The EPA recently approved ten pesticide products containing isocycloseram, a PFAS “forever chemical,” for use in agriculture and pest control. Although the EPA claims no human health risks were identified when used as directed, environmental advocates express concerns about the long-term dangers associated with PFAS exposure, such as reproductive and liver toxicity. Researchers emphasize the persistence of isocycloseram and its toxicity to pollinators. While the EPA highlighted the benefits for crop management, concerns remain due to the potential ecological and public health impacts.
Read More
The Vatican is returning 62 Indigenous cultural objects, including a century-old Inuvialuit kayak, to Canada after Pope Leo XIV gifted them to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. These items, collected from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, were originally sent to Rome for a 1925 exhibition and have been stored in the Vatican Museums. This decision follows Pope Francis’s 2022 visit to Canada and his acknowledgement of the importance of restitution. The artifacts will be transferred to the National Indigenous Organizations to be returned to their communities of origin.
Read More
A coalition of over 20 states has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, contesting the agency’s decision to cancel the $7 billion “Solar For All” program. The program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act to expand solar power access for low-income households, was intended to deploy rooftop and community solar projects, aiming to reduce carbon pollution and lower energy costs. The lawsuit claims that the EPA’s cancellation of the program violated the Administrative Procedures Act and overstepped its constitutional authority. This legal action follows a similar suit filed by nonprofits and solar installers and represents a two-pronged effort by states to challenge cuts to clean energy programs.
Read More
Wyoming Representative Harriet Hageman faced a hostile reception at a town hall event in Pinedale while defending the potential repeal of the EPA’s “endangerment finding” regarding greenhouse gases. Hageman asserted the finding was based on “false science,” sparking boos and shouts from the audience. This event marks another instance of Hageman encountering an angry crowd over Trump administration policies, with similar reactions seen in a previous town hall in Laramie. Despite the state’s strong support for Trump, local concerns about poor air quality and widespread belief in climate change appear to be at odds with the administration’s stance on emission standards.
Read More
Trump’s EPA to repeal core of greenhouse gas rules in a major deregulatory move. This is, without a doubt, the biggest deregulatory step in U.S. history, and it’s setting off alarm bells everywhere. It’s like they’re actively dismantling the safeguards put in place to protect our environment and, by extension, our health. The sheer scale of this move is hard to fathom, with consequences that will ripple through every aspect of life.
EPA head claims carbon dioxide’s benefits are overlooked, which, frankly, is a jaw-dropping statement. This is, to put it mildly, a controversial take, going directly against the mountain of scientific evidence that points to the detrimental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions.… Continue reading
The Trump administration is seeking to overturn the EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding,” which classified greenhouse gas emissions as a threat and served as the basis for climate regulations. This proposal aims to revoke the government’s authority to regulate pollutants from burning fossil fuels, like carbon dioxide and methane, under the Clean Air Act. The administration argues this move would drive down costs and boost American energy production, while critics express concerns about undermining climate action and benefiting the fossil fuel industry. The EPA is making legal arguments that the previous administration overstepped their authority. This decision faces potential legal challenges and could take years to resolve.
Read More
EPA to withdraw foundation of greenhouse gas rules, sources say, and it’s frankly infuriating. It’s like watching everything you thought was a given, things you learned as a kid even, being systematically dismantled. The idea that regulations meant to protect our planet are being undone for the sake of a few extra bucks in the pockets of those who will likely not even be around to face the consequences is, to put it mildly, disheartening.
The core of this issue seems to be the EPA’s intention to reverse a crucial scientific finding. This finding, the “endangerment finding,” is what provides the legal justification for the major regulations we have in place to deal with climate change.… Continue reading
E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change. The news feels like a punch to the gut, a disheartening confirmation of something many have feared: a potential dismantling of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) capacity to address climate change. This potential move is not just a policy change; it’s a fundamental shift with potentially dire consequences.
E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change. Some might argue, with a sort of twisted logic, that climate regulations harm human health through higher prices and limited consumer choice. This perspective, however, seems detached from the real-world impacts of inaction.… Continue reading
E.P.A. Says It Will Eliminate Its Scientific Research Arm. Okay, so this is happening. The E.P.A., the Environmental Protection Agency, is apparently going to eliminate its scientific research arm. Let that sink in for a moment. Science. Research. Gone. It’s like a punch to the gut for anyone who values, you know, facts and understanding.
It’s hard not to feel a sense of deep frustration. We’re talking about a career path, years of education, that seems to be crumbling under the weight of, well, frankly, ignorance. I mean, who needs science when you’re apparently “in God’s hands,” as some would argue?… Continue reading
The Netherlands returned 119 Benin Bronzes—human and animal figures, plaques, and regalia—looted in 1897 by British forces. This significant repatriation, the largest single return to date, fulfills a Nigerian request and follows similar actions by museums in London and Rhode Island. The artifacts, primarily from Leiden’s museum, were returned in Edo State with the Oba Ewuare II calling it a “divine intervention.” The Dutch government’s commitment to returning colonial-era artifacts continues, with Nigeria actively pursuing the recovery of further looted items.
Read More
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood