United States blocks climate change talk in latest Arctic Council statement

Leave it to the Trump administration to pressure the Arctic Council—an international organization made up of eight Arctic countries and indigenous groups—to remove references to climate change from the group’s joint statement on how to protect the region. Since the Arctic Council’s creation in 1996, this was the first time the group failed to issue a joint declaration stating its priorities, instead issuing a relatively brief (and climate change–free) statement. According to the New York Times, the United States was the only country out of step with its traditional allies on what should be a no-brainer issue. Lest we forget: The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, posing serious consequences for sea levels, weather patterns, and wildlife worldwide—whether the Trump administration likes to admit it or not.