Incredible shrinking lakes: Humans, climate change, diversion costs trillions of gallons annually
May 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Climate change 's hotter temperatures and society's diversion of water have been shrinking the world's lakes by trillions of gallons of water a year since the early 1990s, a new study finds.
Crews work to reach Italian towns isolated by floods as toll rises to 13 and cleanup begins
May 18, 2023 GMTFAENZA, Italy (AP) — Rescue crews worked Thursday to reach towns and villages in northern Italy still isolated by heavy rains and flooding, as the death toll rose to 13 and authorities began mapping out cleanup and reconstruction plans.
Iran warns Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers not to violate its water rights, over Helmand River
May 18, 2023 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president warned Afghanistan's Taliban rulers on Thursday not to violate water rights of the Iranian people over their shared Helmand River, the state-run IRNA news agency reported..
The likelihood that Earth briefly hits key warming threshold grows bigger and closer, UN forecasts
May 17, 2023 GMTThere's a two-out-of-three chance that the world will temporarily hit a key warming limit within the next five years, the United Nations weather agency said Wednesday.
Oil drilling project near mouth of Amazon River rejected by Brazil’s environmental regulator
May 18, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s environmental regulator has rejected a license for a controversial offshore oil drilling project near the mouth of the Amazon River that drew strong opposition from activists who warned of its potential for damaging the area.
Judge signals hesitance to shut down pipeline, pleads with Wisconsin tribe to work with oil company
May 18, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge signaled Thursday he will not force an energy company to shut down an oil pipeline in northern Wisconsin, despite arguments from a Native American tribe that the line is at immediate risk of being exposed by erosion and rupturing on reservation land.
EPA rule would force clean-up of toxic coal ash dumped in landfills, ponds near power plants
May 17, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is strengthening a rule aimed at controlling and cleaning up toxic waste from coal-fired power plants. A proposal announced Wednesday would for the first time require safe management of so-called coal ash dumped in hundreds of older landfills, “legacy" ponds and other inactive sites that currently are unregulated at the federal level.
Heat wave in Asia made 30 times more likely because of climate change, scientists say
May 17, 2023 GMTBENGALURU, India (AP) — A searing heat wave in parts of southern Asia in April this year was made at least 30 times more likely by climate change, according to a rapid study by international scientists released Wednesday.
Videos show purported ivory-billed woodpeckers as US moves toward extinction decision
May 18, 2023 GMTNew video and photographs purporting to show ivory-billed woodpeckers flying in a Louisiana forest were published by researchers on Thursday, as government officials said they will make a final decision this year on whether the birds are extinct.
New Jersey blinks in dune repairs standoff, allows emergency erosion fixes in defiant town
May 18, 2023 GMTNORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey environmental officials will allow a shore town to carry out emergency repairs to its badly eroded beachfront, even as they continue a years-long fight with city officials over how best to protect the popular Jersey Shore resort's fragile coastline.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. government is greenlighting a proposed multibillion-dollar transmission line that would send primarily wind-generated electricity from the rural plains of New Mexico to big cities in the West.
El Ninos are far costlier than once thought, in the trillions, study says -- and one’s brewing now
May 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The natural burst of El Nino warming that changes weather worldwide is far costlier with longer-lasting expenses than experts had thought, averaging trillions of dollars in damage, a new study found.
Judge rejects lawsuit by Nantucket residents to block wind turbines, protect right whales
May 18, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit brought by Nantucket residents who argued that the planned construction of dozens of wind turbines off the affluent resort island threatens the survival of endangered Northern Atlantic right whales.
France moves to ban smoking in woodlands to combat growing climate-related risk of mega fires
May 18, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — French lawmakers have voted to ban smoking in all forests and woods during the fire season, part of a series of proposed measures to tackle growing destruction and dangers from climate change-related blazes.
Myanmar raises death toll from Cyclone Mocha to 54, but full extent of damage still unknown
May 18, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — At least 54 people were killed and more than 185,000 buildings damaged in Myanmar by a powerful cyclone last weekend, state television MRTV reported Thursday.
Communication difficulties in the affected areas, where infrastructure was already poor, and the military government’s tight control over information leave the actual extent of casualties and destruction unclear.
Biden administration invests in carbon capture, upping pressure on industry to show results
May 18, 2023 GMTThe Biden administration on Wednesday announced $251 million for carbon capture and storage projects in seven states, aiming to reduce planet-warming pollution from power plants and other industrial facilities.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s environmental regulator refused on Wednesday to grant a license for a controversial offshore oil drilling project near the mouth of the Amazon River, prompting celebration from environmentalists who had warned of its potential impact.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — As the winter's record snowpack melts and cascades down from the Rockies, Utah lawmakers on Wednesday set aside millions of dollars to prepare for potentially historic flooding.
Exceptional rains in drought-struck northern Italy kill 8, cancel Formula One Grand Prix
May 18, 2023 GMTCASTEL BOLOGNESE, Italy (AP) — Exceptional rains Wednesday in a drought-struck region of northern Italy swelled rivers over their banks, killing at least eight people, forcing the evacuation of thousands and prompting officials to warn that Italy needs a national plan to combat climate change-induced flooding.
