Environment

(Reuters) – The White House has decided to appeal a federal court decision that called into question a program exempting small oil refineries from the nation’s biofuel blending laws, three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The decision comes after a major push from senators representing oil states, who said the program is

(Reuters) – Lawmakers in at least five U.S. states have proposed bills since mid-February to prevent cities from banning natural gas as an energy source in new buildings, marking an escalation in the national battle over the fuel’s role in fighting climate change. FILE PHOTO: Natural gas flares are seen at an oil pump site

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Investors in Rio Tinto Ltd have renewed efforts to force the world’s biggest iron ore miner to commit to targets that would scale back emissions of its customers in line with the Paris Agreement on combating climate change. FILE PHOTO: The Rio Tinto mining company’s logo is photographed at their annual general

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Climate activist Greta Thunberg accused European Union governments and institutions on Wednesday of only “pretending” to urgently tackle the climate crisis. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addresses the environment committee at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman EU leaders say they are spearheading some of the most

YANGON/SINGAPORE (Reuters) – From a boat on the Salween River in southeastern Myanmar, Than Zaw Oo pointed to a brown stretch of water he said was once full of lush paddy fields. Than Zaw Oo makes his way on to Hintha Kyun island where he used to farm rice before it collapsed into the river

FILE PHOTO: Vehicle drive amid the heavy haze at night in Beijing, China January 18, 2020. REUTERS/Jason Lee BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s State Council will set up a green development fund to improve financial support for environmental protection, news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday. China will also launch an environmental insurance system for “high risk”

FILE PHOTO: Lights illuminate the roadway as cars sit in traffic to depart New York City the day before the Thanksgiving holiday in New York, U.S., November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. vehicle fleet hit a new record for fuel efficiency in 2018 averaging 25.1 miles per gallon (mpg) in real-world

LONDON (Reuters) – British hedge fund billionaire Chris Hohn has launched a campaign to persuade central banks to starve hundreds of planned coal-fired power plants around the world of finance, aiming to block the projects before they can pose a threat to the climate. FILE PHOTO: A tug boat pulls a coal barge along the

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian summers are now effectively twice as long as its winters as climate change has increased temperatures since the middle of the last century, research released in the wake of the nation’s unprecedented fire season showed on Monday. FILE PHOTO: A swimmer throws a ball in the Pacific Ocean off Sydney’s beachside

(Reuters) – Hundreds of Apache tribe members and supporters marched for four days to a sacred campground in southeastern Arizona earlier this month, hoping to protect the land from copper mining while bringing awareness to injustices against Native Americans. The 45-mile march, from the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, ended Sunday, Feb. 23 on what

BUCHAREST (Reuters) – An unusually mild winter has exacerbated Bucharest’s chronic pollution problem, prompting residents in the Romanian capital to take matters into their own hands. Claudia Florescu poses for a portrait in Kiseleff park, close to a playground, in Bucharest, Romania, February 27, 2020. Picture taken February 27, 2020. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS

NAIROBI/ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Countries in East Africa are racing against time to prevent new swarms of locusts wreaking havoc with crops and livelihoods after the worst infestation in generations. FILE PHOTO: Desert locusts are seen on a tree at a ranch near the town on Nanyuki in Laikipia county, Kenya, February 21, 2020. REUTERS/Baz

BRISTOL, England (Reuters) – Greta Thunberg, the teenage activist who has reprimanded governments across the world for failing her generation with climate change, is expected to draw a crowd of thousands on Friday when she leads a protest in Britain. FILE PHOTO: Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg speaks during the Fridays for Future protest in

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Thursday the agency has not decided how it will respond to a federal court decision addressing exemptions to U.S. biofuel blending laws. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler looks on during a ceremony to sign the memorandum of understanding

NAGANO/TOKYO (Reuters) – A plan to use snow collected in Japan’s mountains to cool 2020 Olympics venues this summer is being stymied by snowfalls on track to be the lowest on record, according to officials involved. Authorities in Minami-Uonuma in Niigata prefecture north of Tokyo have been trying to collect and store snow to bring

OSLO (Reuters) – Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong and the NATO military alliance are among those tipped for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, following nominations by politicians. FILE PHOTO: Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg speaks during the Fridays for Future protest in Hamburg, Germany February 21, 2020. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer Also