The latest updates on energy and environment news, analysis and opinion covering energy policy and its impact on resources and climate.
By Jon Gambrell - Associated Press
The tiny, energy-rich Arab nation of Qatar announced on Monday it will withdraw from OPEC in January, mixing its aspirations to increase production outside of the cartel's constraints with the politics of slighting the Saudi-dominated group amid the kingdom's boycott of Doha. Published December 3, 2018
A protest movement that has brought the French into the streets for five Saturdays in a row in a major challenge to President Emmanuel Macron lost momentum in its latest nationwide outcry, but the smaller crowds pushed fervently for one of their expanding demands, a citizen's referendum to help define policy.
After two weeks of bruising negotiations, officials from almost 200 countries agreed Saturday on universal, transparent rules that will govern efforts to cut emissions and curb global warming. Fierce disagreements on two other climate issues were kicked down the road for a year to help bridge a chasm of opinions on the best solutions.
Last November, diplomats from Brazil to Japan joined oil and gas executives at the headquarters of Washington's largest lobbying group to christen a new partnership.
The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck eastern Tennessee and could be felt in Atlanta.
The United Nations secretary-general flew back to global climate talks in Poland Wednesday to appeal to countries to reach an agreement, as some observers feared the meeting might end without a deal.
Insurance claims from last month's California wildfires already are at $9 billion and expected to increase, the state's insurance commissioner announced Wednesday.
The Environmental Protection Agency moved Tuesday to scale back the Obama-era Waters of the United States rule, a policy embraced by environmentalists but denounced by critics as a power grab that placed even potholes and puddles under federal control.
Climate change is a main factor motivating migrants to flee Central America for the U.S. border, a CNN report said Tuesday.
A chastened French President Emmanuel Macron surrendered Monday to the demands of protesters who have shut down much of the country over the past month.
The Trump administration wants to reclassify some radioactive waste left from the production of nuclear weapons to lower its threat level and make disposal cheaper and easier.
A lingering storm keeps dumping immobilizing snow, sleet or freezing rain across five southern states, leaving dangerously icy roads and hundreds of thousands of people without electricity. Authorities urged people to stay home on Monday in areas where driving is dangerous.
Indigenous and youth groups disrupted a U.S. government event at the U.N. climate talks Monday, criticizing the Trump administration's policy of backing the extraction of fossil fuels, the burning of which increases global warming.
Wading into treacherous political waters, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to dramatically increase taxes on carbon emissions to combat climate change is dividing the country, pitting six of the country's provinces against Ottawa and setting the stage for a bitter and partisan federal election next year.
General Motors is fighting to retain a valuable tax credit for electric vehicles as the nation's largest automaker tries to deal with the political fallout triggered by its plans to shutter several U.S. factories and shed thousands of workers.
President Trump suggested Saturday dissolving the "ridiculous" Paris climate agreement after another weekend of rioting in France, chaos sparked by the Macron government's attempt to reduce emissions by hiking fuel taxes.
A dog that survived the catastrophic wildfire in Northern California apparently protected the ruins of his home for almost a month until his owner returned.
The rumble of armored police trucks and the hiss of tear gas filled central Paris on Saturday, as French riot police fought to contain thousands of yellow-vested protesters venting their anger against the government in a movement that has grown more violent by the week.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer on Friday demanded that a deal for an infrastructure program include measures to combat climate change, throwing down the gauntlet on road and bridge projects that was one of the only areas of potential agreement between Capitol Hill Democrats and President Trump.
President Trump may be pulling the United States out of the global Paris Accord on global warming, but the administration is making a hard sell for its side of the story at the giant U.N. climate summit now underway in the heart of Poland's coal-producing region.
The Trump administration released Thursday its revised plans for the greater sage-grouse, moving to give states more flexibility by easing Obama-era regulations on an imperiled bird whose vast territory includes public lands used for drilling and grazing.
