Exxon's oil exploration in Guyana could heighten regional tensions

ExxonMobil's plan to drill for oil in a disputed region between Guyana and Venezuela risks escalating tensions in South America.

Luke Taylor reports for The Guardian.

In short:

ExxonMobil intends to explore oil in a region claimed by both Guyana and Venezuela, potentially heightening tensions.
The territorial dispute over the Essequibo region has intensified, with Venezuela's President Maduro suggesting forceful annexation.
South American leaders and the international community are concerned about the impact of Exxon's actions on regional stability.

Key quote:

“The truth is that this announcement couldn’t come at a worse time. This is going to be a massive test for regional diplomacy."

— Geoff Ramsey, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Why this matters:

This development underscores the complex interplay between natural resource exploitation and international relations, highlighting the need for careful diplomatic navigation in resource-rich, contested areas.

Developing countries that increase their fossil fuel production are at a crossroads: securing their own long-term well-being or earning revenue to finance programs to support immediate economic growth.

www.theguardian.com

a trail in the snow with trees and mountains in the background

Credit: Karolis Karalevicius/Unsplash

California’s glaciers may vanish this century, exposing ice-free Sierra peaks unseen for millennia

New research shows the Sierra Nevada’s glaciers, which have endured since the last Ice Age, are shrinking rapidly and could disappear within decades. Scientists warn their loss will mark the first time in human history that Yosemite’s granite peaks stand without ice.

Read the Full Article on

www.latimes.com

Exxon's oil exploration in Guyana could heighten regional tensions

Antarctica may have crossed a tipping point that leads to rising seas

Can resource-rich countries go green? Colombia’s trying to find out

California’s glaciers may vanish this century, exposing ice-free Sierra peaks unseen for millennia

In Arizona, a fight against valley fever collides with Trump’s policies

The insatiable energy demands of data centers could increase fossil fuel emissions in California

White House threat of new green cuts has Democrats seeing red

Roseland residents suffer as EPA delays cleanup

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.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

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

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.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.