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.

Our new look and feedback

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Drop us a line at feedback@ehn.org ("Attaboys" always welcome).

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.

Setting sun at dusk against a red-orange sky

A closely guarded plan to cool Earth is revealed

A geoengineering company would use tiny specks of silica to block the sun's rays — and make billions of dollars.

Woman in waders standing shin-deep in southeastern swamp

How a ‘model’ for climate migration became a cautionary tale

The residents of Isle de Jean Charles in Louisiana found safety after moving to higher ground. But the experience left some of them warning others facing relocation: ‘Don’t do it.’
Computer generated 3D illustration with oil pumps, solar panels and wind turbines.
Credit: MIRO3D/BigStock Photo ID: 147195269

The American epoch of oil is collapsing. What comes next could be ugly

China is dominating the energy transition with astonishing result, while fossil fuel fascists in the US try to turn back the clock.

A woman hooking her electric vehicle up to a charger

Soaring gas prices have drivers turning to EVs — except in the US

European drivers are escaping high gas prices and buying more cheap Chinese EVs. In the U.S., that’s impossible.
Large white storage tank with blue letters reading, "H2 HYDROGEN"

Germany and Japan test hydrogen future with BMW, Toyota cars

During a recent visit to Japan, Germany's transport minister Patrick Schnieder toured hydrogen projects aimed at bringing the fuel into the mainstream.
Two men on a roof placing solar panels into brackets

Are solar panel prices about to surge? Why now might be the perfect time to invest

Geopolitical uncertainty, supply shortages and China’s recent tax reform are threatening to send the prices of solar panels soaring. But is it really that severe?

A row of offshore wind turbines with the setting sun in the background

A detailed look at offshore wind in the US and globally

Donald Trump is stopping offshore wind projects in the United States, just as the industry was poised to grow significantly.

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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