Weekend Reader for Sunday, Dec. 10

Weekend Reader for Sunday, Dec. 10

A busy week for Trump rollbacks, wildfires, and more. Get your essential news here.


Top Weekend News

As the Trump Administration continues to roil in its own self-made conflicts and the #metoo movement turns over new victims and perps every day, even other vital stories fall somewhat silent. North Korea? Far more lost in the turmoil are the never-ending environmental rollbacks and setbacks, and the growing impacts of climate change on "natural" disasters.

China, U.S. headed in opposite directions on environment: China may have a long, long way to go on environmental enforcement, but they're cracking down on additional dangerous pesticides, just as the U.S. heads in the other direction. (Bloomberg BNA)

California continues to burn: Climate Central's John Upton looks at how wildfire-related health risks last far beyond the last ember. This piece ran earlier in the year, but the most recent California fires are a good reason to revisit.

Ms. Smith goes to Washington? All volcanologists have to go uphill. But can this one bring science and logic to Congress? (Fast Company)

This Week in Trump

While many key appointments to federal agencies and departments go unfilled, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is at full strength -- all the better to approve multiple pipeline and energy grid proposals.

The Washington Post reports that a uranium mining firm may have influenced the Trump Administration's effort to greatly reduce the size of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.

Another rollback this week: A 2015 rule intended to help safeguard against oil train wrecks is rescinded by the Trump Administration.

Opinions and Editorials

A strong New York Times editorial editorial condemns not only the Trump Administration, but congressional and corporate players in Utah for an assault on public lands.

US Senate candidate Roy Moore will find out on Tuesday whether multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and child molestation will ruin his campaign. But back in 2009, he pulled out all the standard climate-denial myths in an op-ed piece.

The world watches in nervous horror as Kim Jung Un and Donald Trump trash-talk their way closer to nuclear war. Ira Helfand a leader of two different peace groups that have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, has some suggestions for avoiding nuclear destruction.

Musical Interlude

Hard to believe this song is twenty-one years old, but it's tragically appropriate this week: The Hills of Los Angeles are Burning, by the band Bad Religion.

This Week in Denial

Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe get the nod for the Stupidest Thing I've Ever Heard In My Life Of The Week®: Amid all the signs of climate peril in the high Arctic, he found one sign of climate benefit. So everything's going to be just fine.

People walking through a subway hallway in a blur.

Trump White House tells agencies to ignore climate costs when writing rules

The Trump administration has eliminated the use of the "social cost of carbon" in federal rulemaking, reversing decades of climate policy and economic analysis.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

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Gloved hands installing rooftop solar.

Trump’s energy strategy backfires as oil falters and renewables stall

U.S. energy firms are retreating from drilling and halting clean power projects as President Trump’s policies trigger market instability and investor anxiety.

Evan Halper reports for The Washington Post.

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Silver electricity grid against a blue daytime sky.

Political promises collide with a century-old grid as the Pacific Northwest struggles to build green energy

Oregon and Washington pledged to lead the country in renewable power, but a federal bottleneck and lack of investment in transmission lines have left them trailing behind Republican-led states.

Tony Schick and Monica Samayoa report for ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting.

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Electric vehicle battery with a monitor device plugged in.

Massachusetts battery startup takes major step toward making gas cars obsolete

A small startup in Massachusetts has built and road-tested a solid-state battery that could one day make electric vehicles cheaper, safer, and longer-lasting than gas-powered cars.

Jack Ewing reports for The New York Times.

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Christian cross standing under purple and blue evening sky.

Church leaders launch guide to challenge fossil fuel financiers through faith and law

As climate fears mount among children worldwide, the World Council of Churches has released a new handbook to help religious communities pressure financial institutions to move away from fossil fuel investments.

Jenni Doering reports for Living on Earth.

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shallow focus photography of wheat field with a tractor harvesting during daytime.

Intensive farming depletes European and UK soils, weakening climate defenses

A majority of European and British farmland has lost its natural ability to store water and carbon due to decades of over-farming, worsening floods, droughts and food insecurity, a new report finds.

Fiona Harvey reports for The Guardian.

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Industrial plant against backdrop of rising sun and blue sky.

Shell plastic plant's nighttime flaring alarms Pennsylvania residents and draws regulatory scrutiny

A flaring event at Shell’s massive ethane cracker in Beaver County lit up the sky for days, prompting health complaints and community concern over transparency and safety.

Kiley Bense reports for Inside Climate News.

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From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

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.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

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

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

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

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

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.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

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

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