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.

Elderly woman sitting in front of a fan with her hand to her head

Government told to prepare for 2C warming by 2050

The UK is unprepared for worsening weather extremes linked to climate change, according to the Climate Change Committee, which urged the government to plan for at least 2C of global warming by mid-century.

A pile of British pounds

How a ‘pro-climate’ charity channelled cash to a Koch-funded think tank

A UK charity that portrays itself as a climate leader facilitated a £830,000 donation to the Mercatus Center, a conservative think tank heavily funded by U.S. oil billionaire Charles Koch.

A man working on an installation of a heat pump

Maryland’s clean-energy push creates new business opportunities for contractors

With state incentives, training programs, and new clean-heating standards on the horizon, Maryland contractors are well-positioned to grow their businesses by helping homeowners switch to efficient, pollution-free heat pumps.

Two men installing solar panels on a roof

Record global renewable energy growth remains short of climate target, report says

A record amount of renewable energy capacity was added globally last year, but that still left countries short of targets towards meeting a U.N. climate goal to triple capacity by 2030, a report by global renewable groups shows.

A shipping port with ships, docks and cranes on a sunny day

Judge rules permit for Cameron LNG terminal ignored potential climate impacts

A Louisiana judge has suspended the permit for the Commonwealth LNG export terminal in Cameron Parish, ruling that state officials violated the constitution by ignoring the project’s cumulative environmental and climate impacts on nearby communities.

man in black jacket holding black dslr camera

Will science journalism funders step up or retreat?

With the Wenner-Gren Foundation pulling support for Sapiens and other outlets shuttering, science journalism faces renewed financial uncertainty amid shifting philanthropic priorities and federal research cuts under the second Trump administration.

An aerial view of the Pentagon building in Washington, DC

Pentagon retreats from climate fight even as heat and storms slam troops

For decades, the military treated climate change as a threat. Now it’s backing away from plans to protect people and bases from extreme weather.
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.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.