Planet The Companies Knew They Were Releasing More of the Greenhouse Gas Than They Publicly Reported July 22, 2026 -The oil and gas industry has known for decades that its wells were releasing far more planet-warming methane than companies acknowledged, according to industry documents identified by an environmental group. In a report on the findings released on Monday, the Center for Climate Integrity cited, among other examples, a 1979 report commissioned by the research arm of the American Gas Association, an industry group. That report said that major gas fields in the United States could be releasing far more planet-warming gases than was being officially reported. • Historic West Virginia Flooding Washes Out Roads, Knocks Out 911 Service Rescues Continue {CNN Weather} July 22, 2026 - After a night of punishing rain and rising floodwaters, emergency crews in Buckhannon, West Virginia, are working to reach residents in need — but washed-out roads and impassable streets have cut off parts of the city, making the full extent of the damage difficult to assess. “Right now, that’s our problem,” the City of Buckhannon said in a Facebook post. “Our city is spliced up by the flood waters in such a way that there’s not a central place for everyone to access at this time.” • Tunnel Collapse in India Kills 14 Workers At Least 14 Workers Were Killed After a Portion of an Under-Construction Tunnel Collapsed Following a Gas Explosion in India's North-Eastern Sikkim State {yahoo!news} July 22, 2026 -Rescue operations are continuing to locate 11 others who are reported to be trapped in the tunnel since Monday's collapse. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said the incident happened about 1.5km (0.9 miles) inside the tunnel. The under-construction tunnel, designed to carry water from the nearby Teesta River to a hydropower plant's turbines, is part of a larger project in the Himalayan state being developed by the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). • Microplastics Found in 84% of Serious Heart Attack Patients Plastic Pollution May Be Reaching the Heart Through the Bloodstream, and People Suffering the Most Severe Form of Heart Attack Appear to Carry The Greatest Burden {SciTechDaily} July 21, 2026 -In a study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers detected microplastics and nanoplastics in the coronary blood of 84% of patients who had experienced a serious heart attack. That compared with 40% of patients with chronic ischemic heart disease and 32% of those whose coronary arteries appeared normal. The heart attack group also had a wider variety of plastics in their blood. Polyethylene, one of the world’s most widely used plastics and a common ingredient in packaging and consumer products, was the material found most often. • South Station Starbucks Remains Closed After Boston Health Inspectors Find More Rodent Activity Boston Suspends Starbucks Food License at South Station After Rodent Video Surfaces {WCVB5} July 21, 2026 -The food license for South Station's Starbucks remains suspended after additional rodent activity was documented during a follow-up sanitary inspection, according to Boston Inspectional Services Department Health Division. Last week, the 700 Atlantic Ave. eatery's license was suspended after a video of rodents crawling inside a food display case surfaced. An inspector's report also found evidence of rodent activity along the countertops and inside a counter display case. • Obeying the Speed Limit Would Save 57,000 Tons of Carbon a Day It Would Cost You Only 54 Seconds July 21, 2026 -If drivers of gasoline cars refrained from speeding, they would collectively save an average of 57,000 metric tons of carbon emissions every day in the United States—while spending less than a minute more behind the wheel, a new study reveals. “We are presenting a somewhat obvious, but impactful, way to reduce energy and emissions that doesn’t require a new vehicle or new technology, just backing off the accelerator pedal,” says study team member William Northrop, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota. • What Engineers Are Building 1,000 Feet Below the Sea Norway is Building the World’s Longest Undersea Road Tunnel, Slashing Travel Times By 5 Hours For Families and Commuters {HEALTHY HAPPY NEWS} July 20, 2026 -Deep beneath the churning waters of the North Sea, something extraordinary is taking shape. At 1,000 feet below the surface, Norwegian engineers are making history with every carefully controlled blast, inching closer to completing what will become the longest undersea road tunnel on planet Earth. And if anyone can pull off this jaw-dropping feat of engineering, it’s Norway. After all, this Scandinavian nation already holds the world record for the current longest undersea road tunnel — the impressive 9-mile-long Ryfylke tunnel. But now, they’re about to shatter their own record with the Rogfast, short for Rogaland Fixed Link, a project that promises to transform travel and unite communities in ways that will restore your faith in human ingenuity. • WA Wildfire Survivors Return Home to ‘Black All the Way Around You’ Okee Dokee Smokee Chokee July 21, 2026 -As the Kaiser Canyon fire erupted late last week, Tito Pakootas saw smoke in the distance and prepared for the worst. “There was no hand crew, no dozer line,” he said, standing outside his home Tuesday, surrounded by scorched earth. “We were stretching every hose we had out here for water.” Pakootas, 21, revved up his red gas-powered Super Bronco rototiller and made his own fire line around the house, then used a weed whacker to cut down grass farther out. At one point while he worked, fire retardant from an aircraft showered him in pink. As for the tiller, he said: “It ain’t very wide, but it did the job.” • Cyclospora Spreads Through Human Feces How Did It Get Into Our Food Supply? July 21, 2026 -The hard, and nauseating, truth about cyclospora is that it’s spread through human feces. Over decades of research, scientists have not found a single place aside from the human gut where the parasite grows. So now that we’re in the midst of the largest recorded outbreak in United States history, one has to ask: How did human excrement get into our food? As infections surge across much of the United States, public health investigators are working to figure out how this microscopic parasite contaminated the produce eaten by so many people. • Mudslides Close I-70 For More Than 24 Hours Disrupting Travel In Western Colorado {THE COLORADO SUN} July 21, 2026 -One lane of eastbound Interstate 70 reopened overnight but westbound lanes remain closed Wednesday afternoon in western Colorado after a landslide pushed mud, water and debris across more than 300 yards of the highway Monday, up to 3 feet deep in some parts. The interstate had been closed for more than 24 hours between exit 97, near Silt, and exit 105, near New Castle. A detour is taking drivers onto U.S. 6, the Colorado Department of Transportation said, warning of delays. • Magnitude 5.0 Quake Shakes Southwestern China Halts Trains July 21, 2026 -An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 struck the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan at a depth of 6 km (3.7 miles) at 7:43 p.m. (11:43 GMT) on Tuesday, the China Earthquake Networks Centre said. Officials have not yet received reports of casualties or property damage, and ?the local power grid was operating normally, state-run Xinhua news agency said, citing preliminary verifications by local authorities. The quake's epicentre was in a village of around 1,300 residents in the mountainous Mojiang county, part of the city of Pu'er in the southwestern border province.The ?village is around 100 km (62 miles) from China's borders with Laos and Vietnam. • The U.S. Is Pulling Back on Energy Efficiency Just as Prices Are Rising July 21, 2026 -The Trump administration is dismantling a wide array of federal energy-efficiency programs at the same time that war in Iran is raising oil prices, climate change is fueling record heat that is driving up demand for air conditioning and new data centers are straining America’s electricity supply. “The turn away from efficiency has been oddly timed,” said Christine Egan, chief executive of CLASP, a nonprofit group that works on efficiency policies worldwide. “Energy prices are going up, demand is going up, and you’d think we would want our products to be as efficient as possible.” • Flood Deaths In West African Cities Raise Fraught Issue of Slum Evictions Deadly Floods Expose Poor Urban Planning, Over-Population and Spread of Informal Settlements On Disaster-Prone Land {CLIMATE HOME NEWS} July 20, 2026 -Scientists have found that the deadly floods across parts of West Africa in recent weeks were made more likely and intense by human-driven climate change, while the expansion of cities into flood-prone areas amplified the devastation, raising the thorny problem of how to better protect poorer urban communities. A report from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group highlighted how the floods hit some of West Africa's most densely populated coastal regions, where rapid urbanisation has pushed formal and informal settlements dangerously into floodplains, while converting land into farms has reduced drainage. • At least 930 People Have Died In Congo's Ebola Outbreak The Deaths Were Recorded Out of the 2,344 Cases Confirmed as of Saturday {NPR} July 20, 2026 -At least 930 people have died in Congo's Ebola outbreak, the country's Ministry of Health said Monday, with 37 new deaths recorded in a 24-hour span Friday into Saturday, one of the highest totals. Women wearing plastic protective garments sift gold-bearing sediments at the Maidede mine in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on June 16, 2026. Much of their clothing and bodies are covered in light brown sediment. The Ebola outbreak that was declared in eastern Congo on May 15 is the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record. The Bundibugyo virus responsible for the outbreak is less common than others that cause Ebola disease, and there is no approved vaccine or treatment. • The West’s Moment of Reckoning Is Here On the Colorado River With States Still Brawling Over How to Share Dwindling Flows, the Trump Administration Is About to Take Control {E&E NEWS} July 20, 2026 -For more than a century, Western states have fought to keep the federal government out of their business when it comes to water. Now, the Trump administration is about to seize control of the Colorado River, the region’s most important waterway. But it’s not the narrative you might think. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum — himself a former Western governor — has said repeatedly that he preferred to have the states work out the shrinking river’s problems. Far from a brash commandeering of the system, the plan his department is set to finalize as soon as Monday is effectively a kick-the-can exercise for managing the drought-riddled river that supplies water for 1 in 10 Americans. • FDA Retracts Test Result But Still Links Taylor Farms Lettuce to Cyclosporiasis The FDA Said There Was “Overwhelming Epidemiological Data” to Support the Voluntary Recall July 20, 2026 -The Food and Drug Administration said Sunday that a laboratory finding showing cyclospora contamination in a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico was a false positive. But the agency did not back away from its conclusion that the company remains linked to a multistate outbreak of closporiasis through its traceback investigation. • The Country’s Hydro Supply Chain is Drying Up A Report Worth Reading {energy central} July 20, 2026 -The details: It’s not just drought hindering hydro generation. It’s getting increasingly tricky to source the custom-built large-power transformers (LPTs) that help whizz water power from turbines to homes and businesses. A sobering stat: One LPT unit can cost up to $10M, according to a recent report from the National Laboratory of the Rockies. This report lays out the supply chain struggles, including 1) a shortage of manufacturing know-how 2) years-long equipment waitlists and 3) permitting and regulatory delays. • Japanese Beetle Advances Through Northern Italy’s Vineyards and Orchards Frustrating Farmers July 20, 2026 -The iridescent green beetles native to Japan have become a growing menace in Italy, swarming through orchards and vineyards and leaving behind devastating lattice patterns in leaves that weaken the plants and reduce production. The Popillia japonica, or Japanese beetle, is a familiar pest in the United States, where it arrived more than a century ago. • Cyclospora Outbreak Should Worried You About Public Health Cuts After the Collective Trauma of the COVID Pandemic, Hearing the Words “Outbreak” and “Epidemic” Pop Up Again is More Than a Bit Alarming July 20, 2026 -This time, though, it’s not a potentially deadly and highly contagious respiratory infection but cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that can cause miserable and debilitating gastrointestinal distress and explosive diarrhea for weeks. Federal health officials finally determined late last week that infected lettuce served at Taco Bell was the source of much of the outbreak, but already thousands had been sickened across 34 states. Over 100 people have been hospitalized by the illness in Michigan alone. Authorities warned there may be other sources of the parasite beyond the Taylor Foods lettuce at the fast food chain. So far, local health officials have not seen an increase in cyclosporiasis cases in our region. • Are You Making These Sunscreen Mistakes? Test Your Knowledge to See Whether You’re Making These Common Sunscreen Mistakes July 20, 2026 -We get it: Sunscreen can be annoying. Remembering to wear it — and being diligent about it — is sometimes a challenge. But with skin cancer being the most common cancer in the United States, affecting 1 in 5 Americans during their lifetimes, dermatologists say wearing the right kind of sunscreen daily is important. Test your knowledge to see whether you’re making these common sunscreen mistakes so you can be a bit safer in the sun. • Coloradans Begin Cleanup After Rainstorms Caused Western Slope Mudslides The Mudslides Stranded 21 People, Blocked Roads, Flooded Main Street, and More {THE COLORADO SUN} July 19, 2026 -Western Slope residents are cleaning up after recent mudslides, caused by a slow-moving storm system, blocked roads, stranded people and swamped classrooms and a local theater. The regular rain showers have been helpful relief for drought in western Colorado, but the slow pace of the storm elevated the risk of flash flooding and resulting debris flows and mudslides, especially in burn scar areas. The storm system will reach the Front Range and Eastern Plains this week, and with major fires still burning in the state, meteorologists are warning Coloradans to check the weather report before venturing out. • Kaiser Canyon Fire Scorches 60,000 Acres Surrounds Town of Nespelem July 19, 2026 -Standing just inside a high school’s entrance, not far from stacks of diapers and snacks for evacuees, Barbara Cox listed the toll of the Kaiser Canyon fire. “Third time that I watched it burn in the last eight years,” said Cox, adding: “All our wildlife, all our livestock are getting displaced.” • Rescuers in China Search the Rubble For Survivors of Landslide Killed 8 and Left 34 Missing July 19, 2026 - Rescue crews used excavators on Sunday to comb through the rubble in search of survivors from a landslide in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing that killed at least eight people and left another 34 missing. Massive amounts of rocks and soil roared down a slope and buried more than 10 residential buildings early Friday in Pengshui County on the outskirts of Chongqing. • Europe Seems Set to Ease Its Carbon Pricing Green Goals Are Running Into Fears About Competitiveness {energy central} July 19, 2026 -THE EUROPEAN UNION’s carbon price is an economist’s dream. The bloc’s emissions-trading scheme (ETS) distributes rights to emit greenhouse gases to firms in electricity generation, heavy industry and aviation. Then it lets the market do the rest. It was phased in gradually, with all kinds of cushioning such as free allowances (not all of them justified) to give emitters plenty of time to adjust. Now, however, the system is starting to bite, which makes it a perfect scapegoat for politicians struggling to contain soaring energy prices and to shield struggling industries from global competition. • The U.S. Saw an Investment Boom in Venezuela. Now It’s a $37 Billion Problem The Trump Administration Faces Daunting Task of Rebuilding After Devastating Earthquakes {THE WALL STREET JOURNAL} July 19, 2026 -July 19, 2026 -Since the start of this year, the U.S. was preparing to reap the benefits of its unlikely alliance with Venezuela as the world’s biggest oil reserves and vast mineral deposits opened up to American investors. Now, the Trump administration is facing a daunting multibillion-dollar cleanup after twin earthquakes last month tore open roads, downed power lines and flattened buildings. Venezuelans are looking for help from a U.S. administration that says it is running the country. • Family of Five Found Dead After Storms Flooded Utah Canyon A Provo Fire Captain, His Wife and Their Three Sons Were Found Dead Over the Weekend Near a Campground in Southern Utah July 19, 2026 -The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said that it believed the deaths of the family, who likely arrived in the area at the end of last week to hike and canyoneer, were related to flooding caused by heavy rain. The sheriff’s office declined to provide the names of those who died. The Provo Fire and Rescue Department posted a message on social media over the weekend, though, noting the deaths of Captain Spencer Long and his family. A spa co-founded by Katrina Long, the wife of the fire captain, posted a similar message about the family’s tragedy. • 5 Mosquito-Fighting Methods That Work and 4 That Don’t A Mosquito Expert Shares the Bug Repellents and Solutions For Outdoor Spaces That She Relies On July 19, 2026 -Layering on the bug spray might be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about avoiding itchy mosquito bites and the diseases that can come with them. But that’s far from the only tactic that mosquito experts use to minimize bites. For starters, Eva Buckner, an assistant professor and state extension specialist at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, recommends taking a step back and considering the source of the bugs, especially if you live in a home with a yard, deck or other outdoor areas. Your No. 1 move, she said, is to clear the pockets of water that might be luring the bugs to your space in the first place. • Seattle Air Quality: Wildfire Smoke to Roll into Western WA Highs Over 90 July 19, 2026 -Smoke from wildfires in British Columbia is expected to drift into Western Washington this week, when temperatures are likely to climb into the mid-80s and even the mid-90s in some areas. The smoke in the Puget Sound region won’t be as thick as it has been in Eastern Washington, where some communities have recorded unhealthy or hazardous air quality in recent days. Instead, expect the sky to “look a little hazy,” said Logan Howard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. • At Least Six Dead and 21 Injured After 2 Earthquakes in Peru The First Quake Struck at a Depth of 24 km (15 miles) and the Second at 18 km July 19, 2026 -At least six people were killed and 21 injured after two earthquakes struck a mountainous region of Peru, the country's civil defense chief said on Sunday. The quakes, measuring magnitudes 5.1 and 3.7, hit on Saturday night in Chupaca province in the Junín region, about 186 miles to the east ?of Lima, according to Peru's National Seismological Center post on X. • A Ferry Carrying 133 People Capsizes Off Guyana’s Coast Leaving Dozens Missing July 19, 2026 -A government ferry carrying 133 passengers and crew capsized in Guyana with 67 people rescued so far, authorities said Sunday, as a massive search and rescue operation tried to find the dozens of people still missing. MV Barima was sailing from the capital, Georgetown, along the North Atlantic coast to Port Kaituma, said Guyanese Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who is leading the government’s response. • World’s First Superconducting Quantum Heat Engine Could Transform Quantum Computing A Machine Smaller Than a Grain of Sand Has Turned Heat Into Useful Work Near Absolute Zero... {SCITECH DAILY} July 19, 2026 -Researchers at Aalto University have built the first cyclic quantum heat engine inside a superconducting circuit. The device uses a qubit, the basic unit of quantum information, as its working substance and repeatedly drives it through heating, cooling, and energy conversion. The study, led by Academy Professor Mikko Möttönen, was published in Nature Communications. The result brings a familiar technology into an unfamiliar world. Conventional heat engines power vehicles and electricity plants by moving energy between hot and cold environments. The Aalto device follows the same basic principle, but it operates on a microscopic scale where quantum mechanics determines how energy behaves. • Second Death Reported in Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak in New York City Legionnaires’ Disease is a Form of Severe Pneumonia Caused By a Type of Bacteria That Thrives in Warm, Stagnant Water July 19, 2026 -A second person has died in connection with an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York, the New York City Health Department announced Saturday. The outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has infected 72 people, according to health officials. Two people have died. The first death was announced Friday, and the second was announced Saturday. • A Texas-Sized Water Crisis A Water Crisis in Corpus Christi, Texas, That’s Been Decades in the Making July 19, 2026 -Part of the problem has been Texas’ refusal to factor climate change into its water projections, which have consistently underestimated the severity of drought in the state. Part of the problem has been Corpus Christi’s penchant for economic development, promising too much of its water capacity to voracious industrial users in the petrochemical industry. • Mudslides Cause Flooding at Palm Theater, School in Telluride Multiple Mudslides On Friday Afternoon Caused Heavy Flooding at the Palm Theater and the Telluride Intermediate School {FOX31} July 18, 2026 -According to the Telluride Fire Protection District, crews responded to the Palm Theater around 5:30 p.m. after school officials requested it upon heading to investigate flood reports. Firefighters immediately found heavy water and mud surrounding multiple sides of the Palm Theater and Telluride Intermediate School, and began assessing for any safety concerns