News Roundup
‘The White House took a major swipe at President Barack Obama’s climate change legacy on Tuesday with the signing of an executive order on energy independence.’
Source: White House Takes Aim at Obama Era Climate Policy in New Executive Order – NBC News
‘As East Africa struggles through a drought, scientists say climate change may be making the situation worse as a warming planet may be altering the weather patterns that bring rain to the region.’
Source: Experts Say Climate Change May Be Making African Drought Worse
‘The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency reiterated his staunch opposition to the landmark Paris climate deal on Sunday and promised to begin work to roll back a hallmark environmental initiative of the Obama administration.’
Source: EPA Chief: Paris Climate Accord ‘Just A Bad Deal’ | The Huffington Post
‘Once rich with coral and sea life, 90 percent of the Great Barrier Reef today is composed of large swafts of bleached white or dead coral. Warm seas off the coast of Queensland, Australia, killed some two-thirds of a nearly 500-mile stretch of coral in 2016 after warm water caused the coral to expel living algae, triggering it to calcify or turn white, a process known as bleaching. Researchers have called it the worst die-off of coral ever recorded at the reef.’
Source: Climate Change Has Already Devastated the Great Barrier Reef
‘WASHINGTON — The contentious debate over climate change is entering a new phase, with skeptics in the Trump administration poised to roll back regulations governing everything from clean-water standards to fracking — convinced that doing so will boost the U.S. economy. But the Pentagon views the issue differently.’
Source: The White House doubts climate change. Here’s why the Pentagon does not
‘Financial officials from the world’s biggest economies have dropped from a joint statement any mention of financing action on climate change, reportedly following pressure from the US and Saudi Arabia.’
Source: US ‘forces G20 to drop any mention of climate change’ in joint statement | The Independent
‘…The budget blueprint, released on Thursday, provides $5.7 billion for the EPA, down from $8.3 billion. The budget “discontinues†$100 million in funding for several climate change programs within the agency, including enforcement for a major Obama-era climate regulation, climate change research and international climate change support.’
Source: Trump proposes deep cuts to EPA, federal climate funding | TheHill
‘(CNN)Somalia and three other countries desperately need aid to save more than 20 million people from starvation and diseases, the United Nations said.’
Source: UN: World facing largest humanitarian crisis since 1945 – CNN.com
‘WASHINGTON — Hundreds of activists rallied outside the White House on Friday and even erected a teepee in front of President Trump’s new Washington hotel in a rapidly fading bid by Native Americans to stop construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.’
Source: Native Americans march to White House against Dakota pipeline
‘Despite bitter cold, wind, rain and hail, hundreds of members of Native American tribes and supporters from around the country turned out Friday to march on the White House, in an effort to turn the momentum of the Standing Rock protests into a more sustained movement for native rights.’