News Feeds

June 22, 2026 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUWA Statement on Approval of 10 New Backcountry Airstrips in Southern Utah’s Redrock Country – 6.22.26  None of the airstrips were previously designated or open to use and many were reclaimed 

Contacts:
Grant Stevens, Communications Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (319) 427-0260; grant@suwa.org

Salt Lake City, UT – Last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a decision approving 10 backcountry airstrips in the BLM’s Canyon Country District, which includes the Moab and Monticello field offices in the heart of Utah’s redrock country. These airstrips, many of which show no signs of recent use and none of which were open to use, are scattered across some of the most remote and ecologically sensitive landscapes in southern Utah—including the Gemini Bridges/Labyrinth Canyon area and the remote backcountry immediately adjacent to Bears Ears National Monument. Below is a statement from SUWA Wildlands Director Neal Clark and additional information. Clark and additional information.

“The BLM continues to push motorized use in remote, wilderness-quality landscapes, to the benefit of a handful of private pilots and the detriment of wildlife, native vegetation, and public lands users seeking quiet, backcountry experiences,” said Neal Clark, Wildlands Director at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). “The unwillingness of both BLM and the backcountry pilots to acknowledge the reality of conditions on the ground and remove six of the airstrips from consideration – including those adjacent to Bears Ears National Monument – is unfortunate. We’ll be exploring all options to stop new and intrusive backcountry airplanes in these areas.”

Additional information: 

Based on recent on-the-ground fieldwork, SUWA called on the BLM to reject six of the ten proposed airstrips: Spring Canyon, Big Flat, Castle Creek, Nokai Dome, Piute, and Red Canyon; a map of those six airstrips can be found here. None of these airstrips have ever been officially designated, and despite unauthorized past use, many of these locations will require extensive clearing and ground disturbance as they have begun reclaiming and are not functional for takeoff or landing. Reopening them would require removal of mature native plants like blackbrush and junipers, fragmenting habitat and degrading wilderness characteristics. Several locations are within BLM-identified wilderness-quality lands or directly adjacent to Bears Ears National Monument, where aircraft noise and visual intrusions would diminish the solitude, natural soundscapes, and cultural landscapes these areas were meant to protect. 

The Spring Canyon and Big Flat airstrips lie within crucial bighorn habitat along the Green River corridor and near Canyonlands National Park—the same landscape where the BLM already restricts other recreation activities to protect these important species during lambing season. Similarly, raptors nesting near Big Flat, Nokai Dome, and other sites are highly sensitive to aviation noise, which discourages use of otherwise suitable nesting habitat. 

 SUWA’s members submitted over 2,500 comments in opposition to the decision. This decision comes on the heels of BLM approving the Keg Knoll airstrip in the Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness on June 12, 2026.  

### 
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is a nonprofit organization with members and supporters from around the country dedicated to protecting America’s redrock wilderness. From offices in Moab, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC, our team of professionals defends the redrock, organizes support for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, and stewards a world-renowned landscape. Learn more at www.suwa.org. 

 

 

The post SUWA Statement on Approval of 10 new Backcountry Airstrips in Southern Utah’s Redrock Country – 6.22.26  appeared first on Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump Department of Agriculture today seeking records revealing who advocated behind the scenes for — and potentially ghost-wrote — the president’s Feb. 18 executive order directing the department to accelerate domestic production of glyphosate.

The order to increase U.S. production of the nation’s most-used herbicide was issued under the emergency powers granted to the president by the Defense Production Act — a Cold War-era law designed to address wartime shortages of critical goods.

Despite annual glyphosate use of more than 300 million pounds, the Trump executive order declared that increasing production of the pesticide was critical to national defense and ordered the federal government to ensure its continued availability.

Of Trump’s 13 executive orders invoking the Defense Production Act, the glyphosate order is unique for its language granting immunity to the chemical companies that make glyphosate should they take otherwise illegal actions in complying with the order.

“This executive order is another corrupt giveaway to the pesticide industry, and people have a right to know who pushed for it behind the scenes,” said Brett Hartl, the Center’s government affairs director. “The pesticide industry is doing everything they can to avoid accountability for the harms their products have caused across this country, and the only reason this administration is hiding these important records is that they will almost certainly show just how deeply the poison-makers’ influence permeates the Trump government.”

The executive order also declared elemental phosphorus, a key ingredient for glyphosate production, to be critical for national security. The order’s language mimics text that artificial intelligence generates when prompted to explain consumption of elemental phosphorus in the United States, including language that the nation imports “more than 6,000,000 kilograms” from other nations annually. The glyphosate executive order is the only executive order in the history of the nation to use the word “kilogram.”

“Everyone knows that Trump doesn’t write, let alone often read, the executive orders he signs,” said Hartl. “But the chatbot slop that makes up the majority of this executive order shows that virtually anything can reach the president’s desk if the right levers of power are pulled around Trump and his cronies.”

Glyphosate has been linked to a variety of human health impacts including cancer, liver disease, and developmental and metabolic disorders in young children that could lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.

Recent analysis has shown that despite acknowledged links between pesticides and cancers, regulators in the United States have consistently allowed pesticides to go to market with a cancer risk as high as 1 in every 100 people exposed, a far greater level than the EPA’s benchmark of a one in a million chance of developing cancer.

The executive order was released at the same time that the Trump administration was intervening in support of a lawsuit at the Supreme Court that could broadly shield pesticide makers from liability when their products fail to warn of their “likely” human carcinogenic qualities.

The Center submitted its Freedom of Information Act request in February but has not yet received any response from the USDA. The law is meant to ensure public access to information about the functioning of federal agencies by guaranteeing a response within 20 business days of a request.

