According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the combined extent of polar sea ice on December 4 was about 3.84 million square kilometers below average—a record low for this time of year at both of the poles. The shrinkage comes after an unusually hot November in the Arctic, with temperatures climbing 20 degrees Celsius above normal on some days. Reuters

Energy Transfer Partners has not been granted an easement under Lake Oahe, and the decision essentially halts the construction of the highly controversial pipeline. The Army Corps now plans to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement and take public input. It's not over yet, but it is a major victory for the Standing Rock Sioux, who have been fighting to protect their land and water from Big Oil for months. NPR

The rules require automakers to nearly double fleet-wide fuel efficiency to more than 50 miles per gallon by 2025. The EPA has until April 2018 to decide whether or not to modify the standards, but the agency released a statement today saying it's moving to finalize the rules now—suggesting it wants to do so before Trump takes office. Reuters

In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, the president-elect's chief of staff clarified Trump's flip-flops over climate action. Though Trump told the New York Times he would keep an open mind about sticking to the Paris Agreement (after previously promising to withdraw from the international climate deal), Priebus says Trump will listen to others' views on the subject but his position is that climate change "is a bunch of bunk." ThinkProgress

According to Bob Walker, who has advised the president-elect on issues related to NASA, Trump wants the space agency to avoid "politically correct environmental monitoring" and focus instead on deep space research. NASA plays a crucial role in climate research, so for the sake of all earthlings, let's hope Trump changes his tune. The Guardian

Last night anti-Dakota Access Pipeline activists on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation reported being hit by rubber bullets and pepper spray as well as being hosed with water in below-freezing temperatures. According to the Indigenous Environmental Network, 167 people were injured and seven were taken to the hospital. The Guardian

A new five-year plan for energy development in federal waters puts an end to exploration in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas and bans drilling off the Atlantic Coast. Environmental groups (including NRDC) have praised the move, but are urging the Obama administration to make the bans permanent. Washington Post

Heads of state can and will change...I am confident that we can and we will sustain a durable international effort to counter climate change.

Donald Trump vowed on the campaign trail to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement. The former French president, who is running for office again, suggested that if Trump makes good on his promise, Europe should add a 1 to 3 percent tax on products made in the United States. Grist