OPEC countries were meeting Thursday to find a way to support the falling price of oil, with analysts predicting the cartel and some key allies, like Russia, would agree to cut production by at least 1 million barrels per day.
French President Emmanuel Macron scrapped a fuel tax rise Wednesday amid fears of new violence, after weeks of nationwide protests and the worst rioting in Paris in decades.
Arnold Schwarzenegger took a page out of his "Terminator" playbook this week while reflecting on the world's "biggest evil" -- fossil fuels.
Some residents of a Northern California town devastated by a deadly wildfire will be allowed to return home Wednesday, nearly a month after the blaze swept through the parched Sierra Nevada foothills, authorities said.
A powerful earthquake that struck in the southern Pacific Ocean on Wednesday sent jitters around the region after authorities warned of possible tsunamis, but there were no initial reports of destructive waves or major damage.
The turmoil sparked by French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to boost gas taxes is just the latest example of an emerging political truism. While economists hail them as the best, most efficient and most effective way to limit greenhouse gas emissions, green taxes are proving a tough sell for politicians who have to work and win elections in the real world.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Monday that plans were in the works to scrap subsidies for electric cars and other renewable energy items, Reuters reported.
The Supreme Court rejected a case Monday brought by environmental groups challenging a law that gives the secretary of Homeland Security power over decisions related to the building of the president's border wall.
Arnold Schwarzenegger says he wishes he could travel back in time like the cyborg he played in "The Terminator" so he could stop fossil fuels from being used.
France's finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, has warned that the violent protests and road blockades will have a negative impact on the economy.
Three environmental groups are criticizing the organizers of global climate talks in Poland for having too much meat on the meeting menu.
The calamitous 2018 California wildfire season have already unleashed greenhouse gases equivalent to the amount generated by providing the state with electricity for an entire year, according to newly released federal data.
President Trump said Friday the federal government will "spare no expense" to help Alaska recover from a major 7.0 magnitude earthquake that damaged homes and infrastructure around Anchorage, the state's largest city.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said her home was damaged, but her family escaped injury in Friday's major 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck near Anchorage, Alaska.
Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.8 rocked buildings and buckled roads Friday morning in Anchorage, prompting people to run from their offices or take cover under desks and triggering a warning to residents in Kodiak to flee to higher ground for fear of a tsunami.
Al Gore slammed President Trump as "the face of climate denial" in an interview Wednesday night with late-night comedian Trevor Noah.
A former Obama administration official with ties to a liberal advocacy group funded by Democratic megadonors George Soros and Tom Steyer helped prepare the Fourth National Climate Assessment, whose dire predictions have since been attacked as overblown.
Three years after sealing a landmark global climate deal in Paris, world leaders are gathering again to agree on the fine print.
French President Emmanuel Macron refused to waver Tuesday on his plan to raise the nation's gas tax as part of his effort to reduce fossil-fuel reliance, despite a week of violent protests that left 600 injured and two dead.
The federal government can't designate land as a habitat for an endangered species on the expectation that the animals might eventually want to move there, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled Tuesday, delivering a victory to property owners.
The company that wants to build the Keystone XL pipeline is asking a Montana judge to change his order blocking the project so that pre-construction work can continue.
President Trump on Monday said he doesn't believe his administration's new report that predicted climate change would shave 10 percent off the U.S. economy by the end of the century.
A wintry storm brought blizzard-like conditions to parts of the Midwest early Monday, grounding hundreds of flights and causing slick roads for commuters as they returned to work after the Thanksgiving weekend.
Chemicals and particles from the melted objects -- cellphones, computers, refrigerators and cars -- have blanketed the northern part of California in endless smoke this month.
As many as 9,300 more people could die each year because of extreme heat or cold related to climate change by the end of this century, the Trump administration said Friday in releasing a massive new report on the controversial issue.
The 2018 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade appeared to break a record Thursday for the lowest temperature ever for the annual floats-and-balloons extravaganza in New York City.
