The birds no longer sing, and the herbs no longer grow. The fish no longer swim in rivers that have turned a murky brown. The cause? Rampant toxic mining for rare earth metals essential for green energy technologies.
President Joe Biden ordered emergency measures Monday to increase U.S. manufacturing of solar panels and declared a two-year tariff exemption on panels from Southeast Asia as he attempted to jumpstart an industry key to his climate change-fighting goals.
Whether low-carbon energy infrastructure is built in America or bought elsewhere could have huge consequences for renewables, the U.S. economy and global trade relationships.
Extreme weather, from floods to wildfires, is increasingly hammering ports, highways, and factories worldwide, and experts warn these climate-induced disruptions will only get worse.
A report by Global Witness has found that more than 100 Indonesian palm oil mills supplying agribusiness giants ADM and Bunge have been accused of land and human rights violations and environmental destruction.