Attorneys agree to pause federal litigation for water violations in Mississippi’s capital
May 17, 2023 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Attorneys for the federal government, Mississippi and the state's capital city have agreed to request to delay litigation from a complaint filed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that said the city wasn’t meeting standards for providing reliable drinking water.
Criminal cases for killing eagles decline as wind turbine dangers grow
AP ExclusiveMay 17, 2023 GMTROLLING HILLS, Wyo. (AP) — Criminal cases brought by U.S. wildlife officials for killing or harming protected bald and golden eagles dropped sharply in recent years, even as officials ramped up issuing permits that will allow wind energy companies to kill thousands of eagles without legal consequence.
BP subsidiary agrees to record $40M penalty and pollution-cutting steps at Lake Michigan refinery
May 17, 2023 GMTTRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) —
A BP subsidiary will pay a $40 million penalty and install technology to control releases of benzene and other contaminants at its Whiting oil refinery on the Indiana shoreline of Lake Michigan, Biden administration officials said Wednesday.
Pale Male, red-tailed hawk who nested above NYC’s Fifth Avenue for 30 years, dies at 33
May 17, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Pale Male, a red-tailed hawk who brought a touch of the wild to swanky Manhattan as he nested above Fifth Avenue for three decades, has died.
Pale Male died late Tuesday after being found ill and grounded in Central Park, wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath posted on Facebook. The hawk was believed to be 33 years old.
Energy storage farm could replace Hawaii coal-fired power plant
May 17, 2023 GMTHONOLULU (AP) — An energy storage farm could replace Hawaii’s last coal-fired power plant that closed in 2022 after 30 years.
Kerry challenges oil industry to prove its promised tech rescue for climate-wrecking emissions
May 17, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Oil and gas producers talk up technological breakthroughs they say will soon allow the world to drill and burn fossil fuels without worsening global warming.
TOKYO (AP) — About 1,500 trees were cut down to build the $1.4 billion National Stadium for the Tokyo Olympics.
Almost two years after the Games ended, the graceful stadium sits largely unused, has no major tenant, and could cost taxpayers a reported $15 million annually in upkeep.
Myanmar and Bangladesh begin cleaning up, counting casualties after devastating Cyclone Mocha
May 17, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Recovery efforts were underway Tuesday in Myanmar and Bangladesh after a powerful cyclone smashed into their coastlines, causing widespread destruction and at least 21 deaths, with hundreds of others believed missing.
Rain-swollen rivers flood some towns in north Italy; Venice prepares to raise mobile dike in lagoon
May 17, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Rivers swollen by days of downpours flooded some towns in northern Italy on Tuesday, forcing some residents to rooftops, while in Venice, authorities prepared to activate a mobile barrier in the lagoon in hopes of sparing the city from a rare May high-tide flooding.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Ice jams that blocked two Alaska rivers broke loose over the weekend, unleashing a surge of ice and water that caused major floods, damaged homes and left behind huge chunks of ice as tall as 12 feet (3.7 meters).
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California condors will receive a vaccine for a deadly strain of avian influenza that threatens to wipe out the already critically endangered vulture species, federal officials said Tuesday.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Pipeline design issues, lapses by its operators and problems caused during its construction led to a massive oil spill on the Keystone pipeline system in northeastern Kansas, according to a report for U.S.
Biden administration clarifies 1872 Mining Law; says huge Nevada lithium mine can proceed
May 16, 2023 GMTRENO, Nevada (AP) — The Biden administration says it has completed a court-ordered review that should ensure construction continues at a Nevada lithium mine, despite legal challenges brought by conservationists and tribal leaders.
MARYSVILLE, Calif. (AP) — California officials on Tuesday said they will spend about $60 million to build a channel along the Yuba River so that salmon and other threatened fish species can get around a Gold Rush-era dam that for more than a century has cut off their migration along the chilly waters of Sierra Nevada streams.
Mandatory flood evacuations ordered in Hailey, Idaho
May 16, 2023 GMTHAILEY, Idaho. (AP) — Authorities issued evacuation notices Tuesday for some neighborhoods in the central Idaho city of Hailey because of river flooding.
The Blaine County sheriff at the request of the Hailey Fire Department issued an order Tuesday for people living in eight homes on War Eagle Drive to leave immediately.
A rare, endangered seal named Yulia basks on Tel Aviv beach
May 16, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An unexpected visitor spotted sunbathing on a beach in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv is turning heads and causing a media buzz.
But it's not American film director and Tel Aviv mainstay, Quentin Tarantino, or another Hollywood celebrity — it's Yulia, an endangered Mediterranean monk seal.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A staple seafood species caught by East Coast fishers for centuries is experiencing overfishing, and regulators have cut catch quotas by more than 80% to prevent the fish's population from collapse.
