Brazil Under Fire As Amazon Burning Is Connected to Soy and Beef Exports

Brazil Under Fire As Amazon Burning Is Connected to Soy and Beef Exports

A recent study published in Science found that a significant percentage of beef and soy exported from Brazil to the EU is connected with illegal deforestation. As YaleE360 reported  that “as much as 22 percent of soy and 60 percent of beef…back to illegal tree felling and fires in the Amazon and Cerrado regions.”

Why This Matters: The study’s lead author Raoni Rajão said, “Until now, agribusiness and the Brazilian government have claimed that they cannot monitor the entire supply chain, nor distinguish the legal from the illegal deforestation.” This new study undercuts that idea, showing that Brazil can (and must) monitor agribusiness’ connections to illegal deforestation.

Continue Reading 623 words
Summer Increasingly Brings Toxic Algae to Freshwater Lakes in US – Watch Your Pets

Summer Increasingly Brings Toxic Algae to Freshwater Lakes in US – Watch Your Pets

As the “dog days” of summer are here, so is the threat of toxic algae in lakes and ponds across the U.S., according to reports from news outlets nationwide.  The Boston Globe’s David Abel reported on how the 996 small lakes on Cape Cod that had provided a respite from saltwater are now warming so rapidly that they are being “transformed by climate change” that saps their oxygen, makes them dangerous for swimming by humans and pets, and harms wildlife.

Why This Matters:  Often these blooms occur because of runoff pollution, but in some locations on Cape Cod with little of that, the culprit seems to be climate change.

Continue Reading 522 words
More Than A Thousand Scientists Denounce Trump’s Denigration of Science

More Than A Thousand Scientists Denounce Trump’s Denigration of Science

1,240 National Academy of Science (NAS) members have “registered their personal concern about the Trump administration’s denigrations of science,” Inside Climate News reported this week. The open letter, first written in 2016 has amassed hundreds of signatures in just the past few weeks. 

Why This Matters: In the midst of a global pandemic and horrifying examples of the effects of climate change, we need science-based policies more than ever.

Continue Reading 457 words
Dems Demand Assurances NOAA’s Weather Forecasters Will Be Insulated From Politics

Dems Demand Assurances NOAA’s Weather Forecasters Will Be Insulated From Politics

With hurricane season about to enter its peak, The Hill reported that six Democratic Senators demanded that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provide them assurances that they will put tougher rules in place to prevent another “Sharpie-gate” from interfering with the work of the weather and climate scientists at the agency.

Why This Matters:   Dems are right to demand that there will be no political interference with agency forecasts during this hurricane season — the public’s safety must be paramount.

Continue Reading 553 words
Federal Judge Dismisses Trump Administration Lawsuit Over CA-Canada Cap and Trade

Federal Judge Dismisses Trump Administration Lawsuit Over CA-Canada Cap and Trade

A federal judge on Friday dismissed a challenge brought by the Trump administration against a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program that creates a market for emissions credits between the state of California and the Canadian province of Quebec.

Why This Matters: The Trump administration challenged the program because it argued California had no authority to deal directly with the government of another nation — that its program usurps the federal government’s primacy in foreign affairs.

Continue Reading 451 words
CA Federal Court Invalidates Trump Rollback Allowing Methane Pollution on Federal Lands

CA Federal Court Invalidates Trump Rollback Allowing Methane Pollution on Federal Lands

A federal court in California on Wednesday tossed out the Trump Administration’s rollback of an Obama administration rule that limited wasteful venting, flaring, and leaking of gas from drilling operations on federal and tribal lands. The Judge re-instated the prior Obama Administration rule beginning in 90 days.

Why This Matters:  Once again, the Trump Administration’s flagrant disregard for democratic principles of government and the rule of law came back to bite them.

Continue Reading 502 words

Want the planet in your inbox?

Subscribe to the email that top lawmakers, renowned scientists, and thousands of concerned citizens turn to each morning for the latest environmental news and analysis.