Energy/Environment

First Look China launches emissions-tracking satellite, as nation eyes climate leadership

The TanSat satellite will track carbon dioxide emissions, which China has committed to cutting as part of the Paris climate agreement.

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First Look More than three years later, N.D. Tesoro oil spill still not cleaned up

One of the largest onshore oil spills in US history continues to highlight the dangers of oil pipelines, as the battle over the four-state Dakota Access pipeline continues.

How will the Trump White House treat climate change? Why it's so hard to know.

Donald Trump and some of his nominated cabinet members have complex relationships with climate change, making it difficult to know how past remarks will translate into future policy.
First Look Hairy crabs and other new creatures discovered at underwater 'Dragon's Breath'

The ever-plentiful 'mineral-laden water' flowing out of the vent chimneys make the area an ideal habitat for various sea life – and, more recently, an ideal location for seafloor mining of copper and gold.
First Look How Mexico plans to save the last few vaquita porpoises

There may be as few as three dozen vaquita porpoises left in the world. Mexico hopes an international effort to catch and enclose the porpoises will protect them, though some are skeptical.
Briefing Canada puts a price on carbon: what the move means

Canada isn't the first to do this, but the move is a landmark one for its scale and regional flexibility – and because the country is a major fossil fuel producer.
Inhabit Fossil fuels, yes. But Trump energy team isn't a one-note band.

The team includes an Energy nominee who knows wind power can work, a State Department nominee who has supported the Paris climate deal, and an Interior nominee who's not big on selling off federal lands.

First Look 'Casper' the octopus threatened by deep sea metal mining

Manganese, a metal used in cellphones and computers, may be critical to the life cycles of deep sea octopuses.
First Look North Pole expected to reach 50 degrees warmer than normal

Temperatures are expected to climb to just below the freezing point on Thursday, much higher than is usual during an Arctic winter.
Inhabit Obama limits offshore oil, as 'Keep it in the Ground' idea rises

The White House puts vast areas off Atlantic and Arctic coasts off limits to drilling. The move may reflect how a 'Keep it in the Ground' movement has gained traction within the Democratic Party.
Inhabit Nixon went to China. Can Trump do climate change?

Plenty of people on the political left want action to address climate change. But many people on the right do to; they just are wary of big government. Perhaps the time is ripe for an art-of-the-deal solution.
Inhabit Cities enlist nature to tame rising flood risks

Detroit, Philadelphia, and Houston are among the places investing in 'green infrastructure' that mimics wetlands. It can be cheaper than the alternative, given the threat posed by climate change.
First Look Facing smog emergency, China closes factories, limits cars

Some cities in northern China have taken drastic measures to combat smog, including temporarily shutting down factories and restricting the number of cars allowed on roads.
Inhabit Toxic work culture at national parks?

In this edition: rising allegations of sexual harassment by National Park Service employees; the nuance on Trump's energy team; Canada's carbon-price move.

December 22, 2016

Photos of the day 12/21

Jade (l.) and Camden Evans sit on the lap of their dad, Heath Evan, as they watch an elaborate display of Christmas lights flash and blink to a soundtrack of holiday music at a home in Jenks, Okla.

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