Today’s lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Center expects to receive records from the suit in the next two to three months.

© Beckwith & FisherCarbon certifier Verra has re-certified for the second time a controversial carbon credits project in Kenya. #

The House Committee on Ways and Means is currently considering a set of cryptocurrency taxation bills that could potentially offer huge tax benefits to President Trump’s sons as well as his allies and donors in the crypto industry. Concerningly, a number of members who have benefited greatly from cryptocurrency donations and SuperPAC spending in recent elections will decide whether or not to create massive new tax loopholes for the industry.

One bill in particular would create a functional subsidy for cryptocurrency firms by allowing them to defer taxes owed on their mined coins indefinitely and without interest, so long as the firms do not sell the coins. These firms—which could then borrow against these assets without ever having paid taxes on them as received income—are expecting recipients of the industry’s largesse to enshrine these proposed giveaways to its oligarchs. For example, Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith received $105,168 from the industry in the 2026 cycle, more than a tenfold increase in the donations he received from them last cycle.

Many others, Democrats and Republicans alike, have received significant sums, with Nevada Democrat Steven Horsford alone receiving close to $2 million from the industry in the past two cycles. A full report on cryptocurrency donations to the Ways and Means Committee can be viewed here. An executive summary is also available here.

The bill that would allow for deferral of tax payment on cryptocurrency mining could prove particularly valuable for the sons of President Trump. Eric and Donald Trump Jr. reportedly hold a 20% stake in the bitcoin mining firm American Bitcoin, which mined 817 bitcoin in Q1 of 2026 alone. At current prices, this represents a value of more than $50 million, and the company has stated that it already intends to hold assets it mines. If passed, this loophole could mean millions of dollars in taxes owed by the Trump sons’ firm could be deferred endlessly. Larger firms in the industry would receive even more benefits from this loophole.

Warning of this potential payoff to the Trump family and the crypto insiders who have funneled money to candidates on both sides of the aisle, The Revolving Door Project’s Executive Director, Jeff Hauser said the following: “The cryptocurrency industry believes it is owed massive tax loopholes and functional subsidies because it has bought the president, paid for his ballroom project, and has funded dozens of congressional campaigns. The lack of campaign finance reform is the principal reason that the ludicrously corrupt Trump family is set to enjoy yet another tax loophole to exploit. Polls have repeatedly shown that voters are not in support of the crypto industry’s agenda, yet sweetheart legislation continues to be this Congress’ highest priority. If Members of Congress wish to prove that their influence is not for sale, rejecting the industry that has lavished them with so much support is the perfect opportunity to do so.”

Revolving Door Project Assistant Director Timi Iwayemi chimed in, adding “The cryptocurrency industry has facilitated the Trump family’s corruption at every turn. Lawmakers should be wary of creating new tax loopholes to benefit the Trump family and their donors in the crypto industry. Rewarding this behavior will embolden the crypto industry and other corporate lobbies eager to seize on our elected representatives’ prioritization of donor interests at public expense.”

As the Iran War has driven up fuel costs in Africa, demand for electric motorbikes has grown.

Read more on E360 →

CALGARY — David Pickup, director of the Pembina Institute’s Electricity program, made the following statement regarding the federal government's newly announced Nuclear Energy Strategy.“In today's strategy, the federal government has set out an...

Even the most ambitious national climate plans aimed at cutting emissions to meet the 1.5C global warming goal in the Paris Agreement often lack a vital ingredient for success: private investment.

With governments facing fiscal and political pressures, attracting private capital will be crucial for accelerating climate action in the coming years.

Yet many Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) still do not have the sector-specific plans, economic incentives, policy certainty, infrastructure investment and ongoing dialogue needed to break silos between the public and private sectors and bring more businesses on board.

“If you just have the high-level (NDC) target from the government in a vacuum, it’s not going to spur much business action,” said Greg Briner, senior manager for policy at the We Mean Business Coalition, which works with companies pushing for stronger climate action.

“But that target combined with … more specific policies and measures that get put in place as a result of that target-implementing process, or as a result of the NDCs, is where the magic starts happening,” he explained.

NDCs: late and inadequate

NDCs are voluntary climate action plans created by countries under the Paris Agreement. They include commitments such as expanding renewable energy, reducing fossil fuels, halting deforestation and other measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming.

First submitted in 2015 for the Paris Agreement, NDCs should be updated with more ambitious targets every five years, although some governments have not stuck to this timetable.  

Last year, most countries missed an initial February deadline to finalise the latest round of plans, known as “NDCs 3.0” – and at least 50 countries, mainly developing nations, have still not done so.

Paris Agreement committee snubbed over missing NDC climate plans

Although these national plans have helped drive emissions reductions in some sectors – including falling deforestation rates and greater investments in renewables – climate experts say progress remains far too slow to meet the Paris goals and urgent action is now needed.

Last November, the UN climate body projected that global emissions would fall by around 12% from 2019 levels by 2035, based on a preliminary assessment of new NDCs announced by countries that produce nearly 70% of the world’s greenhouse gases.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said countries should cut emissions far more rapidly, with a 60% drop by 2035 needed to limit global warming to 1.5C.

But for developing economies especially, the multi-billion-dollar costs associated with transitioning to greener energy systems and curbing their emissions are still a major barrier. Climate experts say governments and businesses need to move in step if NDC targets are to be achieved.

“There are positive actions going on but we need a significant ramping up. It’s not happening quickly enough,” said Briner. “It’s (about) building on these foundations that are being put in place.”

Nurturing the conditions for private investment

Last September, consumer goods giant Unilever published a report, entitled Bold Plans, Real Impact, examining how corporate climate transition plans and NDCs can support each other.

