"By now, we are accustomed to thinking of climate change in terms of human rights. What if we were to think as much about the rights of nature itself – of pets and backyard birds, coyotes and spruce trees, mountains and rivers, ecosystems and the climate, the air that surrounds us?"
"Expert marine mammal researchers spotted up to 10 of the porpoises during a recent survey in the Upper Gulf of California. They warn the species remains at risk of extinction until safer fishing gear is developed to prevent deadly entanglements."
"Bird flu has wiped out half of South Georgia’s breeding elephant seals, according to a study that warns of “serious implications” for the future of the species."
"A group of Illinois congressional delegates is calling for the release of $3 billion in withheld federal funding that’s meant to help replace toxic lead service lines that supply drinking water to homes across the country."
"Caribbean nations face an increasing threat from super hurricanes, which can cost a significant fraction of their GDP. Climate change is expected to make the strongest hurricanes stronger."
"State negotiators failed to meet a Tuesday deadline to reach an initial agreement over future operations of the drought-stricken Colorado River, but the Trump administration indicated it will allow states to continue bargaining."
"The head of the International Maritime Organization said Monday he’s continuing to “advocate and campaign” for global regulations to move the shipping industry away from fossil fuels, despite the United States and Saudi Arabia blocking new rules last month."
"The Trump administration plans to allow new oil and gas drilling off the California coast for the first time in roughly four decades, according to three people briefed on the matter. The move would set up a confrontation with Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has fought offshore drilling and who has emerged as one of President Trump’s chief political antagonists."
"The Senate approved a three-bill spending package for fiscal 2026. Lawmakers also passed a stopgap for the rest of the government."
With the COP30 U.N. climate talks starting this week in Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon River basin, our Issue Backgrounder points out that now is a critical time to consider a central question: Is the mandate to save the immense Amazon rainforest as a way to combat climate change being irretrievably undermined by the vast, destructive forces bringing about the rainforest’s rapid destruction?
