A new report by the World Health Organization says more than 9 out of 10 people live in places where the air quality exceeds safe limits. Outdoor air pollution contributes to about three million deaths every year, and WHO says the problem is getting better in rich countries and worse in poorer countries. BBC

The parliament voted last week to slash emissions 55 percent by 2030—which would require the Netherlands' remaining coal plants to close. Though the vote is non-binding, both the Liberal and Labour parties say they will push to implement the motion quickly. The Guardian

A new report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature says the number of elephants across the continent went from 500,000, in 2006, to 415,000, in 2015. The decline puts pressure on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is meeting in South Africa this week, to take strong action against the ivory trade. Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this weekend that India, which accounts for 4.5 percent of global emissions, will soon join the landmark climate change pact. He chose October 2 because it coincides with Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Mashable

Commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners, HFCs trap thousands of times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Their growing use in developing countries could lead them to account for 20 percent of all emissions by 2050. A coalition of 100 countries hopes to scale that usage back, with 16 countries offering to pony up $27 million next year in support; private philanthropists are pledging $53 million. The Guardian

A new study says the four quakes—all between magnitude 4 and magnitude 4.8—that struck Timpson, Texas, in 2012 were triggered by nearby wastewater injection wells. Many studies have linked injection wells to tremors, but the new research uses radar imagery and computer simulations to get better data on the conditions that lead to manmade shaking. Science Magazine

This week 50 North American First Nations tribes signed the Treaty Alliance Against Tar Sands Expansion, committing to jointly fight proposals to build more pipelines to carry crude oil from Alberta's tar sands region. The groups say further development would damage the environment, and plan to oppose rail and tanker projects, too. Reuters

This week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the rusty patched bumblebee as an endangered species. The population has declined more than 90 percent over the last two decades; its biggest threats come from pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change. The Hill

If we don’t act boldly, the bill that could come due will be mass migrations, and cities submerged and nations displaced, and food supplies decimated, and conflicts born of despair.