such as instability, leaks, electrical hazards and others posed by flooding. • As Natural Disasters Expand, a Disaster-Tracking App Is Booming Known for Tracking California Wildfires, Watch Duty is Moving Beyond That Mission July 18, 2026 -A sheriff in Southern Colorado posted a frightening map on social media this month. It depicted an angry red zone, dotted with flame icons, where wildfires were burning. And a blue zone nearby showed where floods threatened, too. The graphic wasn’t from the National Weather Service or Federal Emergency Management Agency. It came from a smartphone app. • Wildfires Forcing Firefighters to Make Impossible Choices ‘It’s Only Going to Get Worse' July 18, 2026 -ésar Alcaraz had only just become a firefighter in the late 1990s when he found himself ambushed by a fast-moving blaze. Barely able to breathe and with no more water left in his truck, he and his colleagues fled an inferno ravaging Spain’s Montgó mountain region, wishing their bosses had sent more support. But nearly three decades on, as an officer with Alicante’s provincial firefighters, Alcaraz has more sympathy for the agonising choices that commanders have to make. When wildfires overwhelm an area, his job resembles that of a doctor in an emergency room with too few ventilators. • China Planted Billions of Trees Scientists Just Found an Unexpected Advantage of These New Forests {ZME SCIENCE} July 18, 2026 -Humans have cleared forests for thousands of years. Modern deforestation, however, has pushed the world’s forests dramatically out of balance. About 10.9 million hectares of forest (an area roughly the size of Cuba) disappear each year. New and recovering forests expand across about 6.8 million hectares annually, but that growth does not fully replace what the world loses. • Aspen Acres Fire Surpasses 100,000 Acres Crews Increase Containment to More Than 60% {THE COLORADO SUN} July 18, 2026 -he Aspen Acres fire has passed the 100,000-acre mark, even as crews battling the massive blaze southwest of Pueblo continued to make strides in containing it. The 100,224-acre fire is now estimated at 61% contained, up from 48% on Friday morning, fire officials said Saturday. More than 1,600 people were assigned to the fire. • Helicopters Dump Water As Huge Norway Fire Destroys Homes It Was Not Immediately Clear Where Or How the Fire Had Started {BBC} July 18, 2026 -More than 100 homes have been destroyed by a massive fire burning through Drammen in southern Norway, rescue officials said. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the area, around 30 miles west of Oslo. No casualties or missing people have been reported so far. Dozens of firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze, which has spread to a nearby forest. Local police said the fire was "still not under control". • Flash Flood Kills 4, Leaves 4 Others Missing in Vietnam At Least Four People Were Killed and Four Others Were Missing After a ?Flash Flood Swept Through a Mountainous Village in Vietnam’s Northern Province of Lai Chau July 18, 2026 -The flood in Muong Than village early on Friday after days of heavy rains in several parts of northern Vietnam also ?injured seven people, reported the Vietnam News Agency. Vietnam is prone to deadly storms and floods during the rainy season that peaks from July through September. Natural disasters, mostly floods, killed 489 people in the country last year, according to government data. • Extreme Heat and Tooth Decay The Extreme Heat That’s Becoming Far More Common In a Warming World is Now Being Linked to Dental Problems {LOE.ORG} July 17, 2026 -The extreme heat that’s becoming far more common in a warming world is now being linked to some health impacts you might not expect. Namely, on your teeth. Extreme heat can lead to extreme dehydration, and that can take the form of not only exhaustion and brain fog, but it can even start to turn part of your body against you, prioritizing sweat for cooling over saliva production as your body goes into survival mode. And when your mouth gets too dry, that can have devastating impacts on your teeth, according to new research being done in Pakistan. • Trump Threatens Canada Over Wildfire Smoke Choking U.S. Cities Soot From Canadian Wildfires Blanketed a dozen U.S. States Friday {E&E NEWS} July 17, 2026 -A haze fell over the Capitol on Friday as smoke from Canadian wildfires stretched farther east, prompting the president and GOP lawmakers to level blame at Canada for forestry practices they said were wrecking U.S. air quality. Trump and congressional Republicans harangued the Canadian government for failing to remove excess timber and brush that fuels blazes like the ones now burning in northern Ontario. The Carney government, they said, is responsible for the toxic smoke causing dangerous air quality in cities like Chicago, New York and Washington that prompted warnings for millions of Americans to stay indoors. • 7.3-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Mexico's Coast U.S.G.S. Data Earlier Reported That the Magnitude Was 7.4 July 17, 2026 -A major, 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 8:48 a.m. Mexico Central time about 30 miles southwest of Aquiles Serdán, Mexico, data from the agency shows. • Tracking Air Quality and Smoke From Wildfires in Canada and the U.S. Wildfires in Canada, the United States and Mexico Often Send Smoke Throughout the Continent July 17, 2026 -This is the current status of air quality across the United States and Canada. (Here’s a guide to understanding air quality readings.) Smoke and particulate matter can travel far from their origin. Much of the smoke that has affected the Midwest and Northeastern United States can be traced back to fires burning in Canada. • Two Dead and Scores Rescued as Flooding Engulfs Central Texas Flooding From Relentless Rain, Which Gov. Greg Abbott Said Was Likely to Break Records July 17, 2026 -As the Guadalupe River rose to treacherous levels in Comfort, Texas, on Thursday morning, emergency workers knocked on the door of Jodye Koopman’s recreational vehicle, not far from the muddy rushing waters, and told her it was time to go. Ms. Koopman, 53, a retired librarian, found shelter at a nearby high school with her husband, sister, two children and four pets. She said that it had been difficult to leave her camper and most of her possessions behind and at the mercy of the bloated river and the relentless rain. • Strong Quake Off Mexican Coast Rattles Guatemala and El Salvador Strong Quake Off Mexican Coast Rattles Guatemala and El Salvador July 17, 2026 -A powerfulmagnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Mexico's southernmost state of Chiapas on Friday, shaking buildings as far away as Guatemala and El Salvador, though authorities said there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said emergency protocols were activated but that neither Chiapas nor the neighboring state of Tabasco reported issues, and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo said there were no deaths. • The Problem with Plastic How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late {LOE.ORG} July 17, 2026 -After World War II plastics grew from a cheap wartime alternative to a staple in the American home. From Tupperware to disposable water bottles and children’s toys, plastic waste began to pile up, and the companies making these products saw huge profits. Groups concerned about the proliferation of plastics have been encouraged by single-use plastic bans, and producer responsibility programs. But there’s still a long way to go, and the negotiations for a United Nations plastics treaty have hit roadblocks. And plastics linger in our ecosystems and our bodies long after they’re produced. • Melting Glaciers Trigger Earthquakes Scientists Discovered That a 2015 Heat Wave Sparked a Wave of Small Earthquakes Under Mont Blanc, the Tallest Mountain In Western Europe {LOE.ORG} July 17, 2026 -When we think of natural disasters caused by the climate crisis, many of us picture hurricanes and forest fires. But now, scientists are discovering that the earth beneath our feet is shifting too. In a paper released in September 2025, in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, seismologists describe how increased snow melt on our warming planet appears to be leading to earthquakes. Their investigation began at Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe, which has an unusual feature: a deep tunnel connecting Italy and France. Scientists examined the interior tunnel and identified fault lines where different sections of rock can slip past each other, just a little bit, resulting in earthquakes. After studying decades of seismic records, they saw a notable jump in earthquake frequency beginning in 2015, when a massive heat wave melted large portions of snow and ice in the Alps. To help us understand how this could work we called up Colin Meyer, an associate professor of engineering at Dartmouth who studies the fluid dynamics of snow and ice and wasn’t involved in the research itself. • What to Know About the Cclosporiasis Outbreak And How to Stay Safe {THE WALL STREET JOURNAL} July 17, 2026 -The parasite behind an unusually large outbreak of gastrointestinal illness is one many people have never heard of. Cyclosporiasis is a food-borne illness characterized by explosive diarrhea that can last weeks. On Thursday, federal authorities linked shredded iceberg lettuce from a Mexican supplier for Taco Bell restaurants in five states to the outbreak infecting thousands of people. On Friday, Taylor Fresh Foods said it was removing all of its iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market. • Wildfire Smoke Will Linger and Spread This Weekend See Which Cities Are Most Affected July 17, 2026 -Huge amounts of wildfire smoke continued to pour into the United States from Canada early Friday as Detroit, Chicago and D.C. topped the list of the world’s most polluted major cities. The smoky conditions drifted into Baltimore and D.C. overnight, creating very unhealthy air quality with index values of 281 and 247, respectively, as of 6 a.m. Eastern time. • Massive Water Leak Floods LA Streets And Opens Sink Hole Two Men Fall In {DAILY CALLER} July 16, 2026 -A massive water main break in West Hollywood Thursday morning caused severe flooding to rush through neighborhood streets, damage vehicles and create a large sinkhole that forced road closures. The break occurred around 3 a.m. local time near Palm Avenue and Haratt Street, and the water flooded the streets until 7 a.m., when the Los Angeles County Fire Department was able to shut it off, according to NBC4. • At Least 17 States Under Air Quality Alerts As Canadian Wildfire Smoke Spreads in the Midwest and Northeast Air Quality Index Readings in Parts of the Country On Thursday Were More Than Three Times the Level That's Considered Hazardous to Human Health {YAHOO!NEWS} July 16, 2026 -At least 17 states were under air quality alerts on Thursday as smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed new portions of the Midwest and Northeast. The alerts expanded to several more states as the stream of smoke spread further east and south, affecting more than 125 million Americans from Minnesota all the way to Massachusetts, New York and other parts of the Northeast. Air quality is particularly bad in Minnesota and Michigan. At certain points on Thursday, parts of northern Minnesota surpassed an Air Quality Index reading of 1,000 — the highest in the country. An AQI above 100 is