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The UN Working Group on Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas and the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food have issued a powerful joint statement calling for “binding accountability for agribusiness to safeguard peasants’ rights and global food security.

The post UN experts urge binding accountability for agribusiness to safeguard peasants’ rights and global food security appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.

'We must end animal testing - and solve sepsis' Channel Comment brendan 22nd October 2025 Teaser Media

Three-day Agroecological Workshop for Women Peasants in Kuntaveshi, Mandan Municipality-7, Kavre District.

The post Rural Women, Food Sovereignty, and Peace: Three-Day Agroecology Workshop Strengthens Women’s Leadership in Nepal appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.

New tracker monitors Trump administration permitting activity

DENVER—As the government shutdown enters its fourth week, a new analysis by the Center for Western Priorities finds the Trump administration is issuing new oil and gas drilling permits just as fast as before the shutdown.

In the first three weeks of the government shutdown, the Bureau of Land Management has approved 308 applications for permits to drill (APDs) on national public lands. The majority of those permits (245) are in New Mexico, with another 38 in Wyoming. The rest of the permits were issued in Utah, Texas, North Dakota, Montana, and Oklahoma.

The Center for Western Priorities’ new Oil & Gas Government Shutdown Tracker monitors the approval of federal onshore oil and gas drilling permits during the ongoing 2025 government shutdown. The tracker will be regularly updated and expanded to include federal oil and gas leases, if and when leases are issued during the shutdown.

CWP’s analysis found that BLM has issued an average of 15.4 permits per day during the shutdown, which is consistent with the rate of permitting since June 2025:

The Center for Western Priorities has also added a table to our Trump Drilling Dashboard to track the amount of future royalty revenue lost due to changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA):

The OBBBA reduced the royalty rate companies pay on oil and gas extracted from federal land by 25 percent—from 16.67 to 12.5 percent—allowing operators to deliver significantly less revenue to taxpayers over the lifetime of a well. While both Congress and the Trump administration have misleadingly touted this change as making oil and gas development on public lands more economically attractive to industry, the federal royalty rate has little bearing on companies’ interest in acquiring leases in the places they’ve always wanted to develop. Rather, OBBBA’s reduction of the onshore royalty rate by 25 percent will do significant harm to oil and gas producing states by reducing important revenue that is used to fund schools and public infrastructure projects.

The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Communications Manager Kate Groetzinger:

“Deeming oil and gas leasing and permitting as ‘essential’ during this shutdown sends a clear message that the Trump administration cares more about appeasing the oil and gas industry than it does about reopening the government and restoring the critical services federal agencies provide to American families. Oil companies will continue to get their leases and permits while trash cans and pit toilets fill up and overflow across our public lands.”

“Reducing the federal royalty rate hurts Western states and communities, while essentially giving the oil and gas industry a giant tax break. Oil CEOs have made it clear in public statements that they have no intention of passing these savings on to Americans at the pump. Instead, they plan to pocket the billions in lost federal revenue for themselves and their shareholders. This is one of the most egregious examples of the Trump administration and Congress selling out taxpayers to the fossil fuel industry.”

The post Interior department issuing hundreds of oil and gas drilling permits during government shutdown appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Here is the 3rd episode of the 4th season of La Vía Campesina's Global Newswrap podcast! Here we report on the activities and struggles of our member organizations around the world.

The post Podcast: La Vía Campesina News Wrap | Season IV – Episode No. 3 appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.

Forced by a federal judge to partially reveal plans for firing federal employees, the Trump administration on Monday said it plans to “imminently” terminate more than 2,000 employees at the Interior department. The reduction in force, or RIF, is partially blocked by a temporary restraining order in a case brought by unions that represent government employees.

The Monday filing outlines where 2,050 positions would be eliminated; the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Land Management, and the main Interior office would be especially hard hit. Regional offices with the National Park Service are also targeted for significant cuts.

“Even more alarming is that [Interior Secretary] Doug Burgum still won’t tell the American people how much more he plans to cut,” said Jennifer Rokala, executive director at the Center for Western Priorities. “Today’s filing is only a portion of the pain he’s trying to inflict on our parks and public lands. We don’t know how many non-union offices and positions are also on the chopping block.”

