"Virginia’s air quality board on Wednesday voted to leave an interstate emissions-reduction partnership, bringing the state closer to fulfilling Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) vow to withdraw from the program earlier this year even as critics say the process needs legislative approval."
"Like Big Oil, pesticide companies spend hundreds of millions every year on deceitful PR strategies to keep their hazardous products on the market, even as evidence mounts that many pesticides still used today are tied to certain cancers, damage to children’s developing brains, biodiversity collapse, and more."
"The Permian Basin is ground zero for a billion-dollar surge of zombie oil wells." "As oil and gas companies weathered volatile oil prices last year, many halted production. More than 100,000 oil and gas wells in Texas and New Mexico are idle."
"Wildlife is disappearing around the world, in the oceans and on land. The main cause on land is perhaps the most straightforward: Humans are taking over too much of the planet, erasing what was there before. Climate change and other pressures make survival harder."
"A district judge in Genesee County tossed a pair of misdemeanor charges levied against former Gov. Rick Snyder for his involvement in the Flint water crisis, citing previous court rulings that state prosecutors incorrectly used a "one-person grand jury" to indict Snyder."
Here's a list of top biodiversity stories from SEJournal.
"This year, extreme precipitation deluged communities across the United States — a hallmark risk of a warming climate. Government flood-insurance maps often left residents unprepared for the threat."
"In the Horn of Africa, a climate change-induced drought is exposing cracks in the global food system and pushing humanitarian aid to a breaking point."
"Scientists hit a key milestone in the quest to create abundant zero-carbon power through nuclear fusion. But they still have a long way to go."
"The House on Thursday afternoon sent the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act to the Senate floor for consideration next week. The legislation, which passed the House 350-80, carries a number of energy and environment riders, including authorizing billions of dollars for water infrastructure projects and environmental cleanups."
