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Plastic foam packaging will soon be outlawed in New York City. -

Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to announce that, beginning July 1, restaurants and food carts in the Big Apple will have to use an alternative to polystyrene foam, which piles up in landfills and lasts for centuries. How much foam will be kept out of the dump? Last year the city collected 28,000 tons of the stuff. New York Times

Work on America's first high-speed rail system begins in California. -

The 200-mph bullet train will eventually transport riders between Los Angeles and San Francisco in just three hours (the trip currently takes up to 19!). Governor Jerry Brown sees the project as critical to his goal of having half of California's power come from renewable energy by 2030. All aboard? The Seattle Times

You want to create a system of abject paranoia, so no one would feel safe.

—Humorist David Sedaris, advising British MPs and industry representatives on ways to combat his adopted country’s “disgraceful” litter problem (he recommends public shaming and heavy fines).

Obama threatens to veto Keystone XL. -

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised that legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline expansion would be the first bill to reach President Obama's desk this year. Apparently, it will also be the first the president sends back. A few moments ago, on the opening day for the new Congress, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters, "If this bill passes this Congress, the president won't sign it." The Hill

Monarch butterflies are in trouble. -

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently launched a one-year assessment of the winged beauties to see if they should be put on the endangered species list. Deforestation, pesticides, and extreme weather have decimated monarch populations, and a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity says the 90 percent decline seen over the last 20 years is comparable to "losing every living person in the United States except those in Florida and Ohio." Yikes. That sounds really bad. LiveScience

The government's new dietary guidelines may cover sustainability as well as nutrition. -

An early draft of the recommendations says eating more plants and less meat is “more health-promoting and is associated with lesser environmental impact than is the current average U.S. diet” (which, ICYMI, is pretty darn meaty). Better health and fewer emissions? That's a New Year's resolution we can get behind. Associated Press