The RIF plan would eviscerate USGS regional science centers, terminating more than half of the workforce at the Great Lakes Science Center in Michigan, the Columbia Environmental Research Center in Missouri, and the Fort Collins Science Center in Colorado. Interior also plans major layoffs at NPS and BLM offices in Denver, as well as state BLM offices across the West.

Corner crossing war ends with a victory for public access

The years-long legal fight over “corner crossing” across the checkerboard of public lands in the West came to an end on Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from a Wyoming rancher who tried to block hunters from accessing public land adjacent to his ranch. The hunters were acquitted of criminal trespass in 2022, and won a civil suit brought by rancher Fred Eshelman. Eshelman took his appeals all the way to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case without comment.

The decision means that corner crossing is now legal on federal land in states covered by Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming.

Quick hits Interior aims to RIF at least 2,050 employees

Federal News Network | The Hill | E&E News | CPR News | Axios | GovExec | NOTUS | Barrons | Roll Call | High Country News | Outside | National Parks Traveler

U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear corner crossing case

Wyoming Public Media | WyoFile | Cowboy State Daily | Montana Free Press | Public Domain

National park gateway communities lose millions each day during shutdown

USA Today | CNN

Colorado plans for return of wild bison under new law

9News

On the Arizona Trail, a community steps in as fires blacken forests and force detours

Arizona Republic

Furloughed federal workers struggle, hang on, help one another

WyoFile

Study: Forest regeneration provides climate benefits, but won’t offset fossil fuels

Phys.org

The dragonfly mating game has been upended, bringing repercussions up and down the food chain

CPR News

Quote of the day

There’s going to be bad actors who have their own intentions, who want to treat these public resources — like our public lands — as a private kingdom. But every time they do that, they are cutting against American tradition and history, and they’re going to lose and there’s going to be a way to beat them.”

—Ryan Semerad, attorney for four corner-crossing hunters, WyoFile

Picture This

@tombstone_statepark

When it’s spooky season but you have a job.

Featured image: USGS water and fire technicians in New Mexico. Photo: USGS

The post Inside Trump’s plan to eviscerate USGS and beyond appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Wild landlocked salmon return to Finland Channel News brendan 21st October 2025 Teaser Media

DENVER—In a court filing this morning, the Interior department told a federal judge it intends to fire more than 2,000 government employees through a reduction in force, or RIF. The RIF is partially blocked by a temporary restraining order in a case brought by several unions that represent government employees.

Judge Susan Illston ordered the Interior department and other federal agencies to reveal the scope of its planned RIF as it pertained to unionized employees. Today’s filing outlines where the 2,050 positions would be eliminated; the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, and the main Interior office would be especially hard hit. Regional offices with the National Park Service are also targeted for significant cuts.

The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Executive Director Jennifer Rokala:

“This plan would eviscerate the core science that every American depends on. USGS research underpins everything from American energy to insurance to transportation. The cuts that Secretary Burgum envisions would devastate scientific research across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Great Lakes. These layoffs, if they come to fruition, would also devastate the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, getting rid of the planning, construction, and regional offices that make our parks and public lands the envy of the world.

“Even more alarming is that Doug Burgum still won’t tell the American people how much more he plans to cut. Today’s filing is only a portion of the pain he’s trying to inflict on our parks and public lands. We don’t know how many non-union offices and positions are also on the chopping block. It’s incumbent on the courts and Congress to put a stop to this devastation and protect the park rangers, scientists, and land managers who study and care for America’s public lands.”

The office hardest hit by this plan based on percentages of current total workforce is the USGS Midcontinent Region office, which stands to lose 108 out of 137 employees, or 79 percent of its workforce. (This region includes the Great Lakes Science Center, focusing on the Great Lakes ecosystem and resources.) The USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center in Missouri would be the second hardest hit. It stands to lose 80 out of 102 employees, or 78 percent of its workforce. The USGS Fort Collins Science Center is slated to lose 39 of 69 employees, or 56 percent.

The office that handles internal and external communications for the Interior department, including responding to journalists, could lose 129 of 443 employees, or 29 percent of its workforce. The BLM’s Colorado workforce could shrink by 16 percent, or 120 employees, with the BLM National Operation Center in Denver set to lose 87 employees and the BLM Colorado state office set to lose 33 employees.

