11-4: Five quick things for your Saturday

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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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.

Donald Trump
Credit: palinchak/Big Stock Photo

The clock is ticking on Trump's ability to challenge the hydrogen tax credit

Over 100 organizations are asking Congress to keep the credit.

President Donald Trump has the opportunity to challenge the Biden administration’s hydrogen tax credit rules under the Congressional Review Act, but the clock is ticking.

The act only allows for changes within 60 days of the rules’ publication. On March 4, time will run out.

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Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Former US President Joe Biden speaks at a podium with a blue background and British and UN flags alongside him.
Credit: COP26/Flickr

FBI probes alleged fraud in Biden's $20 billion climate fund

The FBI is investigating contested accusations of fraud within the Biden administration's $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, questioning Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees about the program's oversight and fund allocation.

Spencer S. Hsu, Maxine Joselow, and Nicolás Rivero report for The Washington Post.

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A view of a hurricane as seen from space, with the arm of satellite equipment.
Credit: NASA Johnson/Flickr

Global backlash after mass terminations at NOAA and National Weather Service

The Trump administration has initiated significant layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service, sparking widespread concern among scientists and environmental advocates.

Grace Toohey reports for the Los Angeles Times.

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The U.S. capitol building in Washington, DC on a sunny day.

Trump accelerates fossil fuel expansion as Democrats push back

President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national energy emergency has fast-tracked oil and gas development by easing environmental regulations. Democrats are mounting legal challenges.

Michael Phillis and Jennifer McDermott report for The Associated Press.

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Factory smoke coming out of smokestacks of an industrial building

House moves to block fee on methane emissions

The House voted 220-206 to overturn a Biden-era rule that enforces a fee on excess methane emissions from oil and gas companies, a move that may advance in the Senate but will require additional legislation to fully dismantle the program.

Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.

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Researchers on skates drag equipment across the ice.

U.S. layoffs in polar research spark concerns over global presence

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has cut staff in its Office of Polar Programs, raising concerns about the future of U.S. scientific research and strategic presence in Antarctica and the Arctic.

Raymond Zhong reports for The New York Times.

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European flags with yellow stars in a circle on a blue background, outside the European Commission building.

Europe moves to ease corporate climate reporting rules

The European Commission has proposed loosening corporate sustainability reporting requirements, exempting most companies currently covered, in an effort to boost economic competitiveness.

Eshe Nelson reports for The New York Times.

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From our Newsroom
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.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

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