considered unhealthy, while a reading over 300 is considered hazardous. • Greens Embrace Data Center Fight ‘A Better Way to Be Relevant’ {E&E NEWS} July 16, 2026 -The nation’s biggest green groups have joined the fray over data centers — and they’re starting to notch some victories after 18 months of stinging environmental setbacks under the Trump administration. Groups including the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, and Food and Water Watch are ramping up national campaigns, activating volunteers in states and providing support for local fights against the massive artificial intelligence facilities that are spreading across the country. • High Temperatures Causing Pavement Buckling on US 36 Bikeway Boulder County: Government Says Reports of Bicycle Crashes Upon Encountering Trail Heaving {DENVER7} July 16, 2026 - The recent heatwave across Colorado has caused the US 36 Bikeway to buckle, according to the City of Boulder government. High temperatures are causing the pavement to heave, as seen in the picture below. • A Pristine Himalayan Trekking Destination Is Contaminated With Microplastics Nearly 5,000 Meters Above Sea Level {ZME SCIENCE} July 16, 2026 -From Antarctica’s frozen wilderness to the heights of Mount Everest, microplastics have been found in some of the most remote places on Earth. And their reach continues to expand. A recent study published in iScience found that one of Nepal’s highest snow-fed lakes, situated at an altitude of 4,917 meters (16,132 feet) in the Himalayas, contains a significant amount of microplastic pollution. Researchers detected an average of 42 microplastic particles per liter of water, highlighting how microscopic plastic contamination has reached even some of the world’s most remote environments • Burning Houses to Save Houses? We Visited Researchers Seeking Ways to Make Homes Safer. They Set a Many Fires July 16, 2026, by Mira Rojanasakul -Earlier this year, I found myself standing with scientists, students and firefighters in the South Carolina heat, waiting for the right conditions to burn down a house. It was part of an effort to help reimagine homes and communities to make them more resistant to wildfire. Climate change is intensifying wildfires in all kinds of ways. If you live in Central Canada, the Midwest or on the East Coast, you’re probably under a blanket of smoke today from blazes in Ontario and Northern Minnesota. And wildfires are driving record losses as they make the leap into dense urban neighborhoods, like the Eaton fire and the Palisades fire did last year in California. • Hundreds Rescued, 2 Killed As Flooding Sweeps Through Parts of Texas Flooding Was Ongoing in the Same Region That Experienced a Deadly Event in July 2025 July 16, 2026 -Relentless rains were lashing Texas Hill Country on Thursday, with flash flood emergencies reported across the region, rescues ongoing and waters rising to deadly levels. Two people died as the region flooded, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a Thursday news conference. More than 200 people had been rescued, he said. A spokesperson for the governor said late Thursday the two fatalities were a 74-year-old man in Uvalde, and a man about 65 years old in Center Point. Abbott earlier said the deceased individual in Uvalde was a woman. • The Cyclosporiasis Outbreak is Ruining Peak Salad Season It’s Summer, and Suddenly We’re Afraid of What Dangers May Be Lurking in the Produce Drawer July 16, 2026 -Mid-July is when summer produce is in full swing. The temperatures are high, and I crave cool, crunchy, giant salads for dinner instead of anything that has seen the inside of an oven. The farmers market tables are chockablock with the season’s bounty. Like many people, I’m trying to cram more vegetables into my diet — and now is the time of year when that feels less like a chore and more like an invitation. These are supposed to be our salad days. But instead, with a nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite that spreads via tainted produce, I find myself in a state of salad anxiety. • The Serious Health Risks Posed By Wildfire Smoke Here's What You Need to Know July 16, 2026 -Massive wildfires are raging around the world during unprecedented heatwaves, blanketing millions of people under pungent haze caused by smoke carrying noxious gases and particulate matter that pose serious health risks. More toxic than normal air pollution, wildfire smoke can linger in the air for weeks and travel thousands of miles. Wildfires can burn not only vegetation but also vehicles and buildings as well as their contents. Along with particles of soil and biological materials, wildfire smoke often contains traces of chemicals, metals, plastics and other synthetic materials. • Michigan Issues Line 5 Permits Despite Conceding Its ‘Significant Impacts’ The Project’s Future Remains Unclear July 16, 2026 -State agencies on Wednesday issued key permits for the controversial Line 5 tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac, concluding the project’s benefits outweigh drawbacks that include disruption to Native American burial sites and harm to wetlands and rare species. The permits issued by the departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy also make way for the US Army Corps of Engineers to sign off on the project, which supporters and foes alike expect to happen soon. • Parasitic Outbreak Linked to Taylor Farms Lettuce Supplied to Taco Bell Thousands of People Have Been Sickened Across At Least Five States {THE WALL STREET JOURNAL} July 16, 2026 -Shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants has been linked to a parasitic outbreak that has infected thousands of people in five states, federal health authorities said Thursday. They have been investigating a range of produce items in a bid to trace the origins of a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, which can cause explosive diarrhea and vomiting. • Wildfire Smoke Will Worsen in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Through Friday More Than 115 Million People Could Be Exposed to Unhealthy Air Quality July 16, 2026 -Dangerous wildfire smoke is filling the skies from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic. And in some areas, conditions are expected to worsen. Through Friday, more than 115 million people are forecast to be exposed to air quality levels that are unhealthy or worse as winds funnel smoke south from out-of-control fires in Canada and Minnesota — and a heat dome traps that smoke near the ground. • California County Begins Door-to-Door Search to Save Its Grapes Officials in Santa Clara County Began Knocking On Doors On Monday to Collect Potentially Infested Plants Sold At Some Costco Stores July 15, 2026 -Concern across California about an invasive insect has sent officials in one county in the northern part of the state on a door-to-door mission to collect potentially infested grapevines sold at some Costco stores. The insect, the glassy-winged sharpshooter, was found on vines sold at select Costco locations in Santa Clara County, which includes the cities of Palo Alto, San Jose and Santa Clara, between April 21 and May 19, the county’s Division of Agriculture said in a news release. The vines and other potentially infested plants were also sold in other parts of the state. • More Health Workers Strike as Ebola Cases in Congo Exceed 2,000 Including 754 Deaths July 15, 2026 -The number of confirmed cases of Ebola in Congo has reached 2,011, including 754 deaths, according to government data released overnight in what authorities say is the fastest-growing outbreak on record. Health workers at Bunia General Hospital, the region’s largest medical center, went on strike Wednesday and are the latest group to walk off the job at the epicenter over payment issues. Health professionals and other front-line workers barricaded the entrance to the hospital, claiming they have not received pay despite working under difficult conditions. • Fear and Hope in Utah in the Shadow of America's Largest Wildfire Heard on All Things Considered {NPR} July 15, 2026 - Since it started three weeks ago the Babylon Fire has consumed more than 106,000 acres of forest in the mountains outside the town of Monticello, Utah. People there remain ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. For the last week, dozens of Monticello residents have been gathering every evening on the west edge of town, to thank and support some of the hundreds of firefighters here when a long line of their trucks roll out of the Abajo Mountains. • Whitmer Pushes Data Center Pledge — Not a Moratorium Michigan's Democratic Governor is Touting State Protections and Urging Developers to Agree to Ratepayer and Environmental Safeguards {POLITICOPRO} July 15, 2026 -Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday called on data center developers angling to build in the Great Lakes state to sign a pledge vowing that residents won’t pay for energy or water. So far, a moratorium isn’t on the table. She unveiled the Michigan Affordability and Responsible Growth Pledge, a package of 10 commitments to ensure companies pay the full cost of construction, operation, power and water tied to new projects built to support the growth of artificial intelligence. • Campaigners Oppose Dangote’s Planned Kenya Refinery Over Climate and Ecological Risks Plans to Build Africa’s Second Largest Oil Refinery in Ecologically Sensitive Region Criticised as “Environmental Recklessness” {CLIMATE HOME NEWS} July 15, 2026 -Climate and environment campaigners have urged the Kenyan government to halt plans for a proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery backed by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, warning the project threatens one of East Africa's most ecologically sensitive coastlines. The refinery, which is planned to be situated in Lamu County on Kenya's northern coast, will be East Africa's largest refining project and is expected to take up to three years to build. Once finished, it would supply refined petroleum products to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, among others, helping to reduce the region’s dependence on imported fuels. • Toronto Under an Orange Sky as Wildfire Smoke Pours Into the U.S. Northeast Air Quality in Canada’s Largest City Was At Times the Worst in the World on Wednesday... July 15, 2026 -Wildfires have swept across Ontario, prompting dozens of communities to evacuate and sending acrid smoke to New York City and across the U.S. northeast. Parts of Canada, including its most populous city, Toronto, woke Wednesday to a hazy, orange sky, the air smelling strongly of wood smoke. Air quality readings for the city triggered a warning from Environment Canada, a federal department, about the health risks of spending time outdoors. • Death Toll in Thai Pub Fire Rises to 32 Dozens Still in Hospital July 15, 2026 - The death toll from an explosive fire at a Bangkok live music pub has risen to 32 after two people died from their injuries, the Police Hospital said on Wednesday, as police investigate the possibility of negligence as a factor in the blaze. The fire, one of the deadliest in recent years in Thailand, tore through the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub in the city's northern Chatuchak area close to midnight on Sunday, with witnesses describing an explosion, a horizontal burst of fire and smoke engulfing the single-storey venue. • Climate Change and Air Pollution Combo is a ‘Double Whammy’ for Health Days That Are Both Extremely Hot and Polluted Come With Higher Risks of Respiratory Ailments and Other Health Hazards July 15, 2026 -Soaring temperatures are expected to collide with wildfire smoke across parts of the United States this week, a combination that can pose health risks. As climate change drives up global temperatures past record levels, the frequency of days when it is both hot and polluted has also been increasing. • A Major Colorado River Decision Looms Here’s How It Will Affect Millions July 15, 2026 -The federal government is poised to announce a major decision about the fate of the shrinking Colorado River — a crucial water supply for 40 million people across two countries, seven states and 30 tribes. Over the past few decades, the worst drought in at least a millennium has parched the Western landscape and caused reservoirs to dwindle. A historically warm and snowless winter reduced this year’s flow to a trickle. Water levels behind two of the nation’s largest dams are in danger of dropping so low that the dams stop functioning. • Data Centers to Add Billions in Power Costs in 13 States A Power Auction Conducted By a Giant Grid Operator is Expected to Add $6.3 Billion in Additional Charges to Consumers and Businesses... July 14, 2026 -PJM, the nation’s largest electrical grid operator, on Tuesday released results of an electricity auction that would add $6.3 billion in costs to the bills of millions of households and businesses within the next three years, an increase driven by the power demands of data centers. During the annual auction, power companies supplied prices that they were willing to accept to supply electricity to PJM at times of peak demand. Those prices are then factored into the electricity rates that are eventually charged to the grid’s customers in 13 Eastern states and the District of Columbia. • Why Corn Isn’t Entirely to Blame For ‘Corn Sweat’ Corn Has Taken the Heat For Recent Midwest Summer Humidity—Unjustly, According to Corn Experts July 14, 2026 -It’s boiling hot in the U.S. Midwest—which means it’s time for “corn sweat” to hit the headlines, drawing ire from millions sweltering under sky-high humidity and adding insult to heat wave injury. Cities that include Minneapolis, Des Moines and Indianapolis will wilt under heat index temperatures nearing or even exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the week. The phenomenon of corn sweat has only gone mainstream within the past decade, although farmers and meteorologists based in the so-called Corn Belt—centered around Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois—have long recognized the increased humidity that can occur over farm fields. But agricultural scientists say it’s time for the slander to stop: corn doesn’t “sweat” any more than other major crops. Rather the issue is the sheer amount of acreage that has been carefully managed to maximize yields. • Who's ‘Stealing’ Bali’s Water? How Tourism Siphoned Off a Prized Resource July 14, 2026 -IPutu Partayasa pushes his fingers into the soil as he squats at the edge of a rice terrace. They come up dry. His field has water; his neighbour’s does not. “We have a big problem in the dry season,” he says. “Fifteen years ago, we have water every day. But today it’s getting less.” The 52-year-old, who goes by the name Parta, is lucky because his plot sits high enough in the irrigation system so that he still gets his share of water. He fears he knows where the rest is going. “Companies take our water,” he says, “and bring it to the tourism places.” He gestures at the terraces below, a patchwork of green and brown that was once all green. “The forest is getting smaller. The springs are drying.” • Denver Water Receives 3K Watering Violation Complaints Warnings, Fines Coming {FOX31} July 14, 2026 - Denver Water is warning that additional watering restrictions could be implemented if reservoir levels continue to decline. For now, the utility is urging customers to reduce water use and follow a twice-a-week watering schedule after receiving more than 3,000 complaints from customers about neighbors potentially over-watering. • Trahan, Moulton Seek EPA Support in Wake of Haverhill Wastewater Spill Two Massachusetts Members of Congress Are Asking the U.S. EPA to Provide Federal Support After a Recent Sewer Main Failure in Haverhill {WCVB5} July 14, 2026 -The ruptured pipe in Haverhill was discovered during the night of June 26 following a storm, with a second break found about 100 yards farther along the pipe the next day. Before the overflow stopped, officials estimated that up to 10 million gallons of wastewater were entering the Merrimack River each day. State officials closed the fisheries and beaches across several North Shore communities because of the spill. • The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is Becoming a Bizarre Floating Ecosystem Coastal Animals Are Creating an Unexpected New Community {ZME SCIENCE} July 14, 2026 -In the middle of the North Pacific, thousands of kilometers from the nearest continent, sea anemones, hydroids, crustaceans and other coastal animals are living on discarded fishing nets, plastic crates and bottles. Plastic and marine life usually make for a grim combination. Here, however, researchers have documented something more complicated. • Prepare For Dangerous Air Pollution in the Northeast Thanks to Minnesota and Canada Wildfires July 14, 2026 -Wildfires in Minnesota and Ontario are spewing dangerous smoke into the air that are posing a major air pollution threat to millions living in major cities such as Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Philadelphia and New York City. As of Wednesday morning, Toronto had the highest air pollution of any city in the world. The area of high pressure that is causing yet another heat dome over the central U.S. is resulting in a clockwise flow of air is pushing wildfire smoke down to ground level and toward the southeast over the next couple of days. People in its path could experience unhealthy to hazardous levels of PM2.5 pollution—small, dangerous particles in smoke that can be breathed deeply into the lungs. For context, in the color-coded Air Quality Index, red indicates “unhealthy,” while maroon indicates “hazardous.” • Six People Found Dead in Lift Shaft After Fire in Central Brussels Building The Cause of the Fire is Unclear {BBC} July 14, 2026 -Six people have died in a fire at a building under construction in Brussels on Tuesday, local authorities have said. The bodies were recovered from a lift blocked in a shaft at the Oxy tower in the centre of the city, in an operation that lasted several hours. • UW Researchers Make AI Tool to Help Measure Devices’ Carbon Footprints It’s Even Designed to Teach Us About Our Carbon Footprints July 14, 2026 -Artificial intelligence for sustainability? When you think about the energy and water these systems need, the idea might sound antithetical, but researchers at the University of Washingtonsay a new AI agent can produce accurate and lasting results with energy spared. For the past three years, researchers have been working on an AI tool that can quickly calculate the carbon footprints of digital devices, like your cellphone. They say consumers can use the tool to make more sustainable purchases and companies can use it to develop more sustainable technology. • Aspen Acres Fire in Colorado Destroys Over 800 Structures 99,000 Acres Burned {9NEWS} July 14, 2026 -The Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado has burned more than 99,000 acres and destroyed more than 800 structures, according to fire officials. Operations Section Chief Brad Washa with the Alaska Incident Management Team said in an update Friday morning that 851 structures have been destroyed. At least 337 are homes. The fire, which started June 29, is the seventh-largest wildfire in Colorado history. Fire officials said on July 2 the fire is human-caused and remains under investigation. • Wildfire Raging South of Paris Could Have Been Set Deliberately, Says Minister The Fire Had Raced Across 800 Hectares in the Forest About 40 Miles (60Km) South-East of Paris {BBC} July 13, 2026 -The battle by firefighters in France to bring under control a large wildfire raging in forests south of the country's capital is entering its second day. The Fontainebleau forest blaze, described by officials as "virulent" and of "exceptional scale", partially closed the country's main north-south highway. • Mandatory Evacuations Issued After 2 Wildfires Break Out Near Steamboat Springs Colorado Gov. Jared Polis Has Verbally Declared a Disaster Emergency in Response to the Green Ridge Fire... {DENVER7} July 13, 2026 -Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued after two wildfires broke out near Steamboat Springs in Routt County Sunday. Mandatory evacuations were earlier issued in Zones OC-522 and OC-523 in the Green Ridge Fire, before both zones were placed back under pre-evacuation notices, as of 7:20 p.m., Sunday. Residents in zones OC-521, OC-528, OC-529, OC-531, OC-536 are under pre-evacuation at this time. Click here for an interactive map of Routt County's evacuation zones. The county also issued an emergency incident map here. • Heavy Rains and Flash Floods in Bangladesh Leave 51 Dead The Water Has Reached Knee Level in Some Parts of Dhaka {BBC} July 12, 2026 -At least 51 people have died and more than a million affected by heavy rainfall in Bangladesh in recent days. Thousands have lost their homes as flash floods and landslides hit large parts of the country, including the capital Dhaka. • The Ebola Epidemic is Getting Out of Control It Has Spread to Five Provinces in Congo and May Soon Reach South Sudan {The Economist} July 12, 2026 -“WE KEEP ASKING and we still haven’t got anything,” says Moise Bulabantu, from a dingy clapboard clinic on the outskirts of Bunia, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The 38-year-old community nurse is the only public-health worker in his district of more than 40,000 people, where an outbreak of Ebola has been spreading. Every day he sees patients who are feverish or vomiting. But the government has yet to send protective equipment. “We’re pushing for the minimum,” says Mr Bulabantu, who has bags under his eyes. “We only have gloves.” • At Least 28 Killed, 25 Critically Injured After Fire Engulfs Bangkok Bar All Fired Up {BBC} July 12, 2026 -A huge fire tore through a bar in Thailand's capital Bangkok late on Sunday, killing at least 28 people and leaving 25 critically injured. The blaze started near the stage of the bar in the popular Chatuchak district, then spread rapidly, cutting power and engulfing the room with smoke, eyewitnesses say. • Scientists Discover Tiny Frog Holding the Secret to Wiping Out Cancer This Will Give You Hope {HEALTHY HAPPY NEWS} July 12, 2026 -In a discovery that sounds almost too good to be true, Japanese scientists have uncovered a natural cancer-fighting powerhouse hiding in the most unexpected place — inside the intestines of a tiny tree frog. The breakthrough is giving researchers and patients alike a reason to smile and hope for the future of cancer treatment. Led by Professor Eijiro Miyako at Japan’s Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the team made a stunning discovery while studying the Japanese tree frog (Hyla japonica). They found that a naturally-occurring bacteria called Ewingella americana, which lives in the frog’s digestive system, possesses remarkably potent anticancer properties.

