Environmentalists announced plans to sue California within days of the landmark single-use plastic law taking effect, claiming state regulators inserted loopholes favoring the plastic industry.
Campaigners believe car-free zones would result in cleaner air and less noise, as well as creating more space for trees that would help reduce heat and contribute to better public health.
Oregon’s fire season is made more difficult by historic heat, drought and a potentially early El Niño weather pattern that could further stir up temperatures and lightning storms into the fall.
Tree cover globally cools nearly half the warming from built-up cities, but it’s doing it more in richer, cooler areas and less in hotter poorer areas where it’s needed most.