Other offices targeted by the DOI RIF plan include:

BLM National Operations Center: 87 of 177 positions (46%)

NPS regional offices:

• Southeast: 69 of 222 positions (31%)
• Pacific West: 57 of 198 positions (29%)
• Northeast: 63 of 224 positions (28%)
• Regional Support: 18 of 86 positions (20%)
• Denver Service Center: 40 of 224 positions (18%)

BLM state offices:

• Utah: 93 of 783 (12%)
• California: 76 of 838 (9%)
• Arizona: 41 of 482 (9%)
• Oregon/Washington: 95 of 1,493 (6%)
• Idaho: 48 of 840 (6%)
• Colorado: 33 of 595 (6%)

The main Interior office would also be hard hit by the RIF, cutting hundreds of positions across operations, Tribal support, grantmaking, energy, accounting, and customer service.

Featured image: USGS Fort Collins

The post Statement on Interior department plan to eviscerate USGS, more public land agencies appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

As a ceasefire announced earlier is presented as part of what is being called the “Trump plan,” we offer a very cautious and conditional welcome. Our welcome is humanitarian and temporary: any pause in the killing is welcomed for the lives it may save.

The post Gaza: A cautious welcome to the ceasefire decision, says La Vía Campesina appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.

'Animals matter as we plan our world' Channel Comment brendan 20th October 2025 Teaser Media

Updated on October 17, 2025. Originally published on June 18, 2025.

The 2025-2026 legislative session has come to an end, and Greenbelt Alliance is happy to announce that eight of our endorsed bills were signed into law! It is an exciting moment in California, as we push for more climate-smart growth and sustainable land-use policies.

Some of the most transformative bills in recent history were signed into law.

We are especially proud of our first co-sponsored bill, Senta Bill 79 (Wiener), passing the legislature and being signed into law. This bill will provide many new resilient homes near public transit, a crucial step to alleviate the crippling housing crisis in our state. “We are beginning to shift away from decades of harmful development patterns and move toward building a more sustainable and affordable future,” explained Jordan Grimes, Legislative Director, Greenbelt Alliance. “This critical change will help safeguard our natural and working lands while delivering lasting benefits for our climate, our environment, and our communities.”

This year also saw new major reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that exempt sustainable infill housing developments from having a full environmental review.

Every year, Greenbelt Alliance selects legislative priorities to further our mission to educate, advocate, and collaborate, ensuring the Bay Area’s lands and communities are resilient to a changing climate. Learn more about our legislative priorities here and check out our most recent highlights below:

Legislative Wins

SB 427 (Blakespear) — Extension of the Habitat Conservation Fund
Status: Signed into law

SB 427 extends the Habitat Conservation Fund until 2035 to protect critical flora and fauna. California’s diverse ecosystems are integral to the state’s health, sequester carbon, and provide natural buffers for communities against climate-related hazards. 

SB 79 (Wiener) — Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act
Status: Signed into law

SB 79 codifies transit-oriented development (TOD) as an essential strategy to produce more homes, increase affordability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By building near major transit stops, such as BART, Caltrain, or the San Diego Trolley, we can promote reduced car use and healthier communities.  

For far too long, California has embraced development patterns that have harmed our communities and environment. Making it difficult to build in our existing cities and towns has pushed development further out and caused sprawl—paving over critical wildlife habitat and productive farmland and worsening the affordability crisis in California.

SB 79 advances Greenbelt Alliance’s holistic vision for climate-smart growth while protecting our natural and working lands, and it’s one of the most impactful pieces of legislation we have ever supported.

AB 609 (Wicks) — The CEQA Exemption for Environmentally-Friendly Housing Act
Status: Signed into law 

Initially presented as AB 609, this piece of legislation was later incorporated into the AB 130 budget trailer bill to exempt infill housing projects from the traditional environmental review (CEQA) process. By adding it into the budget, Governor Newsom was able to fast-track the bill through the legislature. The bill limits CEQA under set infill conditions, including: projects of 20 acres or less, located in incorporated cities or urbanized areas, with prior or adjacent urban development, consistent with local plans, and meeting at least half the minimum residential density. 

