Weekend Reader for Sunday, Dec. 24
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Weekend Reader for Sunday, Dec. 24

With political media focused on the Trump tax bill, rollbacks of US environmental law continue. And Canada does a very, very Trump-like thing.

We've got a joyous holiday mix of food, health, climate and toxics stories for you.


Must-read investigation: The Louisville Courier-Journal continues its dogged reporting on the state's beleaguered coal industry: A melting Arctic and delinquent children figure into a shadowy figure's global scheme to distribute coal.

Nothing to see here: Unhealthy food giants fund healthy food researchers. Malaysia boasts Asia's worst obesity problems. You'll never guess who holds many of the purse strings for its nutritionists. (NY Times)

Science, Schmience: The Interior Department slapped a harsh cap on the number of scientists attending the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting -- one of the top science gatherings each year. (Washington Post)

EPA's press office becomes a story in itself. Buzzfeed reports on how EPA's Press Office is a bit more like a political opposition research operation these days.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, or none of the above, enjoy the weekend.

Top Weekend News

Big Oil's decades of denial: More first-rate reporting from Inside Climate News on the long, long history of science and politics abuse on climate issues from Big Oil and its affiliates.

Superfund sites swamped? The Associated Press reports that 300+ toxic Superfund sites could be underwater due to sea level rise and anticipated increases in severe storms.Home-grown wisdom:

EHN/Daily Climate founder Pete Myers on the history of endocrine disruption science -- discovery, harassment, vindication and more. The premiere Science History Podcast.

Atomic piling on? The Nuclear Regulatory Commission launched its own Clinton investigation this week. But not so fast.... this one's not about Hillary, but the Clinton Nuclear Plant, near Clinton, Illinois. (Daily Energy Insider)

Smoke sidelines seniors: A Harvard study links small amounts of air pollution to health problems in senior citizens. (EHN.org)

Running dry: The Palm Springs Desert Sun continues its first-rate reporting on western water issues with a look at the very dry future of the Colorado River.

Opinions and Editorials

The Washington Post's Dana Milbank, a harsh critic of the Trump Administration, writes that Puerto Rico has been victimized twice, first by Hurricane Maria, then by politics.

Ed Perlmutter on the newly passed and signed "tax reform" legislation could cripple government science.

An op-ed in the Ventura (Calif.) News-Star dares to state the obvious: Its fire-weary readership has an impact of climate change literally in the backyard.

This Week in Trump

EPA is suffering a brain drain, as scientists and technical experts depart the agency in droves.

The Interior Department has ordered a halt to a study of its agency covering offshore oil safety.

MSNBC's Chris Hayes comments on the paranoia of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

Government agencies drastically reduced the number of personnel authorized to attend last week's American Geophysical Union annual meeting -- one of the most important earth science gatherings every year. America First? There are stories on both the Interior Department and the USGS slashing their numbers of attendees.

And Barry Myers, CEO of AccuWeather, is Trump's pick to head NOAA. Can he truly separate himself from a family business that at times has featured climate denial?

Ready for a little good news?

Science Daily reports on a study on improving fetal health among neighbors of closed coal power plants.

A group of people march with science advocating for science.

Scientists fight back against funding cuts and policy threats

The Trump administration’s attacks on science — slashing research funding, silencing researchers, and threatening grants — are pushing scientists out of the lab and into activism.

Heidi Ledford and Alexandra Witze report for Nature.

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Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Oil pump jacks and flares with vegetation in foreground.
Credit: Charles Henry/Flickr

Texas oil boom fuels prosperity but leaves a deadly toll on workers and roads

The Permian Basin, now responsible for nearly half of U.S. oil output, is booming again, but its workforce is paying a deadly price, with over 30 oil workers and hundreds of motorists killed annually.

Part one of a four-part series.

Saul Elbein reports for the Pulitzer Center and The Hill.

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Images of a chicken and a pig fade into images of piles of pharmaceutical capsules.
Credit: Fahroni/BigStock Photo ID: 458065913

Big Pharma’s quiet stake in keeping meat on the menu

The pharmaceutical industry has long been intertwined with factory farming, and now companies like Elanco are pushing back against plant-based meat alternatives to protect their bottom line.

Kenny Torrella reports for Vox.

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An African man and woman pour water on a trough of charcoal and move it around with a stick.
Credit: Owen Allen/Flickr

Biochar might be an even bigger climate solution than we thought

Turning plant waste into biochar has long been touted as a way to store carbon, but new research suggests it could remain locked away for thousands of years — far longer than previously believed.

Matt Simon reports for Grist.

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Basel’s green roof revolution: an image of buildings with plants growing on the rooftops.
Credit: Matt/Flickr

Basel’s green roof revolution is creating a thriving urban ecosystem

Hidden above Basel’s streets, thousands of green roofs are transforming the Swiss city’s skyline, offering a model for urban biodiversity, climate resilience, and policy-driven change.

Ajit Niranjan reports for The Guardian.

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A yellow and black sign saying Break Free from Fossil Fuels

Major fossil fuel companies linked to half of global carbon emissions

Just 36 fossil fuel companies accounted for half of the world’s carbon emissions in 2023, with emissions continuing to rise despite global climate commitments.

Damian Carrington reports for The Guardian.

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The White House in Washington DC

Nonprofits still blocked from $20 billion in climate funds amid investigations

Nonprofits expecting $20 billion in federal climate funding remain unable to access their accounts after the Trump administration launched investigations, despite a prosecutor’s determination that there was no evidence of wrongdoing.

Lisa Friedman, Claire Brown, and Charlie Savage report for The New York Times.

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From our Newsroom
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.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

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