Latest News
Half of UNESCO World Heritage Sites threatened by development -
A WWF report finds that at least 114 of 229 World Heritage Sites protected as areas of outstanding importance to nature are at risk from fossil fuel development or other industrial activities. The sites are home to some of the world's rarest species, provide jobs in tourism and conservation, and offer sources of food, water, and medicine to millions of people. Guardian
I don’t think we’ve ever seen a force that affects so many dimensions of health for so many people as climate change does.
—U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy comments on a new White House report that outlines the wide-ranging public health effects of climate change.
Judge approves BP's settlement for 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill -
The company will pay $18.7 billion in penalties to the U.S. government and five states for the worst offshore oil disaster in U.S. history. According to Judge Carl Barbier, who granted final approval on Monday, the sum is the largest environmental penalty of all time. Reuters
Southern California still gripped by drought -
While El Niño brought much-needed downpours to the northern part of the state, SoCal's aquifers have been pumped to near-historic lows. Officials are calling for more water to be pumped south and warning the government not to be too hasty in ending mandatory water conservation orders. Sacramento Bee
Federal judge orders wildlife officials to reassess climate threat to wolverines -
On Monday U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen rejected the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to deny wolverines protection under the Endangered Species Act, ordering the agency to redo an analysis that found uncertainty about how climate change will affect the snow-dependent species. Fewer than 300 of the carnivores remain in the Lower 48. Denver Post
Indonesia's new firefighting agency already faces challenges -
After last year's record-breaking wildfire season, President Joko Widodo established the Peatlands Restoration Agency to help control blazes caused by illegal slash-and-burn agriculture. But as the new fire season begins, the agency isn't fully staffed, nor does it have a finalized budget to speak of. Reuters