Among its recommendations, the report called for governments to provide clearer roadmaps for private-sector engagement. It also highlighted the need for stronger regulatory frameworks, market incentives, sector-specific transition pathways and integrated, economy-wide planning.

For businesses, the report recommended aligning their transition plans with national climate priorities, collaborating more closely with industry peers, strengthening monitoring and verification systems, and unlocking finance through public-private partnerships.

Comment: The missing piece in COP climate talks – market signals for adaptation 

A year earlier, the We Mean Business Coalition published a similar report, Time to Deliver: Business Call to Action for Ambitious and Investible NDCs.

This report urged governments – particularly in the G20 economies – to unlock private investment through sectoral targets, clean energy expansion, energy efficiency measures, fossil fuel phase-outs and commitments to halt deforestation.

It also stressed the importance of translating climate targets into concrete policies, backed by national implementation strategies and coordination across ministries.

Another key recommendation was the need for more transparent and inclusive dialogue with businesses throughout the NDC process. Early consultation with companies, the report said, should be embedded into the development and implementation of NDCs to ensure that climate plans reflect commercial realities.

Briner of We Mean Business said the economics of decarbonisation have changed dramatically over the past two decades.

“Ten to 20 years ago, decarbonising and investing in clean energy and electrification was seen as nice-to-have and a more expensive option, but these days, it simply makes business sense,” he said, referring to recent geopolitical events in the Middle East that have roiled oil and gas markets, pushing up fossil fuel prices.

However, upfront costs for clean energy infrastructure remain a major hurdle. Governments therefore need to complement climate policies with investments, concessional loans, grants, subsidies and tax incentives to help reduce risks, Briner added.

“Globally, there are still significant subsidies going to fossil fuels in different forms,” he said. “If we could redirect some of those current incentives away from fossil fuels and into clean electrification and clean energy, then that would certainly help.”

• Jun 9, 2026 Politics COP31 leaders unveil global targets, with spotlight on electrification Co-hosts Türkiye and Australia want countries to sign on to global targets in three of their priority areas for this year’s COP climate negotiations Read more
• Jun 17, 2026 News The vote that stopped a data center: US communities query resource-hungry AI Concerns are growing about the high energy, water and land demands of artificial intelligence tech hubs, while benefits for local people remain unclear Read more

Brazil’s sector-specific climate planning

Brazil’s NDC targets include expanding renewable energy – which already accounts for nearly 45% of its energy mix – ending illegal deforestation and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

According to Briner, Brazil’s climate strategy – known as Plano Clima – offers an example of how governments can provide businesses with clearer implementation guidance.

Years in development, the initiative sets out how Brazil intends to meet its climate goals through a series of sectoral plans covering areas such as energy, transport and land use.

“They’ve put together some pretty detailed, impressive plans,” Briner said. “Those are the types of things that will influence business models and business decisions. It’s this more detailed second layer of setting out national plans which is of interest to business.”

A solar farm near the Brazilian city of Curitiba (Photo: C40 Cities) A solar farm near the Brazilian city of Curitiba (Photo: C40 Cities)

Last year, a transport coalition of more than 50 associations, companies and academia put forward a plan to help reduce the sector’s emissions and attract more than $600 billion in green investments in Brazil.  

The previous year, 55 companies operating in Brazil, including Natura, Nestle, Itau and Unilever, called for more ambitious NDCs and clearer implementation policies, as well as encouraging climate-friendly investment and private-sector involvement.    

Unilever, for example, has a global goal to create a deforestation-free supply chain and is partnering with a leading supplier in Brazil to ensure that soybean oil used at its factory there is not linked to forest loss.

Cheaper capital, high-quality projects

Although Brazil has relatively sophisticated capital markets, high interest rates still make long-term, low-carbon investments difficult, said Natalie Unterstell, president of the Talanoa Institute, a Brazilian environmental think-tank.

To address this challenge, Brazil is scaling up Fundo Clima – its National Climate Change Fund – as a central part of its implementation strategy by offering cheaper financing at scale.

But Unterstell said the private sector also needs to demonstrate that it can develop and deliver high-quality, low-carbon projects.

“Making Brazil’s policies investable is about making sure cheaper capital meets a pipeline of real, high-quality projects,” she said by email.

Brazilian firm behind SAF plan found growing oil palm on deforested Amazon land

While many companies have announced climate commitments, investment decisions have not always followed, she added.

“What companies can do better is move from targets to investment: adopt robust transition plans, and integrate carbon risk into core financial decisions,” Unterstell said.

On the government side, the priority is to “fix the signals”, she added. That means ensuring Brazil’s regulated carbon market – which is due to start in 2027 for sectors including iron and steel, cement, and oil and gas – operates with clear rules, credible enforcement and no delays, while aligning public finance with climate goals and providing long-term policy certainty.

“At the moment, both sides are waiting for stronger signals from the other, hence breaking that co-ordination problem is key,” she said.

Indonesia’s challenge: bridging the finance gap

Like Brazil, Indonesia is home to large areas of rainforest, but its energy mix relies far more heavily on fossil fuels, with coal providing about a third of supply. In its NDCs, Indonesia has pledged to reduce emissions by 31.9% by 2030 compared with business-as-usual levels, or by 43.2% with international support, on the way to reaching net zero by 2060.

Yet despite being promised more than $20 billion in international financial support from donor governments and investors under its Just Energy Transition Partnership, Jakarta has decided to row back on a plan to close a key coal power station early, saying it will focus on shuttering older and dirtier plants first.

To attract private investment to help achieve its emissions goals, Indonesia must provide policy clarity and long-term certainty, said Fabby Tumiwa, executive director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform, an Indonesian think-tank.

