Flesh-Eating New World Screwworm Parasite Found in US Wildlife
"USDA says screwworm found in elk in Texas, and warns hunters and ranchers to be vigilant to help stop spread"
Source: Guardian, 10/22/2026
EJToday: Top Headlines
EJToday is a daily weekday digest of top environment/energy news and information of interest to environmental journalists, independently curated by Editor Joseph A. Davis. Sign up below to receive in your inbox. For queries, email EJToday@SEJ.org. For more info, read an EJToday FAQ. Plus, follow EJToday on social media at @EJTodayNews, and flag stories of note by including the @EJTodayNews handle on your posts. And tell us how to make EJToday even better by taking this brief survey.
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UN Sees Higher Global Warming, Even In Best-Case Scenario
"Global warming is now projected to exceed previous estimates, with even the most optimistic scenario seeing average temperatures rise to 1.7-1.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by mid-century, a UN report showed on Wednesday."
Source: Reuters, 10/22/2026After Decade of Blocking Methane Control, Trump EPA Promises New Rules
"In both terms, Trump has rolled back or blocked attempts to reduce highly warming methane emissions from the oil and gas industry."
Source: Inside Climate News, 10/22/2026World Bank Withdraws Major Loan to an Agribusiness Tied to Deforestation
"The reversal comes after environmental and Indigenous rights groups pushed the bank to acknowledge environmental concerns. More watchdogging of development banks is on the horizon, they say."
Source: Inside Climate News, 10/22/2026This 'Wonderland of Rocks' Just Became America's Newest National Park
"Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona was redesignated as the United States' 64th national park on Oct. 20, 2026, offering unique geological features, wildlife and dark‑sky conditions, but it remains small and under‑resourced."
Source: USA TODAY, 10/22/2026US Is Outlier Among Rich Nations in Slowing Climate Progress: UN Data
"The scientific report, identifies the United States as an outlier among the nations responsible for the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions."
Source: New York Times, 10/21/2026U.K. Approves Long-Delayed North Sea Gas Field Despite Climate Concerns
"Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office in July, has sought to balance pressure to tackle rising bills with demands from some Labour lawmakers to reduce fossil fuel use."
"Britain on Wednesday approved the Jackdaw North Sea gas field, ending years of legal and political wrangling as the Labour government seeks to balance its climate goals with energy security concerns.
Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said the project would begin supplying gas to British homes and businesses by the end of this month, helping ease energy costs that have surged during the Iran war.
Source: Reuters, 10/21/2026The Overlapping Plagues Quietly Devastating American Forests
"The trees are sick. Epidemics are escalating, across numerous species, as more and more pests and pathogens invade forests. Their entryway is global trade — in live plants, and in the countless products that are shipped in wooden pallets, crates and other packaging. As trade has boomed, so have the opportunities for tiny stowaways to wreak havoc."
Source: New York Times, 10/21/2026US Clean Energy Jobs Fell In 2025 For The First Time In Years
"Clean energy installations have persisted at record levels despite President Donald Trump’s best efforts to stop them. But the first year of Trump’s second term did leave a mark on U.S. jobs in the sector." "Employment in the sector dipped in Donald Trump’s first year back in office — and many more expected jobs won’t materialize thanks to canceled clean energy projects."
Source: Canary Media, 10/21/2026After Trump Scraps Key Climate Report, Scientists Plow Ahead Anyway
"After the Trump administration dismissed scientists behind a key national climate report last year, some of them decided they’d keep working on it — but from outside the government."
Source: Washington Post, 10/21/2026Trump Gives Contentious New York Pipeline A Defense Production Act Boost
"The Trump administration is giving a defense-related boost to a contentious pipeline in the Northeast U.S. The Energy Department said Monday that it would give up to $42 million from the Defense Production Act for the Constitution Pipeline project that would transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to New York."
Source: The Hill, 10/21/2026Judge Weighs Challenge To Trump’s East Potomac Golf Takeover
"A federal judge on Monday pressed the Trump administration about President Trump’s plan to shut down and renovate East Potomac Park next month despite a previous court order barring any future work at the property while a lawsuit to stop it plays out."
Source: The Hill, 10/21/2026Spanberger Wants 6-Year Rate-Hike Freeze If Dominion-Next Era Merger OKd
"Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) is pushing for a six-year pause on electricity rate hikes in the commonwealth as part of a merger between NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy."
Source: The Hill, 10/21/2026Dental Floss Is Shedding Potentially Harmful Chemicals
"Some dental floss manufacturers have indeed been quietly moving away from the synthetic material PTFE, which helped their product slip smoothly between teeth."
Source: Washington Post, 10/21/2026Some Of The Most Pristine Coral Reefs Have A Secret Weapon: Birds
"The remote Pacific Ocean has some of the most pristine coral reefs in the world. The corals themselves are bigger than cars, their delicate arms creating a dense underwater maze. Above them, the skies are filled with seabirds like red-footed boobies and white terns, searching for fish."
Source: NPR, 10/21/2026