While it sparked heated debates among advocates, Greenbelt Alliances endorsed AB 609 because it is a clear and focused exemption that supports housing developments in the right places—within already developed areas. Its narrow scope ensures that low-density and sprawl developments are still accountable to environmental review. 

Learn more about our take in the blog “Now You CEQA, Now You Don’t: Unpacking Major New Reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act” and join the upcoming Alliance for Housing and Climate Solutions session on the topic.

AB 1021 (Wicks) — Streamlining housing projects on educational institution lands
Status: Signed into law

AB 1021 streamlines housing projects proposed by and on local school districts; it additionally allows these projects to be exempt from CEQA review if the right affordability requirements are met. 

SB 71 (Wiener) — CEQA exemption for transit projects
Status: Signed into law

SB 71 streamlines sustainable transportation projects by fast-tracking them through California’s environmental review procedure (CEQA), allowing many to be exempt from the CEQA process altogether. 

SB63 (Wiener) — Bay Area Regional Transit Measure

Status: Signed into law 

Facing a fiscal cliff, public transit agencies throughout the Bay Area are still recovering from the pandemic and are in need of additional funding to strengthen their capacity to connect our communities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SB 63 outlines a sales tax mechanism that will go directly to support transit operations, maintenance, oversight, and others. With Governor Newsom codifying the bill, the regional transit measure will now become a proposition for Bay Area voters in the November 2026 election. Santa Clara, San Mateo, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties will decide on a ½ cent sales tax to support public transit, while San Francisco County will decide on a 1-cent sales tax. 

AB 357 (Alvarez) — Student and Faculty Housing Success Act
Status: Signed into law

AB 357 requires the Coastal Commission to approve or deny completed coastal development permit applications within 90 days of submission. This applies if the application involves student, faculty, or staff housing development. This bill allows the construction of housing on any property owned by a local educational agency under specific conditions. This provision would last until January 1, 2036. The bill also clarifies that education housing projects can be exempt from CEQA review if they meet the right affordability requirements.

SB 484 (Laird) — Coastal Zone Permitting Exclusion
Status: Signed into Law

This bill supports new housing development in the coastal zone by allowing certain projects to skip getting a coastal development permit (in addition to a typical development permit) if they meet the affordability and infill criteria. It requires the Coastal Commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development to identify potential areas that would be applicable and allow them to have the coastal permitting exclusion.

Status of Remaining Bills 

SB 5 (Cabaldon) — Protecting Farmlands from Sprawl
Status: Vetoed by Governor Newsom

SB 5 was a key bill in the fight against sprawl and development in our open spaces and farmlands. It sought to close a loophole in the Williamson Act that inadvertently would allow developers to enjoy tax benefits that are intended for farmland protection. 

Unfortunately, the bill was vetoed by the Governor, who argued that local jurisdictions already can decide whether Williamson Act lands are included in EIFDs.  While this is true, the core intent of the legislation was to protect agricultural lands under Williamson Act contracts from development through EIFDs, preventing sprawl and loss of farmland. The issue is not one of local control, but of farmland conservation.

AB 736 (Wicks)— Affordable Housing Bond Act
Status: Held in committee

To address the housing shortage and skyrocketing housing costs in California, AB 736 would have authorized the state to issue $10 billion worth of bonds for development projects. These bonds would have been used to fund affordable rental housing and home ownership programs, including the Multifamily Housing Program, the CalHome Program, and the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program. 

AB 902 (Schultz) — Transportation projects and barriers to wildlife movement
Status: Held in the suspense file in Senate Appropriations  

AB 902 requires lead agencies to integrate wildlife connectivity into their transportation infrastructure projects in designated areas throughout the state.

This is a critical bill for long-term ecological resilience because it supports wildlife connectivity in natural environments. This has compounding benefits, allowing animals to have greater access to food, water, and mates (integral for genetic diversity against disease) while also allowing freedom of migration, whether that is natural movement or in response to environmental hazards. 

SB 445 (Wiener) — Sustainable Transportation Planning Projects
Status: Held in committee

This bill establishes standards and timelines for what qualifies as a sustainable transportation project and how a lead agency interacts and collaborates with third-party entities. Notably, it sets deadlines for relevant bodies to comply with the permitting process.