The Issues: What We Need to Know
Lead Poisoning Details Help End Food Wast Global Sand Mining Carbon Offset Credits Air Pollution and PM2.5 Breaking Down Toxic PFAS Ethylene Oxide Exposure Chicago Urban Agriculture Clean Up Your Cleaning Act Arsenic In Our Babies’ Cereal Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Paying Back Koch Industries Radon's Impact on Our Lungs The Guardian Climate Pledge About Those Toxic Chemicals A Cleaner Way to Remove CO2 Dos and Don’ts of Pesticide Use Danger: Seismic Airgun Blasting Confronting Ocean Acidification What Our Agencies Don’t Tell Us Avoid Hurricane Surge Flooding Map Showing the Lost Rainforests Toxic Release Inventory Program Fossil Fuel Facts You Should Know Pesticides and Farm Worker Safety What to Know About Ground Water The Mushroom That Can Eat Plastic Bali Fights For its Beautiful Beaches Your Car Needs a Professional Wash Can We Restore the Gulf of Mexico? The Fossil Fuels Behind Forest Fires The PFAs in Clark's Marsh, Michigan Know The Clean Drinking Water Facts Wipes Are Tearing Up Our Sewer Systems Green Ammonia fo a Sustainable Future Companies Reducing Their CO2 Footprint Derailed Train Ordered Pay Cleanup Costs Lifestyle Changes to Shrink Carbon Footprint	• What Will Power the A.I. Revolution? It Could End Up Increasing Emissions, at Least in the Short Term Jan. 7, 2025 - Last week, Microsoft announced that it would spend approximately $80 billion during this fiscal year to build data centers for its booming artificial intelligence business. That gargantuan sum is a testament to the opportunity that Microsoft and other tech giants see in A.I. It also has the makings of a climate conundrum. • ‘Forever Chemicals’ Reach Tap Water via Treated Sewage Wastewater, Even After Treatment to Make it Drinkable, Contains High PFAS Levels Jan. 6, 2025 - As the world grapples with climate change, population growth and dwindling supplies of fresh water, more people are set to rely on treated wastewater to sustain their daily lives. But wastewater, even after treatment, contains high levels of harmful “forever chemicals” that are already contaminating the drinking water of millions of Americans, researchers said in a study published on Monday that analyzed wastewater samples nationwide. • Heavy Snow and Ice Move From Midwest to Mid-Atlantic Hundreds of Thousands of Customers from Missouri to Virginia were Suffering Power Outages... Jan. 6, 2025 - A wide-reaching winter storm dropped more than a foot of snow and closed major highways in parts of the Midwest as it continued its trek eastward Monday. In parts of the Great Plains, snow totals exceeded anything that had been seen in decades. At least three fatalities were reported in two traffic incidents in the Midwest. Click now for more of the story. • Biden to Block Oil Drilling Across 625 Million Acres of U.S. Waters Affecting Future Oil and Gas Leasing Across Parts of the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Northern Bering Sea Jan. 4, 2025 - President Joe Biden will move Monday to block all future oil and gas drilling across more than 625 million acres of federal waters — equivalent to nearly a quarter of the total land area of the United States, according to two people briefed on the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement is not yet public. Click now for additional information. • ‘A Place For Kids to Play and a Place to Store Water’ The Stormwater Capture Zone that is Also a Playground Jan. 3, 2025 - For a city that is almost small enough to fit inside Manhattan’s Central Park just a few miles away, a lot of history has played out within the narrow borders of Hoboken, New Jersey. It was the site of the first organized baseball game in 1846, home of one of the US’s first breweries in the 17th century and the place where Oreo cookies were first sold in 1912. And, as any Hobokenite will tell you, the Mile Square City, as it is called, is also known for something else. • How an Antacid For the Ocean Could Cool the Earth A New Technology Promises to Remove Carbon From the Atmosphere and Prevent Ocean Acidification Jan. 3, 2025 - The world’s oceans stow vast amounts of carbon dioxide. Now, a growing group of scientists and companies say they’ve found a way to increase that storage capacity by tweaking ocean water chemistry. The technique, known as ocean alkalinity enhancement, usually involves dissolving acid-neutralizing rocks in the ocean, allowing it to absorb more carbon dioxide. • This Hidden Mineral is Crumbling Thousands of Home Foundations Across New England Pyrrhotite Causes Cracks in Concrete. But Research on How Widespread the Issue Might Be Has Only Scratched the Surface Jan. 3, 2025 - In 2020, Karen Bilotti and her husband, Sam, started to notice fine lines in their basement’s concrete walls. Ordinarily, they might not have given them a second thought. But the Bilottis had recently heard about a growing group of nearby homeowners in Massachusetts with larger cracks in their foundations, and Sam began to worry. “‘With our luck, our house is probably affected,’” Karen recalled him saying. “And I’m like, ‘You’re crazy. You’re absolutely ridiculous. There’s no way.’” Through core testing, scientists and engineers had determined the culprit behind fissures like those in their neighbors’ homes was pyrrhotite, a mineral made up of sulfur and iron found in some concrete aggregates. • Not a Happy New Years Eve For Puerto Rico Power is Restored to Nearly All of Puerto Rico After a Major Blackout Jan. 2, 2025 - Power was restored to nearly all electrical customers across Puerto Rico on Wednesday after a sweeping blackout plunged the U.S. territory into darkness on New Year’s Eve. By Wednesday afternoon, power was back up for 98% of Puerto Rico’s 1.47 million utility customers, said Luma Energy, the private company overseeing transmission and distribution of power in the archipelago. Lights returned to households as well as to Puerto Rico’s hospitals, water plants and sewage facilities after the massive outage that exposed the persistent electricity problems plaguing the island. • Underwater Volcano Off Oregon Coast Scientists Anticipate the Submarine Volcano Will Erupt Before the End of 2025 Jan. 2, 2025 - In the depths of the Pacific Ocean, 470 kilometers off the Oregon coast, a drama is unfolding. Axial Seamount, one of the most active underwater volcanoes in the world, is swelling with magma. Scientists believe it will erupt before the end of 2025—a bold prediction, but one based on decades of monitoring and a unique volcanic rhythm. Bill Chadwick, a geophysicist at Oregon State University, likens the situation to a pressure cooker nearing its limit... • Detecting Hidden Moisture in Your Walls This Radar System Can Do Just That Jan. 2, 2025 - Mold is one of the most significant challenges for homeowners, and once it takes hold, it can be incredibly difficult to eliminate. Preventing mold is the best approach, and the cornerstone of mold prevention is managing humidity. Now, researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a method using microwave radar to monitor the moisture content in wood inside walls. “We know microwave radar shows great promise for this, because it’s well known that it can measure the moisture in wood samples,” ORNL’s Philip Boudreaux said. “But can it measure moisture in wood that is inside a wall to detect high-moisture issues before they become a big problem? That’s the challenge.” • Bird Flu Strikes Again Severe Case Confirmed in the US Jan. 2, 2025 - A patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of bird flu (H5N1). This is the first instance of serious illness from this virus in the United States. Although health officials emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low and the virus still isn’t transmitted from human to human, this as a stark reminder that avian influenza remains a persistent and pervase threat, especially to those in close contact with birds and other animals. Click now to read all about it. Louisiana Plastics Plant Put On Pause is a Win For Activists Parisians: Recovering a River Now Buried Under the City Cities Take Action to Limit Loud and Polluting Lawn Care Air Pollution Causes Over 1 Million Stillbirths Each Year Plastic Pellets Flow From the Mississippi Into the Gulf How About a Little Radio-activity in Your Fertilizer? Sustainable Concrete: Do What the Romans Did NY Fracked Gas Plant Rejections Set Precedent To Clear City Smog, Chile Pushes Electric Taxis • Moving Stockholm Toward an Emissions-Free Future Slaughterhouses Pollute Our Waterways Amazon and Others Destroy Unsold Products Plastic Pollution is in All Areas of the U.S. Tropicana Sued Over Malic Acid Presence Drinking Water With ‘Forever Chemicals’ Did We Really Need a Clean Water Rule? Solving the Global Cooling Problem Uranium Mining in the Grand Canyon Insects Could Vanish Within a Century Declining: The Dirt Beneath Our Feet Wiping Out the Boreal Forest - Literally Coal Ash: Hazardous to Human Health NRDC Warns of Up to 40% Food Waste Mangroves May Store More Much CO2 How Do I Reduce My CO2 Footprint? C’mon Congress - Get the Lead Out	Reinvent Cement World Oceans Day The Global Safety Net Tropical Deforestation NOAA Carbon Tracker Ocean Plastics Pollution Dirty Water = Dirty Fish The Real Cost of Carbon 16 Must-See Documentaries Going Green When You Go Your Car's Carbon Footprint Interactive Power Grid Maps Minimizing Pesticide Usage Asbestos Exposure Treatment Micro-plastics Raining Down Diesel School Buses & Health Singapore's Marina Barrage Drinking Water Report Card The Toll s Single-Use Plastics Compare Your City's Pollution What Is Amphibious Architecture? Costa Rica Reversed Deforestation Headed for the Last Roundup®? The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Head & Shoulders Above the Rest How Your State Makes Electricity Australia’s Ecosystems Collapsing The Goldman Environmental Prize Transportation Emissions in the U.S. How Fracking Threatens Our Water Air Pollution and Its Health Impacts Keeping Plastics Out of Our Oceans The World's Most Controversial Tree A Plant in Florida Emits Nitrous Oxide Who's Sueing Who Over Gulf Oil Spill? Coffee With a Side of Microplastics Affect of Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells Cancer Causing Radon in Your Home

