climate change
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Trump administration accelerates Alabama coal expansion mostly for foreign steel markets
The Trump administration is expediting the approval of a major Alabama coal mine expansion despite environmental and safety concerns, with most of the coal destined for export to foreign steelmakers.
In short:
- The Warrior Met Blue Creek mine expansion will be among Alabama’s largest coal infrastructure projects, with production expected to rise by 60%, mostly serving overseas steel industries.
- The Trump administration added the project to the FAST-41 program, speeding up environmental reviews despite past longwall mining in the area causing property damage and deadly methane explosions.
- Critics warn the expansion threatens to worsen climate change and local environmental hazards while largely benefiting foreign markets rather than U.S. energy independence.
Key quote:
"We sell substantially all of our steelmaking coal production to steel producers outside of the United States."
— Warrior Met corporate filing
Why this matters:
Coal mining poses significant environmental and health risks. Longwall mining can cause land subsidence, damaging homes, and ecosystems. Methane leaks from mines have already led to deadly explosions in Alabama communities. Despite the U.S. government's justification that projects like Blue Creek reduce foreign mineral dependence, nearly all of this coal will fuel foreign steel production, not domestic energy needs. Fast-tracking such projects also undercuts comprehensive environmental reviews that evaluate long-term impacts, including contributions to climate change.
Read more: Trump’s coal revival plan could increase pregnancy risks linked to pollution
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Louisiana expands LNG exports as Trump fast-tracks new terminal permits
A new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is moving forward in southwest Louisiana, adding to the state’s growing LNG footprint as federal and state officials push for more fossil fuel infrastructure.
In short:
- Venture Global plans to build a second LNG export terminal, CP2, near its existing Calcasieu Pass facility in Cameron Parish, after receiving a federal export permit.
- The Trump administration has approved five LNG-related projects since lifting former President Biden’s pause on new LNG permits, citing energy security and economic benefits.
- Local residents and environmental groups report extensive pollution, health risks, and economic harm to fisheries, while LNG export growth raises concerns over long-term climate impacts.
Key quote:
“It has been damaging to our coast, damaging to our air quality and our water quality. It's destroyed property values [and] it's certainly damaging to our health.”
— Anne Rolfes, director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Why this matters:
The surge in U.S. LNG infrastructure along the Gulf Coast reflects a global race to supply natural gas to markets in Europe and Asia. While proponents argue this bolsters economic growth and energy security, the environmental and health impacts are mounting. LNG production and export terminals can significantly degrade air and water quality, largely through frequent flaring and emissions that expose nearby residents to cancer-causing chemicals and respiratory hazards. Communities in Louisiana’s coastal parishes are already facing increased risks from pollution, habitat loss, and climate-driven sea level rise. Expanding fossil fuel exports also deepens global reliance on carbon-intensive energy. As both federal and state governments double down on LNG, residents and environmental advocates face steep challenges in mitigating the consequences.
Related:
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UK residents take government’s climate strategy to European human rights court
Two British men argue that the UK’s failure to protect them from climate-related harm violates their human rights and have escalated their case to Europe’s top human rights court.
In short:
- Doug Paulley, who lives with multiple disabilities worsened by rising heat, and Kevin Jordan, who lost his seaside home to severe storms, claim the UK’s climate adaptation policies inadequately protect vulnerable populations.
- Their challenge targets the UK’s 2023 National Adaptation Programme (Nap3), which they argue lacks lawful objectives, overlooks marginalized groups, and fails to properly assess climate risks.
- Despite UK courts dismissing their legal challenges, the pair, supported by Friends of the Earth, are now appealing to the European Court of Human Rights, asserting the government’s climate policies breach human rights obligations.
Key quote:
“I know what it’s like to lose your home to climate change and will continue to campaign for a vastly improved set of adaptation policies that offers proper protection to our lives and communities.”
— Kevin Jordan
Why this matters:
As climate change intensifies, it is not only a scientific or policy challenge but also a human rights concern. People with disabilities, the elderly, and low-income populations often face disproportionate risks from heatwaves, flooding, and other extreme weather events. Legal actions like Paulley and Jordan’s highlight a growing global trend of citizens turning to courts to hold governments accountable for safeguarding their populations. The UK’s struggle reflects wider issues seen in many developed countries, where climate adaptation policies lag behind the escalating threats. This case also spotlights the importance of inclusive policymaking that considers the needs of society’s most vulnerable — not just as an ethical imperative but as a practical necessity for resilience in an era of accelerating climate disruption.
Related coverage from EHN:
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Despite Pope Francis' call for divestment a decade ago, Catholic institutions have made uneven progress
Ten years after Pope Francis urged Catholic institutions to move away from fossil fuel investments, only a fraction have fully divested, with many still prioritizing profit or opting for shareholder engagement.
In short:
- The Vatican’s 2015 Laudato Si’ encyclical and later recommendations spurred 1,600 institutions globally — 384 of them Catholic — to pledge fossil fuel divestment, though full transparency and completion remain elusive.
