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The Middle East just set new all-time heat records -
Mitribah, Kuwait, hit 129.2 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday and the temperature in Basra, Iraq, rose to 129 degrees on Friday. If these scorching measurements are confirmed, they will become the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the Eastern Hemisphere—and possibly even the world. Washington Post
Many Americans don't realize the environmental consequences of food waste -
A new national survey finds that less than 60 percent of respondents know wasting food is bad for the environment. (Trashing food squanders the resources that went into growing and transporting it—plus, the garbage releases lots of methane when rotting in landfills). Awareness of the issue, however, is rising. One promising sign: Walmart plans to start selling imperfect-looking produce that doesn't usually make it onto shelves. Bloomberg
The United States will miss its climate target if these pipelines get built -
Energy companies want to build 19 natural gas pipelines across the eastern United States. But a new report says the pipelines would add 15.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas production per day—enough to make the country miss its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 83 percent by 2050. Reuters
It’s time to decouple economic growth from overuse of resources -
Global material extraction tripled between 1970 and 2010, with people in developed countries consuming up to ten times more resources than those in developing countries. A new report by CSIRO and the UN Environment Program outlines steps—such as creating walkable cities, reducing meat consumption, and embracing renewable energy—the world can take to foster economic growth while using natural resources sustainably. The Conversation
Enbridge to pay $177 million for Kalamazoo oil spill -
The Canadian pipeline company reached a settlement with the U.S. government this week for the 2010 spill, which sent more than a million gallons of tar sands crude into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River. The settlement also includes penalties for a pipeline rupture that occurred two months later in Illinois. CBC