Comment: Indonesia’s failing Just Energy Transition Partnership is a cautionary tale

“Any investor wants to understand the long-term risks of the country so that they can assess the risks properly and come up with a risk mitigation strategy. Uncertain policies basically make investors unable to mitigate the risks,” Tumiwa told Climate Home News.

“To make Indonesia’s climate policies investable for the private sector, the core task is to convert climate ambition into bankable, enforceable, risk-adjusted projects,” he said. “Investors do not only need targets; they need predictable revenue, credible off-takers, permits, grid access, currency-risk management and policy durability.”

Indonesia has estimated the investment needed to meet its NDC goals at more than $400 billion but has yet to clearly outline how businesses can directly contribute, said Egi Suarga, senior manager for climate at World Resources Institute Indonesia, a research organisation.

He said climate action should be framed as an investment opportunity rather than an economic burden.

Evolving policies and regulations

Over 100 Indonesian companies have adopted net-zero and are ready to ramp up decarbonisation given clear national guidance, according to the We Mean Business Coalition.

Indonesia’s Indika Energy is making heavy investments in renewable energy such as solar, while cement company Solusi Bangun Indonesia is also investing in cleaner energy, fuel efficiency and pushing better biodiversity management.             

Meanwhile, Unilever’s climate transition plan states that the company is working with local government and environmental NGOs in Indonesia to protect and restore forests in Aceh and North Sumatra. It is also switching from natural gas to biomethane at its Indonesian sites.

An Indonesian ranger patrols a forest protected through a carbon credit project. Photo: Dita Alangkara/CIFOR An Indonesian ranger patrols a forest protected through a carbon credit project. Photo: Dita Alangkara/CIFOR

One positive development, Suarga noted, is the creation of carbon pricing regulations aimed at attracting private finance, with an initial focus on the forestry sector.

“It can create a good climate for investors,” he said. “It doesn’t directly mention that this is for achieving the NDCs but there is no trade-off between development financing with environmental protections – so that’s a good start.”

Indonesia also needs stronger incentives and regulations for renewable energy, he added.

“We also have to think about other sectors now – like the energy sector and renewables,” Suarga said. “How can the government provide more incentives or facilitating regulations that can be more profitable to create a level playing field for renewables and fossil fuels?”

Ambition loop to drive action

Like Tumiwa, Suarga stressed the need for greater dialogue between the government and businesses so companies can understand better how they can contribute to Indonesia’s emissions targets.

“They know about sustainability because of the market and demands of the market… [but] I’m not sure whether [they] really understand about Indonesia’s target to achieve a certain amount of emissions reductions in the NDCs,” he said.

Currently, the government and private sector are largely working separately, Suarga added. The challenge lies in bringing them together to set targets, plan implementation and monitor emissions reductions. “It will need two to tango. The government should engage more with the private sector,” he emphasised.

Big banks’ lending to coal backers undermines Indonesia’s green plans 

For the We Mean Business Coalition’s Briner, what is ultimately needed is an “ambition loop” in which businesses lead on emissions reductions while governments create policies that accelerate private-sector action.

“It really helps governments when they have a strong voice from business calling for policy action. It helps move things forward,” he said.

Without stronger policies and incentives, achieving NDC goals will become increasingly difficult to achieve and costly, experts say.

“It’s really a case of all hands-on deck right now,” Briner said. “We need all sides of this equation working together and trying to get this done because there isn’t an alternative.”

The post Two to tango: How governments can unlock private investment for national climate goals appeared first on Climate Home News.

How can the donkey cross the pipeline? This may sound like a joke (like why did the chicken cross the road?) but it’s not, as this story will make clear. This was a very real question I encountered when, in June 2026, we at 350.org along with colleagues from the environmental organization, Green Conservers, visited the Diloda community in Northern Tanzania. Diloda is one of several villages in Hanang District where the soon-to-be-operational East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) passes through. 

The facts and the fallout

The pipeline runs about 1,443 km, passing through Uganda and Tanzania. In Tanzania alone, it sits at around 1147 kms long and traverses 8 regions and 25 districts. According to project timelines announced by EACOP Ltd, operations are expected to begin later in 2026, when the first oil shipments are marked to leave Tanga port in Tanzania. It’s expected to carry 200,000 barrels of oil a day from Uganda to Tanga port, and will have to be heated to at least 50 degrees Celsius to keep the waxy crude oil flowing. All this, buried just a few metres beneath the land communities like Diloda depend on for their farms, water and homes. 

Even before it’s up and running, the project has had some devastating consequences on Indigenous Peoples’, their lands and way of life. As the pipeline snakes its way from Hoima in Uganda, to Tanga in Tanzania, many living along its path have been displaced with little compensation, losing both land and livelihoods. Those who depend on fishing can no longer access fishing grounds on Lake Albert, near Kingfisher, Uganda’s upstream oilfield that will feed crude oil into EACOP for export. Allegations of human rights abuses there are well documented too: fishing boats burned, extortion within local fishing communities, and soldiers intimidating residents. The pipeline also poses great risk to several nature reserves, some of which are home to endangered species on the verge of extinction. It’s no wonder that over the years, this project has faced sustained opposition and pressure from local communities, NGOs and various stakeholders from Uganda, Tanzania, France, South Africa and many other parts of the globe. 

The road to Diloda

We travelled over 50 km of dirt road from Katesh, a small town in Tanzania’s Hanang District, heading into the rural communities further along the EACOP route to reach Diloda. The road was a real challenge to navigate. It spoke to the harsh terrain and long distances communities must travel just to access health facilities or government authorities.