India: Source of the Worst Pollution

The World Air Quality Report 2024 by AQI aims to highlight the global air quality trends in 2024 to support the progress on environmental actions globally. Thus, the report focuses on the PM2.5 concentrations and AQI (Air Quality Index) across countries and cities. To offer a comprehensive air pollution view, both real-time and historical data from AQI.in have been collected and utilized.

The report analyzes the AQI and PM2.5 levels in the air across 5,750 cities in 140 countries and regions. The data for this report was collected from more than 15,432 air quality monitoring stations operated by governmental bodies, research institutions, universities, and other organizations.

The data used in the following report was sourced from AQI.in, which monitors and collects real-time air quality. This report categorizes the data by countries, regions and cities and also includes city-wise and country-wise rankings. The Asia region has more extensive data coverage because of a higher number of air quality monitoring stations in the area. The report utilizes AQI and PM2.5 metrics to understand the air pollution risk globally. • AQI: Calculated based on the U.S. standardized measurement system. • PM2.5 Data: Reported in µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic meter), adhering to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for PM2.5 levels. • Cigarette data is based on PM2.5 levels using Berkeley’s rule: 1 cigarette = 22 µg/m³ PM2.5.

x s

Oil Spill History

"Birds and Oil Don't Mix"
• The Oilspill That Never Quite Goes Away Signs of BP's Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Persist Over a Decade Later Aug. 10, 2022, -Though the leak was eventually capped (temporarily in July 2010 and permanently in September 2010), the spill damage and lingering effects didn’t end there. Even more than a decade later, some signs of the environmental catastrophe remain, according to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. • Massive Spill Hits Southern California’s Beaches About 3,000 Barrels of Oil Leaked from a Broken Pipeline Off the California Coast Oct. 3, 2021, (Bloomberg Green)-California beaches in Northern Orange County were closed and wetlands contaminated by a huge oil spill caused by a broken pipeline off the coast. About 3,000 barrels of oil leaked from the pipeline and washed up on beaches and wetlands in Huntington Beach, a popular spot for Southern California surfers and beach goers. The beach’s ocean and shoreline have been closed indefinitely, the city said in a statement Sunday. • Mystery: Origin of the Oil Killing Brazilian Sea Turtles? Oil Is Killing Brazil’s Turtles Where Is It From? Oct. 12, 2019 (TIME)- More than a month since oil started washing up on some of Brazil’s most touristic beaches, dotting sand with b lack patches, killing sea turtles and scaring off fishermen, the origin of the crude is still a mystery. “We don’t know the oil’s origin, where it came from or how it got here,” Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque said at an offshore exploration auction in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday Click now for more details • One Dead in Gulf of Mexico Rig Accident One dead in Gulf of Mexico Rig Accident - But No Pollution July 21, 2019 (UPI) -There is no pollution associated with an explosion on a drilling platform about 12 miles off the coast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico, a regulator said. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said it was notified by oil and gas operator Fieldwood Energy of an explosion on its Echo Platform. Fieldwood said one contract worker was killed and three other employees were treated for injuries at an onshore medical facility. Click now for the whole story. • 14-Year-old Oil Leak in Gulf: Far Worse Than Taylor Energy Says New Estimate for an Oil Leak: 1,000x Worse Than Rig Owner Says June 25, 2020 (NY Times Climate Forward) -A new federal study has found that an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico that began 14 years ago has been releasing as much as 4,500 gallons a day, not three or four gallons a day as the rig owner has claimed. The leak, about 12 miles off the Louisiana coast, began in 2004 when a Taylor Energy Company oil platform sank during Hurricane Ivan and a bundle of undersea pipes ruptured. Oil and gas have been seeping from the site ever since. Click now to read all about it. • It’s Been Nine Years Since the Deepwater Horizon Incident Nine Years After Deepwater Horizon April 16, 2017 (National Wildlife Federation) - It has been nine years since BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana, killing eleven men and unleashing an 87 day-long torrent of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. National Wildlife Federation has taken an active role in Gulf recovery, advocating for science-based decision-making to benefit wildlife and their habitats as Gulf leaders invest recovery funds into restoration. While there are still decades of recovery ahead, significant strides have been made over the last eight years to restore the Gulf for coastal communities and wildlife. As we reflect on the lives lost and the damage wrought, we should also consider how we can prevent a similar disaster from happening in the future. Click now for the complete story • Torrey Canyon Oil Spill - Learning From History Torrey Canyon Disaster – the UK's Worst-Ever Oil Spill 50 Years On Mar. 18, 2017 (The Guardian) - “I saw this huge ship sailing and I thought he’s in rather close, I hope he knows what he’s doing,” recalled Gladys Perkins of the day 50 years ago, when Britain experienced its worst ever environmental disaster. The ship was the Torrey Canyon, one of the first generation of supertankers, and it was nearing the end of a journey from Kuwait to a refinery at Milford Haven in Wales. The BP-chartered vessel ran aground on a rock between the Isles of Scilly and Land’s End in Cornwall, splitting several of the tanks holding its vast cargo of crude oil. Click now for the complete story	• The Prospect of Cuba Drilling In The Gulf Concerns Tampa Bay Advocates of Gulf Oil-Drilling Ban Worried By Talks With Cuba Aug. 18, 2016 (Tampa Bay Times) - Progress in international talks over who owns a piece of the Gulf of Mexico has raised the specter of a Deepwater Horizon tragedy along local shores. A few hundred miles from the west coast of Florida is a 7,700-square-mile area of the Gulf of Mexico known as the Eastern Gap, thought to be rich with oil but with no clear owner. The U.S., Cuban and Mexican governments are now negotiating how to split the area among the three nations. Once that happens, each country can drill for oil in its allotted portion. • Shell Oil Mimics BP With 90,000 Gal. of Crude Shell Oil Spill Dumps Nearly 90,000 Gallons of Crude Into Gulf May 13, 2016 (EcoWatch) -An oil spill from Royal Dutch Shell’s offshore Brutus platform has released 2,100 barrels of crude into the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The leak—roughly 88,200 gallons—created a visible 2 mile by 13 mile oil slick in the sea about 97 miles south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana, according to the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Officials said that the accident occurred near Shell’s Glider field, an underwater pipe system that connects four subsea oil wells to the Brutus platform, which floats on top of the water with a depth of 2,900 feet. Click now for more (if you can bear it). • Blowout Highlights Gulf Drilling Dangers Blowout Highlights Gulf Drilling Dangers July 25, 2013 (Mother Nature Network) -Flames erupted from an offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, torching a natural gas plume that had been leaking since a blowout earlier in the day. All 44 rig workers were evacuated before the fire began, according to the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, but the rig continued spewing gas until Thursday morning, when its scorched frame finally collapsed enough to cut off the leak. Click now for the whole story. • Obama White House Lifts Deepwater Drilling Ban Obama White House Lifts Deepwater Drilling Ban Oct. 12, 2010 (CBS News) -The Obama administration on Tuesday lifted the deep water oil drilling moratorium that the government imposed in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the disastrous BP oil spill. The administration has been under heavy pressure from the industry and others in the region to lift the six-month ban on grounds it has cost jobs and damaged the economy. A federal report said the moratorium likely caused a temporary loss of 8,000 to 12,000 jobs in the Gulf region. While the temporary ban on exploratory oil and gas drilling is lifted immediately, drilling is unlikely to resume immediately. Drilling companies must meet a host of new safety regulations before they can resume operations, officials said. Click now for more if you can bear it. • Enter the No-Spin Zone of the Deep: the BP Live Feed The No-Spin Zone of the Deep June 5, 2010 (Christian Science Monitor) - It was the last thing BP wanted: An open, high-definition live video feed – a "spillcam," if you will – showing in excruciating detail the massive oil geyser fouling the Gulf of Mexico, a situation admittedly caused by the giant extractive firm. But after a series of PR disasters – waffling, obfuscating, misplaced optimism, a gaffe-prone CEO – the decision by BP, under pressure from Congress, to put the live feed on the air reaped some unexpected plaudits for the company. Click now for the complete story from the archives. • Can We Restore the Gulf of Mexico? Gulf Oil Spill: Dispersants Have Potential to Cause More Harm Than Good May 11, 2010 (CISTON PR Newswire) -The chemical dispersants being used to break up the oil leaking into the gulf following the explosion of British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig have the potential to cause just as much, if not more, harm to the environment and the humans coming into contact with it than the oil possibly would if left untreated. That is the warning of toxicology experts, led by Dr. William Sawyer, addressing the Gulf Oil Disaster Recovery Group, a group of lawyers working to protect the rights and interests of environmental groups and persons affected by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The group represents the United Fishermen's Association and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN), among others. Click now to learn more. • Exxon Valdez: The Story That Never Goes Away 20 Years After Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Alaskan Coastline Remains Contaminated Mar. 24, 2009 (Democracy Now) - Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the worst environmental disasters in history. The Exxon Valdez spilled between 11 and 38 million gallons of crude oil into the fishing waters of Prince William Sound. The spill contaminated more than 1,200 miles of Alaska’s shoreline and killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds and marine animals. It also dealt a staggering blow to the residents of local fishing towns, and the effects of the disaster are still being felt today. We speak with Riki Ott, a community activist, marine toxicologist, former commercial salmon fisherma’am and author of two books on the spill. Her latest is Not One Drop: Betrayal and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Spill. Click now for the story deep in the archives.