AB 1294 (Haney) — Permit Streamlining Act
Status: Held in committee

The Permit Streamlining Act would allow the State’s Housing Department, HCD, to set clear standards for development applications statewide. It holds cities accountable for following application processes on time and mandates them to be transparent on scheduled fees and other requirements.

End of Legislative Season

The 2025-2026 legislative session created new laws to streamline infill housing development, protect natural habitats, and reform CEQA to be more effective. Some of these bills were years in the making, and we are incredibly excited to see them become law!

Greenbelt Alliance is proud that many of our endorsed bills passed, and we will continue to work with partners and decision-makers to hold agencies and jurisdictions accountable.

The post It’s a Wrap: Our 2025 Legislative Endorsement Highlights appeared first on Greenbelt Alliance.

The Senate passed three bills last week overturning established land-use plans in Montana, North Dakota, and Alaska under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), marking the first time the CRA has ever been applied to land management plans since its inception in 1996.

What the Senate failed to consider is the way these unprecedented bills could invalidate every resource management plan, including every oil, gas, and mineral lease issued under those plans.

Just as the Center for Western Priorities warned might happen, a draft lawsuit being circulated in Washington claims the federal government unlawfully issued thousands of permits in Wyoming because they aren’t consistent with any valid resource management plan.

“Congress has now confirmed that each and every RMP in Wyoming—and many across the nation—is legally invalid because none of the RMPs were ever submitted to Congress under the Congressional Review Act (CRA),” reads the draft lawsuit. “This means that each and every oil, gas, and mineral lease, drilling permit, and other authorization issued pursuant to those RMPs is also invalid.”

In Wyoming alone, BLM field offices have issued 2,599 oil and gas leases on nearly 2.2 million acres since the CRA was signed into law.

What the shutdown means for public lands In the latest episode of The Landscape podcast, Aaron talks to Rep. Jared Huffman, ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, about the government shutdown, whether Adelita Grijalva will ever get sworn in, and what he tells people who ask what’s bringing him hope in this dark time. Quick hits Interior planning layoffs despite court order, unions say

Bloomberg Law | E&E News

State, greens seek emergency order for salmon at Northwest dams

E&E News

Judge dismisses young climate activists’ lawsuit challenging Trump on fossil fuels

Associated Press

Nearly two dozen states sue to stop Trump ending $7 billion solar grant program

The Guardian

Column: The Endangered Species Act is on life support

More Than Just Parks

Colorado’s Front Range had a less smoggy summer thanks to cooler weather, less wildfire smoke

CPR News

Corner-crossing petition to Supreme Court employs successful past strategies

WyoFile

National parks, public lands feared at risk of long-term harm as shutdown drags on

Colorado Newsline

Quote of the day

The national parks are effectively museums. This would be like the Smithsonian saying, ‘Well, you know, we don’t have the staff to keep the Smithsonian museum staffed, but we’ll go ahead and leave the gates, the doors open, and come in and take a look, do what you want.’ ”

—Aaron Weiss, Center for Western Priorities deputy director, Colorado Newsline

Picture This @coparkswildlife

Cotton candy skies make this trail all the more sweet.

We don’t need to sugarcoat it either; the Scenic Overlook to Cookie Tree Trail at Ridgway State Park offers spectacular views. This 1.2-mile cruise is a real treat, with only 100 feet of elevation gain, an observation deck along the route, and easy access from the park’s campgrounds and visitor center.

 

(Featured image: Rawlins Field Office in Wyoming. Bureau of Land Management)

The post Did Congress just invalidate thousands of oil and gas leases? appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Bottom trawling ban 'must be top of agenda' Channel News brendan 17th October 2025 Teaser Media

Aaron talks to Rep. Jared Huffman, ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, about the government shutdown, whether Adelita Grijalva will ever get sworn in, and what he tells people who ask what’s bringing him hope in this dark time.

 

• Produced & hosted by Aaron Weiss (Kate’s back next week)
• Feedback: podcast@westernpriorities.org
• Music: Purple Planet
• Featured image: Wikimedia Commons

The post What the shutdown means for public lands w/ Rep. Jared Huffman appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

A new interactive map from the Center for American Progress shows how many public lands employees have already been furloughed or laid off as a result of the ongoing government shutdown and which local economies will be affected.