Along the way, we passed  several villages and communities consisting mainly of agriculturists and pastoralists, including the Maasai. On reaching Diloda, we met one of the leaders (name withheld) whose house stands about  20 meters from the pipeline. He has been involved in community engagement around the project, and helped arrange for a few community members to speak with us about the challenges they face because of EACOP, even before the oil has started flowing.

The pipeline has split the land, making access difficult. Photo: Savio Carvalho

 

Land, water, and broken promises

The pipeline runs through the agricultural lands of the Diloda community, a drinking water source, a school and other basic infrastructure that  defines the lives, livelihoods and social cohesion of the community. After a long period of resistance and campaigning, and allegations of threats and intimidation, several community members told us they had little choice but to sign the agreements, written in unfamiliar English rather than their native language of Datooga, forcing them to surrender their land for inadequate compensation. Project officials made many promises, including jobs, connection to the electricity grid and infrastructure development, none of which have seen the light of day. This has been documented by other groups, including Human Rights Watch. 

Most households use donkey carts to transport goods from the farm to the house or the grinding mills. The pipeline has split the agricultural land in two, making access very difficult. The project plans to create an underground passage alongside a small stream, allowing people and their carts to cross beneath the pipeline. But this passage runs through what is, in reality, a riverbank that swells during the rainy season, making it next to impossible to cross. There’s a real chance the dirt road could become submerged or choked with wet mud. The seemingly simple, but very pertinent question of how a donkey crosses the pipeline therefore has a direct impact on the lives and livelihoods of this community.

In addition to the passage of agricultural produce, there are many other serious issues impacting the community. The first is the challenge faced by those school children who will be forced to walk long distances to get to the crossing in order to access their schools. 

Living with the pipeline

Whether or not this project is completed, ensuring the needs of the community are met – both during construction and in its aftermath – is the responsibility of the State, project proponents and EACOP Limited, the company developing and operating the pipeline.The Governments of Uganda and Tanzania have a legal obligation to uphold the  human rights of those impacted. They need clear oversight and accountability mechanisms to ensure all non-state actors deliver on their promises, resettlement actions plans,and investments in biodiversity and community resilience projects. 

Communities need training and capacity building in terms of disaster management, covering oil spills, fires and major accidents.They also need a mandatory community insurance scheme and spill liability insurance to cover any damage the pipeline causes to water sources, farm lands, livelihoods and the environment. These must be funded by project proponents before oil flows with  claims managed independently of the company. Communities cannot and should not be left to the mercy and good will of the company, but to the rule of law which is the responsibility of the state.

EACOP passing through Tanzania.

Going back to the donkey cart in Diloda: crossing the pipeline is more than a matter of life and livelihoods. It’s a symbol of freedom, prosperity and mobility. The Government of Tanzania must play their part and not use a sledgehammer against those seeking justice. This means ensuring year-round access to agricultural lands, water sources, schools and essential services alongside infrastructure development, jobs and remedial action. 

By Savio Carvalho
Managing Director, Campaigns and Networks
350.org
@savioconnects.bsky.social‬

The post How Can the Donkey Cross the Pipeline?  appeared first on 350.

New analysis has revealed that coal companies could receive $6.2 billion in diesel subsidies if the Albanese government approves coal mines currently proposed in NSW and Queensland, with one proposed coal project in NSW set to earn an eye watering $1.7 billion. 

The Queensland government has approved mining giant BHP’s proposed Saraji East coal mine in the Bowen Basin, despite finding the company had failed to adequately explain how it would reduce the project’s climate impacts. 

Registered nurses at St. Joseph Health in Brazos Valley, Texas, will hold a vigil for patient safety and safe staffing on Wednesday, June 24. The vigil is taking place after hundreds of nurses and hospital employees signed a petition of no confidence in hospital leadership, citing ongoing concerns about patient safety and staffing and the impact of management decisions on the quality of patient care.

A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 14, 2026 thru Sat, June 20, 2026. Stories we promoted this week, by category:

Climate Change Impacts (8 articles)

• What's driving up your expenses? Many Americans say climate change Most Democrats and moderate Republicans agree that global warming is increasing the cost of living, a new survey shows. The Daily Climate, Kate Yoder, Jun 14, 2026.
• As Global Warming Threatens Corals Worldwide, Woods Hole Scientists Search for `Super Reefs` That Can Take the Heat If protected, researchers say these coral strongholds may help repopulate more degraded reefs across the Central Pacific. Inside Climate News, Teresa Tomassoni, Jun 14, 2026.
• Tensions Are Rising Between States That Rely on the Colorado River A prolonged drought means the nation’s largest reservoirs are dwindling, and litigation over access to water could lie ahead. NYT, Scott Dance, Jun 15, 2026.
• The `super El Niño` is here. What happens next could upend food systems worldwide How the cyclical weather pattern interacts with climate change could spark hunger around the world. The Daily Climate, Grist, Jun 16, 2026.
• Antarctica Heatwave: Rapid Melt-Off Sparks Warning Over Doomsday Glacier A freak Antarctica heatwave in June has stunned scientists and deepened concern that the rapid melting could accelerate future sea-level rise. IBT, Kenneth Axl, Jun 16, 2026.
• A Texas-size chunk of winter sea ice is missing from Antarctica - and it's probably not coming back An area of ice nearly the size of Texas has failed to form over the Bellingshausen Sea, off western Antarctica, as researchers investigate the links between sea ice loss and global warming. Live Science, Patrick Pester, Jun 16, 2026.
• Climate change is now causing more local extinction in temperate regions than the tropics, study shows Phys.org, Kylianne Chadwick, University of Arizona, Jun 18, 2026.
• Seal pups and seabird chicks are suffering in extreme weather. How can we protect them? The Conversation, Milan Sojitra, Mark Hemer, Sophie Bestley and Stuart Corney, Jun 19, 2026.

