Trump Officials Pledge Swift Completion of Controversial Gas Pipeline
The Trump administration is fast‑tracking a $1 billion, 23‑mile underwater natural gas pipeline that will run beneath Raritan Bay, linking New Jersey and New York Harbor. At a Brooklyn groundbreaking, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin pledged swift completion despite repeated state rejections. Officials framed the project as a cornerstone of U.S. energy independence, affordability, and export capability. Environmental groups protested, warning the pipeline could exacerbate climate change and threaten local waterways.
The Treasury Secretary Vs. Climate Science
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told IMF and World Bank delegates that pinpointing the exact causes of climate change is “very difficult,” a stance that runs counter to the scientific consensus on human‑driven warming. He urged global financial institutions to prioritize...
Europe Is Desperate for More Energy. Can Norway Come to the Rescue?
Europe’s energy security is under renewed pressure as the war in Iran drives oil prices higher, echoing the 2022 Russian‑Ukraine crisis. The continent has turned to Norway, its largest Western European oil producer, for a reliable supply of oil and...
Youths Who Sued Trump Over Orders to ‘Unleash’ Energy Try to Revive Case
A group of 22 youths filed *Lighthiser v. Trump* alleging President Trump’s executive orders promoting fossil‑fuel use violated their constitutional rights. A Montana district judge dismissed the case, saying the claimed injuries were too broad for judicial relief. The plaintiffs...
In the Desert, a ‘Cleaning Station’ for Ants
In June 2006, Smithsonian entomologist Mark Moffett filmed large red harvester ants in Arizona allowing tiny cone ants to climb aboard and groom them, a behavior reminiscent of marine cleaner fish. After two decades of analysis, he published the finding...
The Northeast Hoped to Lead on Climate. Now It’s Rethinking.
A decade after the Northeast embraced some of the nation’s most aggressive climate legislation, states are now back‑tracking. New York’s governor labeled the 2030 emissions‑cut goal unattainable, Massachusetts is trimming heat‑pump subsidies, and Rhode Island wants to shift its 2033...
E.P.A. Says It Will End Biden’s Coal Ash Disposal Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency announced it will repeal the 2024 rule that required coal‑ash site inspections and modify longstanding cleanup standards. The rollback eases compliance burdens for the coal sector, which has long opposed the Biden‑era regulation. EPA Administrator Lee...
Volkswagen to End E.V. Production at Tennessee Plant
Volkswagen announced it will cease production of the ID.4 electric SUV at its Chattanooga, Tennessee facility, redirecting the line to a new gasoline‑powered Atlas model. The move follows Congress eliminating the federal tax credit that had underpinned demand for affordable...
How War in the Middle East Paralyzed an Asian Food Giant
The war in Iran has choked fuel and fertilizer supplies, pushing diesel prices in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta to levels higher than after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The surge forced rice mills to shut down and electricity costs to skyrocket,...
Heat Wipes Out Western Snowpack, Raising Fears of Summer Drought
A record‑mild winter followed by an intense March heat wave has left the Mountain West virtually snowless, driving snowpack to historic lows. Key measurement sites in the Sierra Nevada and Colorado reported less than half of typical snow depth, jeopardizing...
Why Electric Trucks Haven’t Taken Off in the U.S.
Rising diesel prices—now $5.64 a gallon, a 50% year‑over‑year jump—are squeezing U.S. trucking margins amid heightened Iran‑related geopolitical tension. The surge has forced carriers to add fuel surcharges, while food distributors pass costs to consumers. Tesla announced it will begin...
How Tolls in the Strait of Hormuz Would Undercut International Law
The United States and Iran are each proposing tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would contravene the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Neither country has ratified UNCLOS, leaving the proposed...
In New England, Catching Climate Data Along With Fish
Commercial fishing vessels from Maine to North Carolina are now outfitted with small, soda‑can sensors that record temperature, oxygen and soon salinity on the seafloor. Around 150 fishermen, including lobster and sea‑urchin catcher Bob Hersey Jr., pull these sensors up...
The Three Big Questions Delaying New York’s Budget
New York state lawmakers are still negotiating the 2026 budget, projected at roughly $260 billion. The April 1 deadline passed without an agreement, continuing a pattern of delays that began when Governor Kathy Hochul took office in 2021. Lawmakers remain split over...
Will the Iran Crisis Push the World to Rethink Oil and Gas?
The Endangered Species Committee, known as the "God Squad," voted unanimously to exempt offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from endangered‑species protections, marking its first meeting in three decades. The decision removes legal barriers for new wells, reviving a...
