Greece Blocks EU Praise for IMO Shipping Levy

 

A U.S.-backed push to derail a global carbon price for shipping threw EU climate talks off course, as Greece blocked a reference to the International Maritime Organization’s levy. After Athens dropped support at last week’s IMO meeting—under pressure from industry and the U.S.—EU environment ministers spent hours stalled before approving...

First Mosquitoes Confirmed in Warming Iceland

 

Scientists in Iceland have confirmed the country’s first mosquitoes, a milestone linked to rapid warming that is making the island more hospitable to insects. Entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson identified three Culiseta annulata in Kiðafell, Kjós—two females and a male—after citizen scientist Björn Hjaltason trapped them on wine ropes used to lure...

Halong Remnants Devastate Western Alaska Communities

 

Remnant storms from Typhoon Halong pounded western Alaska on Oct. 12, with blistering winds and record-high water displacing more than 2,000 people and prompting one of the most significant airlift operations in Alaska history. At least one person is dead and two are missing. In Kwigillingok, Steven Anaver’s home ripped...

Diwali Fireworks Leave Delhi Shrouded in Smog

 

Delhi woke to a toxic haze after Diwali as fireworks flouted court limits on “green” crackers and timing. The city’s Air Quality Index hit 360 on Tuesday—“very poor”—with some areas measuring about 24 times the WHO’s 24-hour PM2.5 guideline. Low winds, stubble burning and vehicular emissions compounded the smog. Reporters...

Flash Heating Method Recovers Rare Earths from E-Waste

 

Researchers report a cleaner way to recover rare earth elements from waste magnets, using flash joule heating and chlorine gas to vaporize unwanted metals and leave REEs behind as oxides or oxychlorides. The process, detailed in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, achieved over 90% purity and over 90%...

Raggett Warns of Wildlife Loss, Policy Retreat

 

Wildlife photographer Margot Raggett, who has raised £1.2m through her Remembering Wildlife books since 2015, says momentum has slipped, citing repeated US withdrawals from the Paris agreement and UK parties pledging to drop the 2050 net zero goal. Her new volume, Ten Years of Remembering Wildlife, pairs images of animals...

Alaska seeks disaster aid after village devastation

 

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy asked the White House for a major disaster declaration after remnants of Typhoon Halong sent Category 2-force surf across remote villages, killing one person and leaving two missing. In Kipnuk, 90% of homes were destroyed; Kwigillingok also suffered severe losses. More than 2,000 residents have been...

Halong Remnant Devastates Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Villages

 

The remnant of Typhoon Halong battered Alaska’s southwest coast late Oct. 11, unleashing hurricane-force winds and record flooding across Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta villages. More than a thousand people are displaced; one woman was found dead and two relatives remain missing. Kipnuk and Kwigillingok suffered the worst damage and are largely evacuated...

States Sue EPA Over Canceled Solar Program

 

More than 20 states sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday after the agency canceled “Solar For All,” a $7 billion program intended to expand rooftop and community solar for low-income households. The suit, led by Washington, Arizona and Minnesota, says EPA unlawfully terminated the Inflation Reduction Act program in...

Storm Surge Devastates Western Alaska Villages

 

An immense storm surge from Typhoon Halong’s remnants battered western Alaska’s coastal villages, floating houses and pushing water more than six feet above normal tides. In Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, 121 homes were destroyed and three dozen more drifted away; one person is dead and two are missing. More than 1,000...