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

Two weeks into our new look, and we continue to refine and adjust it. Like it? Loathe it? Let us know how we can better serve you.

It's time to be loud: We deliver news that drives the discussion on environmental health and climate change.

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.

A man wearing a business suit riding his bike to work

Encouragement boosts people’s likelihood to take climate action

Framing climate action as “doing more good” instead of “doing less bad” makes people more willing to act and feel better about it, a study finds.
A stack of particle board viewed from the side

A climate case for turning farm waste to building materials

Wheat straw and rice husks already appear in niche construction products. A new study explores the global climate effects if they went mainstream.
Child sitting in a doorway and looking down at the ground

The world has pledged to triple climate financing for poorer countries. Is the UK about to U-turn?

The UK has been warned that cutting climate financing for poorer countries would be an “act of self-harm” that would hinder its global influence and damage food security.

The blue and white Energy Star logo sticker

Energy Star program survives Trump administration's budget cuts

Energy Star, the program that helps guide consumers to more energy-efficient appliances and electronics, has survived President Donald Trump’s attempt to kill it.
An aerial view of a nickel mining operation

Canadian nickel mine’s plan to store carbon in waste rock

The Crawford Nickel mine outside Timmins, Ontario, is receiving millions of public dollars to figure out how to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

A row of solar panels with the city of Shanghai in the background

China to see solar capacity outstrip coal capacity this year

The China Electricity Council says that, by the end of 2026, wind and solar will account for nearly half of China’s power capacity.

A tin hut with a small solar panel on the roof

Solar energy gains ground across Africa, but challenges persist

Solar power is expanding rapidly across Africa, with some countries now generating a significant share of electricity from the sun, but energy poverty, battery risks and rising costs threaten future growth.
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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