"The United States has sent letters to at least a handful of countries urging them to reject the goal of a global pact that includes limits on plastic production and plastic chemical additives at the start of U.N. plastic treaty talks in Geneva, according to a memo and communications seen by Reuters."
"A federal court on Tuesday temporarily barred the Trump administration from reallocating funds used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help communities prevent future storm damage."
"At least 250 bills to regulate the hazardous chemicals have been introduced this year in more than two dozen states."
"Nations kicked off a meeting on Tuesday to try to complete a landmark treaty aimed at ending the plastic pollution crisis that affects every ecosystem and person on the planet."
"Researchers in Washington and British Columbia say they have solved a deadly mystery that has stumped scientists for more than a decade. They have identified the pathogen behind one of the world’s biggest disease outbreaks: a wasting disease that has turned billions of sea stars into goo — from Alaska to California."
"The newest draft of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement lacks meaningful pollution reduction targets and allows states to evade legal accountability, according to concerned environmental advocates and experts who have reviewed the document."
"Two top officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who led the investigation into the so-called “Sharpiegate” scandal, were placed on leave amid clashes with the Trump administration, according to a report." "The move comes days before a Senate committee votes on the nomination of Neil Jacobs, who was found to have violated the agency’s scientific integrity policy"
"Plastics are a “grave” danger to humans and the planet, responsible for an estimated $1.5 trillion annually in health-related costs, and nations need to center human health as they finalize the global plastics treaty, scientists said in a new report released Monday."
The United States has nearly 100,000 miles of coastline and much of it is at risk of flooding. But what that inundation looks like varies widely from place to place. From storm surges to land subsidence, the latest Backgrounder details the different types of flooding and the threats they pose to coastal communities, especially sea level cities.
"These rare salamanders, which can grow to over two feet long, lurk in the wild rivers of Appalachia. To spot one, you’ll need a snorkel, and some luck."
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