11-4: Five quick things for your Saturday

Winter's coming. We all have chores to do. Let's make this simple: Five quick hits to keep you up to date on our environment and health.



Gov't climate report at odds with Trump and his team

Coverage of the federal climate assessment takes Trump to task:

AP's Seth Borenstein:

As President Donald Trump touts new oil pipelines and pledges to revive the nation's struggling coal mines, federal scientists are warning that burning fossil fuels is already driving a steep increase in the United States of heat waves, droughts and floods.

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Three top stories for Saturday

  1. New Jersey sets new PFOA level below Vermont standard. New Jersey last week set its safe drinking water standard for the chemical PFOA at 14 parts per trillion, 30 percent lower than Vermont's standard. (Vermont Public Radio)
  2. Louisville neighborhoods use trees to fend off heart disease. The poets were right all along: Trees are a drug, in ways marvelous and often misunderstood. We underestimate at our peril the powers of a walk in the woods. (USA Today) (thanks to Univ. of Louisville's Alex Carll for pointing us to that story)
  3. Will the bird that dodged a bullet pay the price of peace? "Armed conflict is good for preventing deforestation." (Mike Shanahan, Under the Banyan)

One must-read opinion

As ice shelves crumble and the Twitter president threatens to pull out of the Paris accord, author Jonathan Franzen reflects on the role of the writer in time of crisis (The Guardian)

One beautiful thing

Those are my kids (and dog), at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday. Eleven inches of snow fell overnight in Bozeman, Montana.

It's ski swap weekend here, and people are already to find a sweet deal on winter gear. I told my kids we weren't moving the car until the driveway was clear.

Amazing how much energy a motivated kid has.

Today's gift in Bozeman is reminder for us all: Get outside and enjoy the weather. It's beautiful out there.

A family having a picnic in a greenfield

The psychological distance between us and climate disaster

An analysis of dozens of previously published studies reveals people systematically underestimate their own vulnerability to climate threats.
Petrochemical plant in twilight
Credit: Aunging/BigStock Photo ID: 198653959

Civil rights case probes racism behind Cancer Alley pollution

Federal lawsuit claiming local officials illegally pushed polluting industries into Black communities reaches new stage.
Small Black child sitting his fathers lap covering his eyes

Insurance has become the real disaster for Black families

From Altadena to Alabama, Black families learn the real catastrophe starts after the disaster, when insurers decide who is worth saving.
Petrochemical or refinery facility venting methane at night enveloped in toxic smoke

Why the Clean Air Act was never a ‘good fit’ for climate

The lawyers who successfully won the law’s climate authority once thought of it as a placeholder for stronger legislation.
An explosion with red fire and grey smoke

Iran shocks could spur a shift to clean energy — but also to coal

Environmentalists say the war’s effects on oil and gas prices are an argument for countries to get off fossil fuels. But the reality is likely to be messier.
Solar panels juxtaposed against transmission lines and wind turbines
Credit: kckate16/ BigStock Photo ID: 478351339

Iran war: How green energy shields countries from oil shocks

The Iran war has disrupted oil and gas trade. As countries like the US double down on fossil fuels, experts say the conflict shows how speeding up homegrown renewables is the only way to avoid future energy crises.
Spanish wind turbines operated by Acciona Energía, on the harbour wall at Bilbao.

Spain’s wind-farm bargain

Renewable-energy projects can boost the economy of a rural town—if the community has a say in development.
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

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