Natural Resources

Coal Country Voices Say Closures Of MSHA Offices Will Endanger Mine Safety

"Retired coal miner Stanley “Goose” Stewart questions whether it’s safe for anyone to work in the industry right now. The Department of Government Efficiency, created by President Donald Trump and run by Elon Musk, has been targeting federal agencies for spending cuts. That includes terminating leases for three dozen offices in the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the agency responsible for enforcing mine safety laws."

Source: AP, 04/07/2025

How the Potomac Imparts the Capital’s Story

The Potomac is one of the most prominent rivers in the United States, a defining ecological feature of Washington, D.C., at the same time it reveals the city’s history of racial inequality and disenfranchisement. Writer, historian, educator and herbalist Charlotte Taylor Fryar recounts that tale in her ambitious “Potomac Fever,” reviewed in the latest BookShelf by contributing editor Jennifer Weeks, herself a Washington native.

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White House Weighs Executive Order To Fast-Track Deep-Sea Mining: Sources

"The White House is weighing an executive order that would fast-track permitting for deep-sea mining in international waters and let mining companies bypass a United Nations-backed review process, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the deliberations."

Source: Reuters, 04/04/2025

After Outcry, Brazil Supreme Court Nixes Mining On Indigenous Lands

"Brazil’s Supreme Court backed down and withdrew its proposal to open up Indigenous territories to mining and economic activities from a controversial bill that critics say violates the Constitution."

Source: Mongabay, 04/04/2025

"EPA Cuts Could Leave Small Rural Towns Choking In Smoke"

"The EPA’s slashing of more than $1 billion in grant funding has hit hard in Western communities that have felt climate impacts from flooding, wildfire smoke and melting permafrost."

Source: Washington Post, 04/04/2025

"What Are the Rights of Nature?"

"“Rights of nature” is a movement aimed at advancing the understanding that ecosystems, wildlife and the Earth are living beings with inherent rights to exist, evolve and regenerate."

Source: Inside Climate News, 04/03/2025

"U.S. Honeybee Deaths Soar, And Grocery Store Bills Could Take The Hit"

"Beekeepers across the country are sounding the alarm as honeybee populations are dwindling at an unprecedented rate, a trend that could affect Americans' wallets at the grocery store."

Source: NBC News, 04/03/2025

"Flood Risks Getting Worse Along U.S. Coastlines, New Analysis Shows"

"Flooding in coastal areas of the United States is projected to occur 10 times more often over the next 25 years, with about 2.5 million people and 1.4 million homes facing severe property damage from sea level rise, according to a new analysis released Wednesday by Climate Central."

Source: Floodlight, 04/03/2025

Firing National Park and Forest Workers Stresses Nearby Communities

"As government agencies slash staff managing federal lands, rural populations dependent on outdoor tourism face mounting economic and environmental risks that are trickling down from the cuts."

Source: Inside Climate News, 04/03/2025

HHS Fires Entire Staff That Helps Low-Income People Afford Heat, AC

"The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has fired all of the workers in its program that seeks to help low-income Americans pay their energy bills. Everyone who had been working on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was let go on Tuesday, according to now-former employee Andrew Germain."

Source: The Hill, 04/03/2025

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