China shut down up to 40% of its factories in an unprecedented stand against pollution.
futurism.com

China shut down up to 40% of its factories in an unprecedented stand against pollution.

China is cracking down on factories that have been flouting their emissions regulations; corporate polluters can expect even tougher measures as the government seeks to tackle its environmental problems.

These are big moves that signal China's new 'war on pollution', but senior government officials claim that current anti-pollution measures will have negligible effects on the economy:

"Measures to fight pollution don't have a big impact on economic growth," Zhang Yong, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, told reporters during a briefing.

However, a recent New York Times article seems to indicate that the Chinese economy, which has grown exponentially in the past four decades at the expense of the environment, may slow as a result of more stringent regulations.

Interested in reading more? Check out our archives.

hands baby tree
Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash

They planted a forest at the edge of the desert. From there it got complicated

Trying to judge the success or failure of Yatir, Israel's largest human-made forest, depends on the way you define success. And the person you’re asking.

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.
jellyfish ocean
Photo by Pat Whelen on Unsplash

Study: Marine heat waves can happen deep underwater

New research from the NOAA shows that marine heat waves, fueled by global warming, don't just happen at the surface.

House Republicans fail to override Biden’s ESG veto

The GOP-led chamber on Thursday failed to override President Biden’s first veto in a new vote, falling short of the necessary two-thirds majority.

bad climate decision bailouts
Chris/Flickr

LISTEN: Should the government pay for your bad climate decisions?

As climate change becomes a health risk, the U.S. government has warned it will reassess spending priorities.
unabated fossil fuel expansion
Photo by Michael Myers on Unsplash

Climate freeloaders are destroying the planet

Governments are ignoring calls to stop fossil fuel expansion—despite there being little time left to avoid the worst effects of global warming.

Report: Texas isn’t holding polluters accountable for unexpected emissions

A new report found that companies in Texas have had 21,000 unexpected pollution releases that emitted 400,000 tons of air pollution over six years, but only 1% of them prompted action by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

As extreme weather outpaces response, could crowdsourced data help?

Tijuana’s Citizens’ Flood Monitor offers a model for data collection in the flood-affected West.
From our Newsroom
oil and gas wells pollution

What happens if the largest owner of oil and gas wells in the US goes bankrupt?

Diversified Energy’s liabilities exceed its assets, according to a new report, sparking concerns about whether taxpayers will wind up paying to plug its 70,000 wells.

Paul Ehrlich

Paul Ehrlich: A journey through science and politics

In his new book, the famous scientist reflects on an unparalleled career on our fascinating, ever-changing planet.

oil and gas california environmental justice

Will California’s new oil and gas laws protect people from toxic pollution?

California will soon have the largest oil drilling setbacks in the U.S. Experts say other states can learn from this move.

popular stories 2022

Our 5 most popular reads from 2022

A corpse, woodworking dangers, plastic titans ... revisit the stories that stuck with our readers this past year.

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