Since layoffs began last Saturday, about 4,200 workers across at least seven agencies lost their jobs. Not only do these firings impact the livelihoods of public lands workers, but they can also have drastic impacts on local economies—outdoor recreation is a significant economic driver for communities across the country, so layoffs, budget cuts, limited access, reduced tourism, and minimal visitor services can all negatively impact local economies that rely on fully funded and fully staffed public lands.

According to the article, nearly half of the current public lands workforce—more than 29,000 people—is furloughed during the shutdown, and currently furloughed employees are at risk of being fired. Land management agencies were already understaffed before the government shutdown—from March 2024 to September 2025, 20 percent of the workforce at public land agencies was fired or bought out.

Quick hits A push for ‘global energy dominance’ puts Alaskan wildlands at risk

Seattle Times

Unprecedented use of this law could throw all federal land-use plans into ‘chaos’

Deseret News

Tribes launch Chuckwalla National Monument commission

E&E News

Rain in southwestern Colorado raises rivers to levels unseen since the 1970s, water stored in one reservoir doubles

Colorado Sun

Mike Lee bills would increase off-highway vehicle use on public land

E&E News | National Parks Experience [column]

Colorado National Monument feeling effects of government shutdown

Western Slope Now

How Indigenous practices can help protect forests

Washington Post

Opinion: What a Hatch Act complaint says about the future of conservation

North Carolina State University

Quote of the day

I still firmly believe that public lands can serve as a common ground.”

—Lincoln Larson, associate profession of parks, recreation, and tourism management at North Carolina State University.

Picture This @deadhorsepoint

Ever wanted to touch the clouds? A cool phenomenon pictured here at Dead Horse Point can make it seem not only like you are above the clouds, but also in them as the vapors rise over the canyon edges and creep across the ground through the park. On days like this with clouds constantly changing, you can get a view of the canyon that is entirely unique to you!

Post by Ranger Georgia

 

(Featured image: Two people hike at Glacier National Park, Montana. GlacierNPS, Flickr)

The post How the government shutdown affects communities near public lands appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

A primatologist inter pares Channel Comment brendan 16th October 2025 Teaser Media

We receive this International Day of Action with the news of a ceasefire in Gaza, which gives us hope for an end to the genocidal actions against the Palestinian people. However, from La Via Campesina, we call for caution and constant vigilance.

The post #16Oct25: Enough with Hunger! Food Sovereignty Guarantees Systemic Transformation! appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.

Emotional Damages? Yes, But Only After 7 Years of Tremors: When the Ground Shakes: Shell’s Quaking Legacy in Groningen

In a move that feels more like a confession than generosity, NAM — the Shell–ExxonMobil joint venture behind the Groningen gas field — has agreed to pay out €5,000 to €222,000 to over 5,000 residents for emotional distress and “loss of enjoyment” tied to years of gas-induced earthquakes. 

That’s on top of the yet-to-be-resolved claims for physical damages to houses (some 120,000 households), which remain in legal limbo. 

As lawyer Pieter Huitema put it:

“It’s great to achieve such a result for such a large group. We spent about two years at the negotiating table, but the result is something to be proud of.” 

The compensation triad includes:

1. Emotional distress payments

2. Loss of enjoyment of property

3. Additional payments in special cases

A damage assessment agency will now verify cases in stages, with payouts rolling out through 2026. 

Shell’s Joint Blame — But Shell’s Quiet on the Chequebook

Let’s not pretend NAM is independent. It is co-owned by Shell and ExxonMobil — the very corporations that have profited from Groningen’s gas extraction for decades. 

One can only wonder: when the bill comes, will Shell’s major shareholders — BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street — pressure it to pay fairly, or applaud the “liability managed” result?

After all, emotional distress isn’t a minor line item when the social license is at stake.

From Quiet Quakes to Loud Reckoning

This settlement follows years of legal battle, appeals, and ultimately a Supreme Court ruling in favour of the residents. 

That ruling opened the door for emotional distress claims — a category that, until now, many doubted would even survive legal scrutiny.