Climate Science and Research (6 articles)

• ‘Weird and capricious’: Experts struggle to understand new list of political jobs at science agencies NOAA among agencies to be commanded by political apparatchiks. Science, Jeffrey Mervis, June 10, 2026.
• Amoc collapse could change Europe`s climate 10x faster than expected. We aren`t ready The system of ocean current that moves heat in the Atlantic Ocean plays a key role in regulating climate, leaving us to wonder why monitoring of ocean behavior is being discontinued. The Guardian, Penny Holliday, Femke de Jong and Sjoerd Groeskamp, Jun 14, 2026.
• Climate models are missing the first warning signs of deadly Middle East heat waves, study finds Climate change deniers often criticize climate models as just more "alarmism," but here's yet another case where models are in fact underestimating hazards of human-caused climate change. Phys.org, HUJ press release, Jun 17, 2026.
• Trump U-turn on ending ocean initiative comes as UN says science is under attack The Trump administration is pausing plans to dismantle a deep-sea monitoring system after facing fierce opposition. New Zealand Herald, Agence France Presse, Jun 18, 2026.
• Does climate change lead to more migration? Here`s why researchers can`t agree on the evidence Over recent decades, the relationship between climate change and migration has become an active, dynamic field of research, but far from producing a unified view the topic is still plagued with major conceptual, methodological and political discrepancies. The Conversation, Alexis Cloquell Lozano, Beatriz Felipe Pérez, Joan Lacomba Vazquez, María Isolda Perelló Carrascosa, Jun 19, 2026.
• Is Climate Change Supercharging El Niño? As a new, potentially record-breaking El Niño begins, researchers are vigorously debating whether climate change is driving the phenomenon’s intensity. NYT, Chico Harlan, Jun 19, 2026.

Climate Policy and Politics (4 articles)

• Denial is back in vogue. As Australia leads climate talks, it`s beyond time we took the issue seriously The Guardian, Adam Morton, Jun 13, 2026.
• The UK has the means to avoid climate policy being driven by culture wars English - The Conversation, Chris Rapley, Professor of Climate Science, UCL, Jun 15, 2026.
• Bonn climate talks end in "gridlock" on adaptation and emissions-cutting Splits between developed and developing countries over finance and science held back progress on key areas of climate action, leaving disappointment and much work for COP31. Climate Home News, Joe Lo, Jun 18, 2026.
• Trump Administration Backs Off Plan to End Ocean Monitoring System The reversal comes after the Senate passed a bipartisan bill on Wednesday to block the removal of deep-sea monitoring instruments. New York Times, Maxine Joselow, Jun 18, 2026.

Miscellaneous (4 articles)

• 3 facts to ruin your World Cup watch party It's a tough job. But somebody has to do it. HEATED, Emily Atkin, Jun 12, 2026.
• 2026 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #24 A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 7, 2026 thru Sat, June 13, 2026. Skeptical Science, Bärbel Winkler & Doug Bostrom, Jun 14, 2026.
• Analysis: UK`s EV drivers are now saving £1,100 each a year - and £3bn in total Battery EVs (BEVs) are roughly four times more efficient than combustion-engine cars, making them far cheaper to run – particularly since the Iran crisis caused a spike in fossil-fuel prices. Carbon Brief, Simon Evans, Jun 15, 2026.
• Trump admin abandons fight against wind energy as clean energy output surges Legal victories have dampened the Trump admin’s efforts to halt wind and solar power. Ars Technica, Aman Azhar, Jun 16, 2026.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (2 articles)

• The easiest climate change win ever Youtube, Simon Clark, June 12, 2026.
• Efforts to combat climate change often exclude Indigenous people-and they may not have any recourse Phys.org, Buket Alt?nçelep, The Conversation, Jun 15, 2026.

Climate Education and Communication (2 articles)

• One of the world`s most important climate threats has an image problem The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is Immense in size, immense in potential impacts as it shows signs of fading due to warming, and presents similarly large challenges for conveying risks to the general public. The Conversation, Fionagh Thomson, Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University, Jun 17, 2026.
• Cooking up the Climate Stripes, with Ed Hawkins June 20 is "Climate Stripes Day" across the world and the creator Ed Hawkins of this iconic graphic recently talked with Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and Iain Strachan on their "Totally Cooked" podcast about them. 21st Center Weather on Youtube, Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and Iain Strachan, June 17, 2026.

International Climate Conferences and Agreements (1 article)

• Science `under attack` from fossil fuel interests at UN climate talks A coalition of some rich nations and the world’s most vulnerable have vowed to protect climate science in UN negotiations Climate Home News, Megan Rowling, Jun 17, 2026.

Public Misunderstandings about Climate Science (1 article)

• The Shifting Politics of Climate Change A new poll suggests Republicans may be more movable on climate change than previously thought. NYT, David Gelles, Jun 18, 2026.

If you happen upon high quality climate-science and/or climate-myth busting articles from reliable sources while surfing the web, please feel free to submit them via this Google form so that we may share them widely. Thanks!

National Nurses United, the nation’s largest union of registered nurses, released the following statement in response to federal prosecutors charging peaceful protestors for alleged conspiracy during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota in early 2026.

June 20 is "Climate Stripes Day" across the world and the creator Ed Hawkins of this iconic graphic recently talked with Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and Iain Strachan on their "Totally Cooked" podcast about them.