The head of the U.N.'s atomic watchdog has called on North Korea to allow inspectors back in to monitor its nuclear program.
President Trump turned climatologist Wednesday night, as much of the the nation braced for a major cold snap on Thanksgiving weekend.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke blamed "radical environmentalists" Tuesday for blocking federal forest-management efforts and causing dangerous conditions that lead to deadly wildfires such as the blaze that has killed more than 80 people in northern California.
The Trump administration slapped sanctions Tuesday on individuals and companies involved in what U.S. officials call a complex scheme to send illicit oil shipments to Syria from Iran with backing from Russia.
As catastrophic wildfires cut a deadly swath through California, President Trump has demanded more aggressive forest management -- and as luck would have it, Rep. Bruce Westerman has a bill to do exactly that.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said he didn't tell President Trump that raking leaves was a way to prevent forest fires, CNN reported Monday morning.
Andrew Wheeler will be nominated to permanently lead the Environmental Protection Agency, President Trump said Friday.
A national logging organization is offering support to President Trump following catastrophic wildfires in California and a political debate over the causes of the destructive blazes.
At least 63 people are now dead from a Northern California wildfire, and officials say they have a missing persons list with 631 names on it in an ever-evolving accounting of the victims of the nation's deadliest wildfire in a century.
As the scope of a deadly Northern California wildfire set in, the sheriff said more than 450 people had now been assigned to comb through the charred remains in search for more bodies. The blaze has killed at least 56 people and authorities say 130 are unaccounted for.
President Trump and the administration have long vowed to revive America as the world's leading energy producer. To fulfill this promise — as well as unofficial campaign promises — the administration announced in June that it planned to bail out coal and nuclear power plants at risk of being shuttered under the guise of national security, claiming saving these plants would bolster "grid resilience" and promote American "energy dominance."
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring was hit with a lawsuit Wednesday aimed at unearthing the details of his efforts to bring on a lawyer to pursue climate litigation through a program paid for by billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
A heavy autumn snowfall has ski resorts across Colorado holding some of their earliest opening days in a decade or more, stoking skiers and fueling another snowball fight over climate change.
Here in the nation's capital, we have the opportunity to set an example for the rest of the country about responsibly reducing the use of plastics and litter
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the "global warming" (now known as "climate change") panic.
In his review of "Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right," environmental writer Bill McKibben condemns moguls such as the Koch brothers for hiding "their contributions through outfits like DonorsTrust." In other words, according to Mr. McKibben, DonorsTrust, which is "committed to the principles of limited government, personal responsibility and free enterprise," is a conservative dark money conduit.
All of a sudden everyone on the left wants "free markets in energy policy." As someone who's advocated for that for, oh, about three decades (let's start by shutting down the Energy Department), this riff should be music to my ears. But is laissez faire energy policy really what liberals are seeking?
Two of the world's biggest polluters are China and Russia. You would think that U.S. environmental groups would be major critics of these countries; yet, the reality is some take money from entities controlled by these governments and disseminate their propaganda.
Only in Washington do we call expanding a program "reform" and more special-interest handouts "fixes." That's precisely what's happening with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) — an outdated ethanol mandate that drives up gasoline prices and puts refiners out of business.
President Trump recently announced the framework for his infrastructure plan and I applaud him for not only recognizing the need to improve all facets of our nation's infrastructure but for also demonstrating the leadership needed to push forward this major initiative.
World-class infrastructure is the pride of a prosperous nation. America is the greatest country this world has ever known — she deserves the greatest infrastructure. Unfortunately, our roads, bridges and tunnels have been neglected due to years of inaction. Our public lands have suffered a similar fate. As secretary of the Interior and chief steward of our public lands, I inherited a maintenance backlog of more than $11 billion in our national parks alone.
I had an argument recently with a woman in Moscow over American energy production. She simply did not believe that the United States has become the largest energy producer in the world -- which marks a real shock to the ordinary Russian's self-image.
Whether you consider yourself pro-regulation, anti-regulation or something in between, chances are you're in favor of clear, open rules. Whatever the policy a particular government agency is following, it should be transparent to all, right?
This week, the Trump administration is hosting "Energy Week" to discuss with state, tribal, business and labor leaders how we can pave the path forward toward U.S. energy dominance.
President Trump usually prefers to blaze his own path through the thicket of global diplomacy — "globaloney" a wit once called it -- much to the dismay of the scented-handkerchief crowd. He softened his skepticism of NATO, and that's a good thing, and postponed a final decision on whether to keep his promise to withdraw the United States from the Paris treaty on global warming. He wanted to keep the good feelings intact at the G-7 summit.
Our nation's aging infrastructure is in significant need of investment and care if we want to ensure a secure future for coming generations.
American consumers deserve safe, secure and efficient energy that's affordable and meets the needs of the 21st century economy. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has already begun work on a pro-domestic energy policy that will improve our nation's energy infrastructure, create jobs and reduce energy bills, but much more needs to be done.
Buried in an otherwise humdrum jobs report for March was the jaw-dropping pronouncement by the Labor Department that mining jobs in America were up by 11,000 in March. Since the low point in October 2016 and following years of painful layoffs in the mining industry, the mining sector has added 35,000 jobs.
President Trump has nullified many of Barack Obama's climate change fantasies and the sky is still up there. But judging by the uproar from voices in the climate change industry, only an unexpected miracle is keeping the firmament in place. As cooler heads keep an eye on the thermometer in the months and years to come, America can balance legitimate concerns about pollution against the necessity of exploiting affordable energy.
National Geographic contributing photographer and speaker Cristina Mittermeier acknowledged Thursday that her now-viral photographs of a starving polar bear went "too far" in linking the bear's condition to the effects of climate change.
One of China's largest independent oil refineries will switch from U.S. oil to Iranian crude amid continuing fallout from the escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing.
The rush to clean up the oceans by deep-sixing plastic straws is swelling as big corporate fish like Starbucks jump aboard, even as skepticism builds over whether the campaign is more trouble than it's worth.
Scott Pruitt resigned Thursday as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, ending a rocky 15-month tenure after fulfilling a number of top conservative goals while battling myriad scandals over his personal behavior in office.
"Please sir, I want some more," is no longer a sentiment just for Oliver Twist in the orphanage. A new law in California limits how much water can be used by each household. Now their showers, how many flushes, and how often they can do their laundry will be under the watchful eye of the state government.
It's not hard to imagine the role that energy plays in our daily lives — in fact it becomes immediately apparent when we experience even a brief power outage in our home or workplace. Quite simply, it stops us in our tracks.
Bismarck is reported to have said, "there is a providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children and the United States of America."
Coastal municipalities like New York City and San Francisco suing oil companies over rising sea levels gained an unexpected ally Tuesday with Boulder County, which is about 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean.
The small island-nation of Bahrain says its largest ever discovery of oil amounts to an estimated 80 billion barrels.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on Monday formally scrapped a key piece of the Obama administration's fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light-duty trucks, throwing the future of the program into doubt.
Arnold Schwarzenegger said Sunday that he plans to take big oil companies to court for "knowingly killing people all over the world."
China Energy, the world's leading power company, announced Thursday it plans to spend more than $83 billion on shale gas and chemical projects in West Virginia, a deal that represents a massive foreign investment in American energy.
The Trump administration is putting more than 76 million acres of federal water up for lease in the largest offshore drilling initiative in American history.
Scott Pruitt announced Monday that the Trump administration would roll back Obama era regulation on coal-fired power plants.
Gentlemen, start your thermostats. Ladies, too. The Obama war on coal, which cost Hillary Clinton the vote in once-reliably Democratic West Virginia, is over. Maybe the war on nuclear energy, too. Americans might soon heat their homes without choosing between the warmth and food and medicine.