But here’s the kicker: this payout is distinct from the physical damage claims (e.g. cracked walls, sinking foundations). Those are still active, with no end in sight. 

It’s as though NAM is saying:

“We’ll pay you for the anguish of living in a quake zone — just don’t ask us yet to repair your house.”

Satirical Sidebar: “Air-quake Insurance” Coming Soon?

If you’re a homeowner in Groningen, here’s your new risk category: policy coverage for mild tremors.

It’s bizarre that only now, after decades, is “stress from unpredictability” being monetised.

It’s corporate logic at its finest:

• Decades of extraction,

• Decades of ignoring warnings,

• Now a belated settlement for emotional harm — but not full repair.

Why This Settlement Matters

• Precedent: Emotional damages are now legally acknowledged in induced-quake cases.

• Scale: Over 5,000 claimants means this is not symbolic — it’s mass recognition.

• Timing: NAM strikes while physical damage claims are still unresolved — prompts the question, “What else are they trying to buy consensus on?”

• Psychological impact: For victims, money doesn’t undo the fear, but it validates suffering.

What’s Next

• Assessments begin this autumn with ~100 people, then more in 2026. 

• Official process for property damage claims proceeds in parallel.

• Watch for internal NAM or Shell panic: this might trigger new pressure to settle physical claims too.

Why Shell Can’t Laugh This Off

This settlement underlines a larger truth: Shell’s brand of denial is no longer sustainable.

In Groningen, time and pressure have forced the company to concede emotional damage for thousands.

Shell’s “net zero” image is now tethered to whether it accepts moral liability, not just carbon liability.

Disclaimer

Warning: satire ahead.

The criticisms are pointed, the humour intentional, and the facts stubbornly real.

Quotes are reproduced word-for-word from trusted sources.

As for authorship — John Donovan and AI both claim credit, but the jury’s still out on who was really in charge.

Shell’s Shaky Payout: NAM Finally Offers Quake Stress Cash was first posted on October 16, 2025 at 10:38 am.
©2018 "Royal Dutch Shell Plc .com". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at john@shellnews.net

The Bureau of Land Management rejected a mining company’s bid to acquire 167 million tons of coal on public lands in Montana for just $0.001 per ton.

The company, Navajo Transitional Energy Co., was the only one to bid on the sale, which would have been the largest federal coal sale in more than a decade. As a result of the failed sale, the BLM postponed a lease sale in the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin, which was scheduled to take place this week.

This happened just a week after Congress used the Congressional Review Act to overturn a Biden-era resource management plan that would have ended new coal leasing on public lands in Montana’s portion of the Powder River Basin.

Energy companies aren’t the only ones pushing back on President Donald Trump’s efforts to boost America’s coal industry. On Tuesday, dozens of miners and their families gathered outside the Labor Department building to urge the Trump administration to enforce protections for black lung disease, an incurable illness caused by inhaling coal and silica dust.

“The companies might be getting a handout, but the miners ain’t getting none,” said Gary Hairston, 71, a retired coal miner and president of the National Black Lung Association. Hairston has been living with black lung disease since he was in his 40s.

Quick hits Out of land? The role of federal public lands in the West‘s housing crisis

Nevada Public Radio

Why less land has burned in much of the West this year

Washington Post

BLM schedules Colorado oil and gas lease sale

E&E News

The best public lands destinations you’ve never heard of: Volume 3

More Than Just Parks

Coal pollution rose in last shutdown as EPA inspections stopped

E&E News

Quannah ChasingHorse isn’t slowing down on fighting for Indigenous rights

Outside

App helps solve access question for some of Colorado’s 704,000 acres of inaccessible public lands

Denver Post

Opinion: Public lands define the Land of Enchantment

Source NM

Quote of the day

That’s what gives me hope, seeing that our future leaders are going to be strong and knowledgeable, and will make decisions that will benefit everyone, not just themselves.”

—Quannah ChasingHorse, Indigenous activist, Outside

Picture This @stauntonstatepark

Not a bad way to start the day

CPW/Ranger Dale

 

(Featured image: Coal trains transport coal from the Powder River Basin. Photo by the Center for Land Use Interpretation)

The post Trump tries and fails to make coal great again appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

Worst case scenario Channel News brendan 15th October 2025 Teaser Media