From the video's description:

In this episode of Totally Cooked: The Climate & Weather Podcast, hosts Iain Strachan and Professor Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick sit down with one of the world’s most recognisable climate communicators: Professor Ed Hawkins from the University of Reading. Ed is the climate scientist behind the now-iconic Climate Stripes, a deceptively simple graphic made of blue and red bars that tells the story of global warming at a glance. First published in 2018, the stripes visualise more than a century of rising global temperatures, with each stripe representing the average temperature for a single year and shifting from cooler blues to warmer reds as the planet heats up.

The Climate Stripes have travelled far beyond academic journals. Downloaded more than a million times within days of their public release, they’ve appeared everywhere from social media campaigns and fashion to projections on famous landmarks, helping people around the world understand climate change without needing a single axis label or number. In this conversation, Ed explains how the idea emerged from a desire to communicate climate data more clearly, why the stripes resonated so strongly with the public, and how visualisations like the climate spiral (another of his widely shared creations) can make complex science instantly understandable.

But this episode goes beyond the stripes. Ed also discusses his research into climate variability and extreme weather, his work with the UK’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science, and the Weather Rescue citizen science project, which recruits volunteers to digitise historical weather records from handwritten archives. Together, these efforts help scientists extend the climate record further into the past, giving us a clearer picture of how quickly our climate is changing, and why communicating that change effectively matters more than ever.

Iain records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. Sarah records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and recognise their unique and continuing connection to the land, skies, waters, plants and animals.

Link to the episode's page.

In the face of danger: a personal account of wildland firefighting James L. Ellis Fri, 06/19/2026 - 11:10 am

Deadly cyanide bombs kill more than 7,000 wild animals every year. This is one of their stories.

“The Hub” is a weekly round-up of transportation related news in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Check back weekly to keep up-to-date on the issues Clean Air Council’s transportation staff finds important.

The FIFA World Cup is here! Learn how you can get around to major summer 2026 events without a car, or being stuck in traffic with GoPhillyGo: Car-Free Routes Map!

Image Source: WHYY

WHYY: SEPTA, transit police reach tentative deal on new contract to avoid strike during World Cup – SEPTA police have been working without a contract since the end of March, and now they have reached a tentative agreement to avoid striking. Union members will now vote to ratify the agreement, and if agreed upon, it will move to SEPTA’s board for adoption. The agreement comes months after SEPTA reported significant drops in crime across the network. In 2023, the SEPTA police union authorized a strike, and after three days, it ended with a new contract.

Image Source: WHYY

NBC Philadelphia: 2000+ parking tickets issued during first weekend of FIFA Fan Fest in Lemon Hill – According to the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), over 2,000 tickets were issued this past weekend for illegal parking near Lemon Hill’s FIFA Fan Fest. The event began on June 11 and will end on July 19. PPA monitored 587 residential blocks in the enforcement zone and issued 2,497 tickets for illegal parking. 173 were written in error to residents with valid parking permits, making around 7% of the tickets incorrect.

Image Source: Erie Today

Erie Today (via AOL): How does the Pa. budget serve public transit outside big-city hubs? – It’s state budget season in Pennsylvania, and the due date is June 30, and PA’s state budget hasn’t been approved on time since 2021. Last year, the budget was delayed for five months, heavily due to Republicans blocking $292 million for public transit. This year, Shapiro will ask for $300 million for the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Trust Fund to pay for public transit across the state. Around 7.7% of sales tax goes into public transit, and the proposed budget would increase that by 1.75%. There are over 30 fixed-route public transit systems across the state outside PRT and SEPTA, and these smaller systems rely on state funding to access healthcare, employment, education, and travel. 65% of the state’s public transit users have no other transportation option, underscoring the need for the service.

Other Stories

Talk PA Transportation: Officials Seek Public Opinion: Statewide Transportation Improvement Program

Philly Voice: SEPTA moves forward with mixed-use development at Germantown Station

Urban Wire: Congress’s Transportation Reauthorization Bill Would Drastically Underfund Transit and Rail Projects

StreetsBlog USA: In New Jersey, Mayors Show How Quickly We Can Slow Down Drivers

Business Insider: Uber now keeps most of the fare from your ride in some cities, according to a new driver study

CBS Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh cyclist pedaling across the country for a good cause

Governments at the annual oceans summit reaffirmed commitments to protect key marine ecosystems including the high seas and coral reefs, but observers said funding barriers and polluting projects are hampering progress on putting them into practice.

At the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa this week, some 3,000 delegates – including government officials, scientists, business representatives and activists – gathered to discuss ocean protection and push for marine issues to move from the margins to the centre of global climate diplomacy. 

Campaigners said the overall picture was positive. Oceans are gaining more visibility in international climate discussions: from blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, to coastal adaptation, marine biodiversity, ocean finance and the High Seas Treaty. 

In this year’s preliminary conference report, the secretariat listed 320 existing ocean commitments worth $6.4 billion, with about $1.1 billion destined to address the climate crisis. Many of these pledges were already announced before the conference.

But as momentum builds ahead of the COP31 climate summit in Türkiye, John Kerry, former US climate envoy and founder of the Our Ocean Conference, warned that the conversations and commitments on ocean protection will mean little if implementation continues to lag behind action. 

• Jun 18, 2026 News West African nations target Eastern Atlantic for early high seas protection At the 11th Our Ocean Conference, African governments launched a bid to have the zone classified as one of the first high-seas protected areas Read more
• Jun 5, 2026 Nature Offshore oil and gas expansion threatens key marine ecosystems, report warns Sea life in countries like Kenya is under threat from planned new oil and gas production, analysis by environmental groups has found Read more
• May 6, 2026 Investigations How Shell is still benefiting from offloaded Niger Delta oil assets Shell used its exit from onshore operations in Nigeria to boost its climate credentials, but new reporting shows that the firm continues to trade oil from its former business Read more

“The ocean can no longer be an afterthought in climate policy,” Kerry told delegates at the opening ceremony of the conference. “Now it must become central to our climate solutions.” 

