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by Nathalie OLOF-ORS Agence France-Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) – Airlines may find themselves swept up in unprecedented turbulence — with air travel shunned over climate concerns, plagued by pandemic shutdowns and soaring oil prices — but for private jet operators, business is booming. The appeal of private jets has taken off since the start of the pandemic, amid fear of catching Covid-19 and as widespread cancellations and stringent measures have turned flying commercial into a […]
by Marcelo SILVA Agence France-Presse Brasília, Brazil (AFP) – Iconic Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso led a star-studded protest Wednesday against President Jair Bolsonaro’s environmental policy, seeking to block a series of bills that activists say would be devastating for the Amazon rainforest and beyond. Thousands of protesters flooded the square at the seat of power in Brasilia, brandishing a giant inflatable turtle, bird and other animals and urging Congress to vote down what they call […]
by Catherine HOURS / Julien MIVIELLE Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – Despite fears that the energy price shock unleashed by Russia’s war in Ukraine will put climate ambitions on the back burner, the transition to green fuels is more relevant than ever to reduce dependence on Russian hydrocarbons. Coal no longer a taboo As the United States imposes an embargo on Russian oil, the European Union and other countries are seeking to wean themselves […]
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – Most plastic “advanced recycling” plants in the United States aren’t actually recycling plastic but instead converting it into a dirty fuel, while producing toxic waste in low-income communities, a study by a leading environmental group said Monday. Advanced recycling, also known as chemical recycling, is a relatively new technique touted by industry groups that breaks plastic down to its molecular building blocks. It is said to be able to […]
SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) – Chile said Saturday it is creating a vast national park to protect hundreds of glaciers that are melting due to climate change. The new National Glacier Park will cover 75,000 hectares of Andes mountain land about 60 kilometers (40 miles) from the capital Santiago, President Sebastian Pinera said at a ceremony announcing its creation. “We are managing to protect 368 glaciers,” the president said. These masses of permanent ice hold 32 […]
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (AFP) – Two subsidiaries of Swiss mining company Solway Investment Group hid reports of pollution in an indigenous area of northeastern Guatemala, an international consortium of media companies said Sunday. The “Mining Secrets” investigation — in which 65 journalists from 15 countries participated — also accused Solway subsidiaries Guatemalan Nickel Company (CGN) and PRONICO of intimidation and influence peddling. The investigation run by the Forbidden Stories NGO “reveals the strategies that Solway […]
by Chris Stein Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – Bill Suan bought his family’s cattle farm in the mountains of West Virginia a decade-and-a-half ago with little thought for the two gas wells drilled on the property — but then they started leaking oil onto his fields and sickening his cows. After taking the operator to court, Suan was successful in plugging one well, but the company has since disappeared, leaving him to […]
BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday proposed lifting a ban on mining in indigenous territories in the Amazon to offset potential fertilizer shortages due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The far-right leader said that mineral extraction in indigenous territories — something vehemently opposed by those local communities and environmentalists — was necessary to avoid dependence on imported products. “With the Russia/Ukraine war we now face the risk of a lack of […]
by John BIERS Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – Ford announced Wednesday it is creating separate businesses for its conventional and electric-auto operations, as it accelerates its build-out of emission-free vehicles. Under the plan, which sent Ford shares sharply higher, the conventional internal combustion operations will be known as “Ford Blue,” while the electric vehicle (EV) products will be run through “Ford Model e.” The reorganization, while significant, keeps both operations under the […]
by Nick Perry Agence France-Presse NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) – The United Nations is to launch formal negotiations on Wednesday for a global treaty to address a plastic trash “epidemic” that supporters say is a historic moment for the planet. The UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), convening in Nairobi, is poised to adopt a resolution creating an intergovernmental committee to negotiate and finalise a legally binding agreement by 2024. The amount of plastic trash entering the oceans […]
NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) – The United Nations opened an environment summit in Nairobi on Monday where nations are being urged to adopt the blueprint for a landmark global treaty to reduce plastic pollution. Representatives from more than 100 nations are expected to agree on a broad template for a world-first treaty on plastic waste over three days of in-person and virtual deliberations. The UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) was told plastic had been found on the remotest […]
by Juliette MICHEL Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – Energy companies interested in developing offshore wind sites bid more than $1.5 billion Wednesday in by far the biggest US auction for the renewable power. After launching the auction Wednesday morning, US officials released updates throughout the day as the bids gradually rose on six available tracts involving nearly 500,000 acres off the coasts of New York and New Jersey. After 21 rounds of […]
