"SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — It's easy to spot the San Pedro River from the air; just look for the cottonwood trees outlining its banks. The bright green forest persists even at the height of Arizona's dry season in June, when most of the river doesn't have any water. But summer monsoons this month bring waves of water up to a dozen feet tall."
"In early July, Bangladesh became the first country to grant all of its rivers the same legal status as humans. From now on, its rivers will be treated as living entities in a court of law. The landmark ruling by the Bangladeshi Supreme Court is meant to protect the world's largest delta from further degradation from pollution, illegal dredging and human intrusion."
"A federal judge blocked construction of a giant copper mine in Arizona’s Coronado National Forest, overturning a decision by the federal government and handing a major victory to environmental groups and tribes that have been fighting plans for the mine."
"Plans for protecting sage grouse in five Western states are being changed in ways that will conserve habitat while allowing ranchers to maintain their livelihoods, federal officials said Thursday. ... Environmental groups blasted the plan based on the Forest Service’s three-bullet-point summary released Thursday ...."
"The Justice Department is investigating whether former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke used personal email accounts for official business, a matter that has become part of a larger criminal probe into the departed official, according to a letter released by House Democrats on Tuesday."
"EPA has lifted the Obama-era proposed 'veto' of the Pebble mine, reversing a decision last year not to scrap the pending mining restrictions on the massive copper and gold project upstream from Alaska's Bristol Bay."
"The Bureau of Land Management is about to open public lands to oil, gas, mining, and road construction as an outspoken opponent of federal land ownership takes the helm of the agency, former Interior Department officials and advocacy groups said July 30."
"Every year, hundreds of petroleum industry executives gather in Anchorage for the annual conference of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, where they discuss policy and celebrate their achievements with the state’s political establishment. In May 2018, they again filed into the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, but they had a new reason to celebrate."
"An EPA memo that could alter the fate of the Pebble mine caught many of its foes off guard last month. But not investors."
"Extreme climate events such as heatwaves, floods and drought damaged 45% of the marine ecosystems along Australia’s coast in a seven-year period, CSIRO research shows."
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