“The challenge before us is not a lack of knowledge. We know exactly what has happened,” he said. “The challenge is whether political will can finally catch up with the science.” 

He added that the meeting taking place on the shores of the Indian Ocean should be remembered as the moment the process moved “from commitments to implementation”. 

The ocean has quietly shielded humanity from the worst impacts of climate change for decades, absorbing around 90% of the excess heat generated by global warming while sustaining the livelihoods of billions of people. 

From pledges to progress

Oceans have been largely absent from international climate negotiations, often treated as a conservation issue rather than a core component of climate action. 

Yet scientists say the ocean absorbs around a quarter of humanity’s annual carbon emissions and plays a critical role in regulating global temperatures.  

Research suggests that ocean-based solutions – from restoring mangroves and seagrass meadows to decarbonising shipping and expanding marine protected areas – could deliver up to 35% of the emissions reductions needed to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius by mid-century. 

That growing recognition has fuelled calls for oceans to play a larger role in climate policy and negotiations. Against that backdrop, the Our Ocean Conference – launched in 2014 to mobilise governments, business, philanthropies and activists – has emerged as a platform for advancing action to keep the planet’s seas healthy. 

According to the conference secretariat, the process has generated more than 2,900 commitments worth nearly $170 billion in the 10 years since its launch. The gathering in Mombasa was the 11th conference and the first to take place in Africa. 

This week, Canada and Jamaica were confirmed as the hosts of the next two Our Ocean conferences in 2027 and 2029. There is none planned for 2028, as the UN Ocean Conference will be co-hosted by South Korea and Chile that year, the secretariat said.  

Science ‘under attack’ from fossil fuel interests at UN climate talks

In Mombasa, governments reaffirmed more than 300 commitments linked to the creation of new marine protected areas, reducing marine pollution, and developing sustainable fisheries, among others.

Most of the finance mobilised went to “blue economy” initiatives, including the European Union’s Ocean Eye initiative, which will mobilise €50 million ($57 million) to offset a Trump administration decision to scale back the US Ocean Observatories Initiative and weaken scientific marine data.

“More important than the new pledges is the actual delivery of commitments,” Cynthia Barzuna, who heads the conference secretariat at the World Resources Institute, told Climate Home News. “That is what makes a difference for marine ecosystems and coastal communities.” 

Last year, the secretariat published its first comprehensive assessment of implementation, finding that nearly 80% of commitments made through the conference were either completed or progressing towards completion. 

A side event on the EU’s Ocean Eye initiative at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya. (Photo: Kenya State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries) Barriers remain

Yet while oceans are climbing the political agenda, significant barriers remain to turning ambition into meaningful action. 

The secretariat’s assessment found that successful projects involved local communities, strengthened local expertise, and secured long-term financing. Many organisations, however, reported difficulties accessing sustained funding, particularly in developing countries. 

African initiatives, for example, tend to rely on short-term project grants, creating what Barzuna described as a “patchwork of impacts on the ground” rather than the systemic change needed to protect marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods. 

Campaigners say a broader challenge lies in ensuring that growing recognition of the ocean’s importance is reflected in wider climate and economic policies. 

While countries have pledged to expand marine protected areas, restore coastal ecosystems and strengthen ocean governance, many continue to pursue activities that place additional pressure on marine environments, including offshore fossil fuel development.

“This year’s Our Ocean Conference comes at a critical moment where the incoming presidencies for COP31 – both Türkiye and Australia – have a strong interest increasing the prominence of the ocean in the COP,” Shamini Selvaratnam, director of International Climate and Clean Energy at the Ocean Conservancy, told Climate Home News. 

“But we cannot talk about ocean health and then continue to explore offshore oil and gas – those two things are incompatible. It’s like asking the dolphin to swim on the land.”  

For supporters of the ocean agenda, the question is no longer whether oceans matter to climate action. The challenge now is ensuring that governments match rising political ambition with funding, implementation and accountability. 

“The ocean has actually been acting as Earth’s life support system – and it has been protecting us,” Kerry told delegates. “The question before us is whether we are willing to protect the ocean in return.” 

The post Mombasa ocean summit drives progress on marine protection, but threats persist appeared first on Climate Home News.

• Time and date: 30 June 2026 from 9.30–17.00 CEST (Rome time)
• Hybrid format: World Food Programme headquarters (Auditorium) in Rome, Italy, and online.

The CFS High-Level Forum on “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization and Data Governance for Food Security and Nutrition” will explore the potential and risks of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in addressing the challenges of food security and nutrition with a focus on promoting inclusive, transparent and accountable data governance in agriculture and food systems.

The discussion will underscore the need for governance on AI and digital technologies to ensure their responsible adoption and the effective use of data in decision-making, to protect and promote people-centred food systems that are based on the right to adequate food.

A summary of the meeting will be presented by the CFS Chairperson at the 54th CFS Plenary Session in October, under Item II on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World – Strengthening Coordination and Collaborative Actions.

The discussion will also contribute to identifying key messages and policy considerations for future discussions or potential workstreams of the CFS.

Registration

For online participation, please register through this link.

Participants wishing to attend the event in person are kindly requested to register by contacting the CFS Secretariat at cfs@fao.org

Concept Note More information

The post CFS High-Level Forum on Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization and Data Governance appeared first on CSIPM.

Alberta already has the expertise, workforce, and demand to scale building retrofits. What's missing is a consistent, predictable system that makes projects easier to finance and deliver. Utility-led demand-side management (DSM) programs can provide...