
www.eurasiareview.com
09 July 2018
Oxygen loss in coastal Baltic Sea is ‘unprecedentedly severe’
The Baltic Sea is home to some of the world's largest dead zones, areas of oxygen-starved waters where most marine animals can't survive.
The Baltic Sea is home to some of the world's largest dead zones, areas of oxygen-starved waters where most marine animals can't survive.
The United States skipped a major round of United Nations climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany this week, leaving other nations and U.S. civil society groups to navigate the talks without the world's largest fossil fuel producer at the table.
In short:
Key quote:
“What I’m hearing is folks from the Global South are upset, and rightfully so. And they’re also saying, ‘Hey, the biggest blocker and the biggest bully isn’t in the room. Let’s see what we can get done while they’re not here.’"
— Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos, co-chair of the international policy committee of the U.S. Climate Action Network
Why this matters:
The United States plays an outsized role in the global climate crisis, emitting roughly 11% of the world’s greenhouse gases and continuing to expand fossil fuel production. Its absence from this week’s UN climate talks deepens questions about the viability of global climate diplomacy at a time when coordinated international action is needed to meet emissions targets. While local governments and civil society groups are stepping in, the lack of federal involvement removes one of the most powerful actors from the negotiation table. For nations already facing climate disruption, especially in the Global South, U.S. disengagement represents not just a diplomatic gap, but a moral one, given its historic responsibility for warming the planet.
Related; Major U.S. banks drop out of climate pledge, raising calls for regulation
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from canceling $600 million in environmental justice grants aimed at helping underserved communities reduce pollution.
Rachel Frazin reports forThe Hill.
In short:
Key quote:
The move included a “lack of any reasoned decision-making, or reasoned explanation.”
— Judge Adam Abelson, U.S. District Court
Why this matters:
Underserved communities often face the greatest environmental health risks and climate impacts. These grants were designed to help local groups respond to long-standing environmental harms and health risks, and canceling them would have cut off vital support just as cleanup efforts were beginning to gain traction. The Trump administration has also attempted to cancel a similar $20 billion program that would fund climate-friendly projects.
Congressional Republicans are advancing a tax plan that would slash incentives for clean energy and electric vehicles, drawing criticism from advocates and some GOP members whose districts benefit from green investments.
In short:
Key quote:
“This is a 20-pound sledgehammer swung at clean energy. It would mean higher energy prices, lost manufacturing jobs, shuttered factories, and a worsening climate crisis.”
— Jackie Wong, senior vice president for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council
Why this matters:
The clean energy tax credits at risk helped drive a surge in U.S. renewable energy development over the past two years, unlocking billions in private investment and creating jobs across red and blue states alike. Rolling them back could stall America’s progress on cutting carbon pollution just as extreme heat, drought, and wildfires threaten public health and infrastructure. Home energy efficiency incentives not only reduce emissions but lower utility bills and improve indoor air quality. Gutting these programs would hurt rural and low-income households most, at a time when many are struggling with high costs and volatile energy markets. A rollback also weakens the U.S. position in the global clean energy race.
Learn more: Fossil fuel advocate shapes Republican push to cut renewable energy funding
Brazil is set to auction off oil and gas exploration rights in a massive offshore and Amazon region sale, prompting backlash from Indigenous groups and environmental advocates just months before it hosts the Cop30 climate summit.
In short:
Key quote:
“This auction is posing really serious and grave threats for biodiversity, communities and climate.”
— Nicole Figueiredo de Oliveira, executive director of Instituto Internacional Arayara
Why this matters:
Brazil's move to expand fossil fuel development in the Amazon basin and offshore regions threatens one of the planet’s most vital ecological frontiers. The Amazon plays a key role in regulating global climate, storing carbon and sustaining biodiversity. Opening new oil frontiers risks not only emissions on a scale comparable to years of industrial agriculture but also encroachment on Indigenous lands and marine habitats. At a time when international scientific consensus warns against new fossil fuel projects, Brazil’s decision sends conflicting signals about its climate leadership, especially as it prepares to host Cop30.
Read more: Brazil's oil ambitions conflict with environmental promises
The number of extreme summer weather events driven by trapped atmospheric waves has tripled since 1950 due to climate change, new research shows.
In short:
Key quote:
“This study shines a light on yet another way human activities are disrupting the climate system that will come back to bite us all with more unprecedented and destructive summer weather events.”
— Jennifer Francis, climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center
Why this matters:
Summer weather is growing more erratic and intense, not just because temperatures are rising but because the atmosphere itself is behaving differently. The jet stream, once a reliable conveyor belt of weather systems, is weakening as the Arctic warms far faster than the rest of the planet. That makes the jet stream more prone to stalling, locking regions into weeks of punishing heat or unrelenting rain. These prolonged extremes can devastate crops, trigger wildfires, and flood communities unprepared for such persistence. With billions of people depending on stable climate conditions for food, water, and safety, the growing unpredictability of summer weather threatens both environmental and public health across the globe.
Learn more: Climate change is fueling extreme weather and chaos in the jet stream
Industrial agriculture companies spent hundreds of millions lobbying Congress ahead of the stalled farm bill debate, further distancing everyday Americans from decisions shaping the nation’s food systems and climate future.
In short:
Key quote:
“[Our food] system doesn’t give us a choice on what food we eat, how it’s grown, or what we buy at the grocery store. The system is set up for big agribusiness to keep profiteering.”
— Omanjana Goswami, Food and Environment Program Scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists
Why this matters:
The close relationship between agribusiness and fossil fuel companies means that American food policy doesn’t just affect what people eat — it also deepens the climate crisis. Industrial agriculture contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, while squeezing out smaller, more diverse farms that tend to use more sustainable methods. This consolidation of power makes it harder for new or disadvantaged farmers to enter the field and exacerbates environmental injustice. Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods often bear the brunt of air and water pollution linked to both agriculture and energy production.
Related:
Cleveland-Cliffs is scaling back plans to build the nation's first green steel plant in Ohio, pivoting away from hydrogen and back to fossil fuels as federal incentives face repeal and political winds change in Washington.
In short:
Key quote:
“Without hydrogen, the entire thing falls apart.”
— Lourenco Goncalves, CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs
Why this matters:
Steelmaking is one of the world’s dirtiest industries, responsible for up to 8% of global carbon emissions. Transitioning away from coal-based production is critical for slowing climate change and curbing toxic air pollution, especially in industrial towns already burdened by health risks. Hydrogen offers a potential clean fuel, but without infrastructure, incentives, or scale, companies struggle to justify the shift. Political changes — like President Trump’s efforts to unwind climate-era policies — compound the challenge, leaving federal goals vulnerable to reversal. As the U.S. falters, competitors in Europe and Asia press ahead, threatening America’s role in the emerging clean manufacturing economy. What happens in Middletown could signal the fate of green steel in the U.S.
Related: Cleaner steelmaking can’t come fast enough for this Northern Ontario city
One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.
“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”
"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”
A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations
“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”
“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.