America's Greenest Cities

Provided by Mother Nature Network
# 1 - Portland, Ore The city of microbrewery mania and home to megastore Powell's Books — one of the few remaining independent booksellers in the country — is No. 1 in sustainability. Declared the most bikeable city in the United States for its 200 miles of dedicated bike lanes, Portland certainly makes forgoing gas-powered travel easy. And for lessons in DIY sustainable food sources, classes are available for container gardening and cheese making, or beekeeping and chicken keeping.	# 2 - San Francisco, Cal. Declared by Mayor Gavin Newsom to be America's solar energy leader, this vibrant city of cultural tolerance was a 1960s icon and epicenter for the Summer of Love. But in addition to peace, love and solar power, there's also an innovative recycling program with an artist-in-residence at the recycling facility. The artist uses his work to inspire residents to recycle and conserve. San Francisco is also the first U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags, a concept that supports its effort to divert 75 percent of landfill waste by 2010.
# 3 - Boston, Mass. It's hard to think of this city without also thinking of tea — as a commodity, not a drink. Boston ranks high among the urban green elite. Sustainability efforts include a "Green by 2015" goal to replace traditional taxi cabs with hybrid vehicles, recycle trash to power homes, use more solar panels, and use more electric motorbikes for transportation. The city's first annual Down2Earth conference was held in 2008. It's designed to educate residents about how to live the most sustainable lifestyle.	# 4 - Oakland, Calif. Residents of this port city have access to an abundance of fresh, organic food, much of which is locally sourced. It's also home to the nation's cleanest tap water, hydrogen-powered public transit and the country's oldest wildlife refuge. Oakland also plans to have zero waste and be oil-independent by 2020, and already gets 17 percent of its energy from renewable sources.
# 5 - Eugene, Ore. Known as the Emerald City for its natural green beauty, this baby boomer haven and second largest city in the state has been doing the "green" thing since the 1960s. In 2008, after only one year of service, the Emerald Express, a hybrid public transit system, won a Sustainable Transport award. Cycling is the preferred mode of transportation, made possible by the 30 miles of off-street bike paths and 29 dedicated bike routes, which total a whopping 150 miles of smog-free travel throughout the metro area.	# 6 - Cambridge, Mass. In 2008, Prevention Magazine named Cambridge "the best walking city." Thoreau's Walden Pond can be found in nearby Concord, and education powerhouses Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University are located here. In 2002, city officials implemented a major climate protection plan and today most city vehicles are fueled by B20 biodiesel or electricity. All new construction or major renovations must meet LEED standards. And a project called "Compost that Stuff" collects and processes organic waste from residents, restaurants, bars and hotels.
# 7 - Berkeley, Calif. A great place to find an abundance of organic and vegetarian restaurants is also on the cutting edge of sustainability. Berkeley is recognized as aleader in the incubation of clean technology for wind power, solar power, biofuels and hydropower.	# 8 - Seattle, Wash. The unofficial coffee klatch capitol of the country is also sustainable-living savvy. More than 20 public buildings in Seattle are LEED-certified or under construction for LEED certification. Through an incentive program, residents are encouraged to install solar panels on their homes for energy conservation. Sustainable Ballard, a green neighborhood group and sustainability festival host, offers ongoing workshops about how to live in harmony with the environment.
# 9 - Chicago, Ill. The Windy City has embraced land sustainability far longer than you may think. In 1909, pioneering city planner Daniel Hudson Burnham created a long-range plan for the lakefront that balanced urban growth, and created a permanent greenbelt around the metropolitan area. This greening of the city continues through the Chicago Green Roof Program. More than 2.5 million SQF city roofs support plant life — including Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) and the city hall building. Also, about 500,000 new trees have been planted.	# 10 - Austin Tex. Carbon neutral by 2020 — it's an ambitious goal, but Austin Energy is the nation's top seller of renewable energy among 850 utility-sponsored programs, which makes its goal to power the city solely on clean energy within reach. As the gateway to the scenic Texas Hill Country, acreage in Austin devoted to green space includes 206 parks, 12 preserves, 26 greenbelts and more than 50 miles of trails.

Safer Habitats Table of Contents
(Click on a link below to get the full picture.)
Clean Air Council	Climate Emergency Network	Common Dreams	Earthworks
Env. Impact Assessment	Environmental Working Group	Florida Black Bears	Fly California
Gold Rush vs Salmon Habitat	Guardian Sustainable Business	Los Angeles Mass Transit	Mass.gov
Sierra Club	UNLV Recycling	Virginia Dept of Env. Quality	Your Cities, Yourselves

Organizations for Safer Habitats

(Click on an image for more of the story)
The Guardian Sustainable Business Read articles like "Famers Turn Tobacco into Airplane Fuel," Infographics on Air Pollution and Your Health, Cardboard Boxes You Sleep In, and much, much more. Florida Black Bears are in trouble, and they can't hire their own lawyers. -but we can help.	Gold Rush vs Salmon Habitat Five major mining projects have been proposed for the transboundary watershed – the waters shared by British Columbia and southeast Alaska. The region is home to important salmon producing rivers that originate in British Columbia and run through Alaska to the sea. A number of environmental groups, Alaskan Natives and commercial fishermen strongly oppose some of these mining developments across the border. They argue mining could have negative impacts on the salmon and water quality, and irrevocably alter the region's economy, environment and way of life
Environmental Working Group Two-thirds of produce samples in recent government tests had pesticide residues. Don't want to eat bug- and weed-killers? EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce helps you shop smart. We highlight the cleanest and dirtiest conventionally-raised fruits and vegetables. If a conventionally grown food you want tests high for pesticides, go for the organic version instead. And remember - the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh risks of pesticide exposure. Dirty Dozen™ Plus highlights hot peppers and leafy greens - kale and collard greens - often tainted with unusually hazardous pesticides.	Hydraulic Fracturing (AKA Fracking). Another assault to the environment for which we can thank Haliburton and others. Read all about this extreme method of natural gas extraction , and its impact on water quality and other serious health issues (human and other species). Click the Earthworks icon to learn more.
100 Coal Plants Unplugged. This Sierra Club milestone, 100 coal plants defeated, marks a significant shift in the way Americans are looking at our energy choices. Read on and/or view video.	What Massachusetts is doing about Climate Change?
Flooded Village Files Suit, Citing Corporate Link to Climate Change. The eroding village of Kivalina in the Northwest Arctic is suing Exxon Mobil and 23 other energy companies for damage related to global warming. Read all about it.	This is the web page for Climate Emergency Network news. Click now to get there.
Impact reports for the high speed rail system. You can fly California without leaving the ground, or the carbon footprint associated with air travel. Includes maps of the extensive rail system. ALL ABOARD! The Cape Wind Project will bring clean energy to Nantucket Sound. The project has been delayed by NIMBY (not in my back yard) issues by some who claim to be environmentalists.	An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an assessment of the likely positive and/or negative influence a project may have on the environment. “Environmental Impact Assessment can be defined as: The process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made.”[1] The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision-makers consider environmental impacts before deciding whether to proceed with new projects.
EIR + Facts about the Los Angeles Metro - yes, L.A. has a mass transit system. Also read about the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)	Your Cities, Yourselves Smart-growth advocates offer tips for changing your neck of the woods.
Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality The Office of Environmental Impact Review coordinates the Commonwealth's response to environmental documents for proposed state and federal projects. The environmental impact review staff distributes documents to appropriate state agencies, planning districts and localities for their review and comment. Upon consideration of all comments, the staff prepares a single state response.	Discover how Networkfleet can help lower fleet fuel costs and greenhouse emissions with technology that combines GPS vehicle tracking with onboard engine diagnostics.
Monitoring the environmental impact of Pennsylvania's energy generation. A steward in validating the state's compliance with the Clean Air Act. What happens in Pennsylvania doesn't necessarily stay in Pennsylvania.	Between 2003 and 2006, the UNLV Rebel Recycling Program recycled 2,144.5 tons of materials. Paper/Fiber (cardboard, paper, books) recycled was 1,641.6 tons. The diversion of these materials from the Apex landfill to the manufacturing process resulted in a positive impact on the global environment. Click on the logo for more.

Companies Producing Cleaner Power

(More companies will be
added to this page shortly)

1366 One Step Closer to
Opening US Solar PV Wafer Facility

Solar silicon wafer innovator 1366 Technologies has landed new funding led by newest partner Tokayama, and is ready to scale up to a 250-MW production line ahead of an anticipated upswing in demand.

Ten months ago 1366 moved into a new 25-MW pilot facility in Bedford, Massachusetts, to nail down process and tweak equipment for its solar silicon wafering technology to take the next step toward commercialization. In June of 2013 the firm inked a R&D deal with Japanese silicon producer Tokuyama with hints that it could expand to an equity investment.

What if a cost-effective air pollution control technology could actually increase energy efficiency? What if it were possible to prevent harmful emissions from the combustion of any fuel, including gas, biomass, coal — even tire-derived fuel and municipal solid waste — in the flame, before those pollutants were ever formed?

The executives at Fulton-based Redox Power Systems are making a bold bet: The homes and businesses of the future will be powered by an extraterrestrial-looking apparatus loaded with fuel cells that convert natural gas and air into electricity.

The technology promises to be more efficient and environmentally friendly than the systems that power many buildings today, but the company has to first overcome the economic and social barriers that often beset renewable energy ventures.

Mesothelioma is a Disease Brought
On By Exposure to Asbestos

Disclaimer: There are many sites that focus on treatment, but we lack the credentials to recommend the best ones*. We've provded a short list:

• Mesothelioma Justice Network • MesotheliomaLawyerCenter.org
• Mesothelioma Staging System • Treat Mesothelioma.org
• Mesothelioma Help Now

*Always consult with a professional
before making your choice.