Subterms
House Democrats will unveil an aggressive climate crisis “action plan” on Tuesday to nearly eliminate US emissions by 2050, according to summary documents reviewed by the Guardian. The net-zero emissions goal is what United Nations leaders and the scientific community say the world must achieve to avoid the worst of rising temperatures, and it’s what […] More
Wildlife Services kills thousands of animals at ranchers and farmers’ behest. But it operates with little oversight – and critics describe it as out of control The cyanide device, called M-44, is spring-activated and sprays poison designed to kill predators. Photograph: AP The call came over Tony Manu’s police radio one March day in 2017: […] More
Clean water should be an American human right, not a government profit machine When it comes to water infrastructure, America’s challenges resemble those of a developing country. It’s time for that to change ‘Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, nearly 14m households were unable to afford their water bills.’ Illustration: Erre Gálvez/The Guardian How can it […] More
EPA claims federal government, states and public water systems have already taken steps to reduce perchlorate levels A sign posted outside a water well indicates perchlorate contamination at the site in Rialto, California. Photograph: Ric Francis/AP US environmental regulators have decided they will not put restrictions on perchlorate – a rocket fuel ingredient known to […] More
Administration opening areas off New England coast up to commercial fishing, a move experts say will hurt the environment Commercial fishing boats docked in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Photograph: Wayne Parry/AP Donald Trump is easing protections for a large marine monument off the coast of New England, opening it to commercial fishing. But ocean experts […] More
It should be apparent to most observers of international relations that the Chinese government wants the world to play by its own set of rules. Beijing appears to believe that China’s rise and its assumption of global leadership positions are an inevitable extension of earlier periods in its history, when it was the world’s most […] More
17% of 91,000 US dams classified with ‘high hazard’ potential Neglected infrastructure in focus after Michigan dam failures The Sanford dam failed this week, causing widespread flooding and thousands of evacuations along the Tittabawassee River. Photograph: Tannen Maury/EPA More than 15,000 dams in the US would likely kill people if they failed, and at least […] More
Economists like to think of the wreckage caused by stock market downturns, widespread bankruptcies and corporate downsizing as “creative destruction.” As it destroys the old and the dysfunctional, the capitalist system continually spurs innovation, much as a forest fire prepares the ground for new growth. Or so the representatives of the dismal science argue. Donald […] More