Biden plan to sell land leases for conservation gets pushback
AP ExclusiveMay 16, 2023 GMTBILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Biden administration officials on Monday sought to dispel worries they want to exclude oil drilling, livestock grazing and other activities from vast government-owned lands, as they faced pushback from Republicans and ranchers and over a contentious proposal to put conservation on equal footing with industry.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A controversial and long-delayed natural gas pipeline got the green light for construction on national forest land in Virginia and West Virginia after the U.S. Forest Service reissued its approval for a permit, despite past federal appeals court rulings determining developers had “inadequately considered” the project's environmental impact.
Biden vetoes bid by Congress to reinstate tariffs on solar panel imports from SE Asia
May 16, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday vetoed a congressional resolution that would have reinstated tariffs on solar panel imports from Southeast Asia, settling for now a long-running dispute over whether to punish China for trade violations that bypass U.S.
Minister: 2 major gas companies keen on Israel-Cyprus plan for pipeline, gas processing facility
May 16, 2023 GMTNICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Two major international oil and gas companies have so far expressed interest in Israeli-Cypriot plans to build a pipeline that would convey offshore natural gas from both countries to Cyprus where it would be liquefied for export by ship, a Cypriot official said Tuesday.
EU countries adopt law banning products which fuel deforestation
May 16, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The 27 European Union countries on Tuesday formally adopted new rules that should help the bloc reduce its contribution to global deforestation by regulating the trade in a series of products driving the decrease in forested areas across the world.
German court convicts, fines Jesuit priest over climate protest
May 16, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — A German court on Tuesday convicted a Jesuit priest of coercion in connection with a climate protest last year and ordered him to pay a small fine.
The district court in Munich handed down its verdict in the case of the Rev.
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Early warnings from weather agencies and better preparedness by local governments and aid agencies likely saved thousands of lives during a powerful cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh and Myanmar over the weekend.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Syria's embattled President Bashar Assad received an invitation to attend the upcoming COP28 climate talks in Dubai later this year, even as the yearslong war in his country over his rule grinds on.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The former head of Volkswagen's luxury division Audi pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges tied to the automaker's diesel emissions scandal, becoming the highest-ranking executive convicted over cars that cheated on emissions tests with the help of illegal software.
UN reports extensive flooding damage in central Somalia
May 16, 2023 GMTMOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Floods caused by the annual rains have left “a trail of destruction" across Somalia, a United Nations spokesman said, citing inundated homes and farmland as well as the shutdown of health facilities.
Biden administration announces nearly $11 billion for renewable energy in rural communities
May 16, 2023 GMTThe U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a nearly $11 billion investment on Tuesday to help bring affordable clean energy to rural communities throughout the country.
Rural electric cooperatives, renewable energy companies and electric utilities will be able to apply for funding through two programs, U.S.
Pacific Island leaders say rich countries are not doing enough to control climate change
May 16, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Pacific Island leaders are criticizing rich countries for not doing enough to control climate change despite being responsible for much of the problem, and for profiting from loans provided to vulnerable nations to mitigate the effects.
Anovion, maker of graphite for electric batteries, plans $800 million factory in southwest Georgia
May 16, 2023 GMTBAINBRIDGE, Ga. (AP) — A company that's trying to become a major American-based supplier of graphite for electric batteries announced Monday it will invest $800 million to build a factory in southwest Georgia, hiring 400 workers.
Powerful cyclone floods homes, cuts communications in western Myanmar; at least 6 dead, 700 injured
May 16, 2023 GMTDHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Rescuers on Monday evacuated about 1,000 people trapped by seawater 3.6 meters (12 feet) deep along western Myanmar's coast after a powerful cyclone injured hundreds and cut off communications.
Wyoming black bear hunter accused of killing protected grizzly near highway into Yellowstone
May 15, 2023 GMTCHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A Wyoming hunter faces up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine if convicted of killing a protected grizzly bear he allegedly claims he mistook for a legal-to-hunt black bear outside Yellowstone National Park.
Fire breaks out at Marathon refinery in Texas; 1 worker dead
May 15, 2023 GMTTEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) — A fire at a Marathon Petroleum refinery near Houston on Monday caused visible flames and left at least one worker dead, the company said.
Marathon said the cause of the morning fire was under investigation.
Cartier uses images of Amazon tribe devastated by illegal gold mining. Critics call that hypocrisy
May 15, 2023 GMTBOA VISTA, Brazil (AP) — Until two months ago, Cartier’s website showed Yanomami children playing in a green field.
The French luxury jewelry brand said it was working to promote the culture of the Indigenous people and protect the rainforest where they live, in a vast territory straddling Brazil and Venezuela.
KEY LARGO, Fla. (AP) — A university professor broke a record for the longest time living underwater without depressurization this weekend at a Florida Keys lodge for scuba divers.
Joseph Dituri’s 74th day residing in Jules’ Undersea Lodge, situated at the bottom of a 30-foot-deep lagoon in Key Largo, wasn’t much different than his previous days there since he submerged March 1.