- Germany’s Bank für Kirche und Caritas (BKC) and Pax-Bank have made significant though incomplete strides toward divestment, favoring sustainable investments and green bonds.
- Some Catholic groups prefer influencing fossil fuel companies through shareholder engagement, but recent research shows most oil and gas firms continue expanding fossil fuel development.
Key quote:
"In short, the reason many continue to invest in fossil fuel companies is profit."
— Tommy Piemonte, head of sustainable investment research at BKC
Why this matters:
The fossil fuel divestment movement reflects a growing recognition of the financial and moral risks of continued investment in industries driving climate change. While faith-based institutions like those in the Catholic Church wield substantial economic and moral influence, their varied responses highlight the complexity of shifting global capital away from fossil fuels. As oil and gas companies persist in expanding exploration and drilling, even amid escalating climate impacts, the effectiveness of divestment versus shareholder engagement remains hotly debated.
Read more: Pope Francis made climate change a moral crisis. Following his death, the world needs a new voice
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Most climate disaster deaths in Pakistan go uncounted as heat and floods strain health care
A new Amnesty International report reveals that the majority of climate-related deaths in Pakistan are not recorded, obscuring the full human toll as extreme weather events worsen and overwhelm the country's fragile health system.
In short:
- Pakistan’s health system, already stretched thin, is unable to track the true number of deaths caused by climate disasters such as floods and extreme heat.
- Most deaths occur after the initial disaster, often due to disease or lack of access to health care, yet they are rarely classified as climate-related or recorded at all.
- The report criticizes both Pakistan’s government and wealthier, high-emitting countries for inadequate responses and support amid escalating climate health crises.
Key quote:
“You’re only getting a tiny piece of the picture of who’s dying.”
— Laura Mills, Amnesty International
Why this matters:
What's happening in Pakistan reflects a larger global crisis: the failure to measure and address the true human cost of climate change. With over 95% of deaths in Pakistan going unregistered, the lack of data hinders both disaster response and public health planning. Poor and marginalized populations — children, the elderly, people with disabilities — are often the most vulnerable and the least likely to have their deaths recorded or linked to climate impacts. As floods and heat waves increase in frequency and intensity, they amplify risks of disease, malnutrition, and displacement, deepening poverty and health inequities. Wealthier nations, while historically the biggest polluters, are retreating from international aid and climate commitments, leaving frontline countries like Pakistan to bear disproportionate burdens.
Related: Extreme heat arrives weeks early in India and Pakistan as climate change accelerates
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Aviation insiders call for flight limits as climate concerns soar
A newly formed coalition of aviation professionals warns that the industry must urgently control flight growth and adopt deeper emissions cuts to avoid heavy external regulation and environmental harm.
In short:
- Call Aviation to Action, a group of aviation workers, says the industry’s reliance on future technology and carbon offsets is insufficient to curb climate impacts.
- The United Nation’s aviation agency, ICAO, faces criticism for weak action, with emissions projected to keep rising despite efficiency efforts and offset schemes.
- The group proposes absolute emissions targets, fair management of flight demand, and a fundamental redesign of aircraft and fuel technologies.
Key quote:
“If we do not act, by 2050 aviation emissions will be about a quarter of all human-caused emissions – that will be really a very shameful position.”
— Karel Bockstael, co-founder of Call Aviation to Action
Why this matters:
Aviation’s environmental toll is growing, with the sector already responsible for more carbon emissions per mile than any other form of transport. As passenger numbers are expected to double by 2042, the industry’s promises of sustainable fuels and efficiency gains fall short of what climate science demands. Wealthier travelers disproportionately contribute to the problem, while poorer nations face challenges accessing air travel. Unlike other sectors, aviation’s global nature exempts much of its pollution from national climate commitments, leaving it under the purview of the UN’s ICAO, which has been criticized for industry influence and weak regulation.
Learn more: Van Nuys residents say airport pollution is making them sick as traffic increases
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17 states sue Trump administration over blocked wind energy development
Seventeen Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C., are suing the Trump administration for halting wind energy projects on public lands and waters, citing harm to energy diversification efforts.
In short:
- President Trump’s first-day executive order barred new offshore wind auctions and blocked rights for wind projects on public lands.
- Federal agencies have since stopped approving wind energy projects and even ordered an approved wind farm to halt construction.
- The lawsuit claims these actions hinder states' access to diversified, affordable energy amid rising electricity demand.
Why this matters:
Wind energy has become a vital component of the United States’ shift toward cleaner, renewable power sources, offering a carbon-free alternative to fossil fuels that drive climate change. By blocking wind projects, the administration’s policies not only stymie innovation but also jeopardize states' goals to diversify energy supplies and improve grid reliability. This comes as energy demand rises and extreme weather events, often worsened by climate change, strain existing infrastructure. Wind farms also represent economic opportunities for rural communities and public coffers through lease revenues. Additionally, slowing renewable energy development undermines efforts to reduce air pollution, improve public health, and meet international climate commitments.
Read more: Trump administration halts offshore wind project already under construction in New York
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