Researchers found that the combination of heat waves and high PM2.5 pollution led to nearly 700,000 premature deaths in the past 30 years—most of which occurred in the Global South.
pollution
Posted inResearch & Developments
EPA to Cancel Nearly 800 Environmental Justice Grants
The EPA plans to cancel 781 grants, almost all focused on environmental justice, according to a court document filed last week.
In Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council v. Department of Agriculture, a coalition of nonprofits is challenging the Trump administration’s freezing of funding from the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In the recent court document, Daniel Coogan, an administrator in the Office of Mission Support for the EPA, stated that the agency completed a grant-by-grant review of its awards to ensure that grants aligned with administration priorities. Those that were not aligned were targeted for termination.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Glaciers Offer Clues into the Path of Fossil Fuel Pollution
New research traces the origin of carbon deposited from the atmosphere onto glaciers.
Posted inNews
Avalanches of Microplastics Carry Pollution into the Deep Sea
Scientists observed a once-theorized process ferrying microplastics into the deep ocean.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Trump Administration Moves to Weaken PFAS Rules
President Donald Trump’s EPA is considering a rule that would weaken regulations limiting chemicals harmful to human health in consumer goods, The Guardian reports.
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of chemicals added to consumer products, oftentimes for their water- and stain-resistant properties. Exposure to PFAS is known to raise the risk of certain cancers, kidney and liver disease, and complications surrounding reproductive health. The chemicals are omnipresent in everyday life and contaminate drinking water across the United States.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Trump Administration Plans to Fire More Than 1,000 EPA Scientists
The Trump Administration plans to fire more than 1,000 scientists in the EPA’s research arm. The layoffs are part of a “reduction in force” that comes after the agency already fired hundreds of probationary workers. (A federal judge has since ordered that these employees be reinstated, and though the administration has complied, most of the workers have been placed on administrative leave.)
Posted inResearch & Developments
EPA Moves to Rewrite Water Rules Following Sackett Decision
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced today that the agency would kick off a review of EPA rules and redefine “waters of the United States” to ensure that the agency aligns with the 2023 Supreme Court decision Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which limited the implementation of the Clean Water Act.
Posted inResearch & Developments
EPA Plans to Close Environmental Justice Offices, Leaving Communities to Face Pollution Alone
Yesterday, news broke that a memo from Lee Zeldin, the new administrator of the EPA, directed the agency to eliminate all offices that focus on environmental justice.
Posted inNews
Ancient Greeks and Romans Laced the Aegean with Lead
Lead pollution in and around the Aegean Sea dates back to the Bronze Age and shows a strong spike associated with Roman expansion.
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The 18 February 2025 Tailings Storage Facility failure at Chambishi in Zambia
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. On 18 February 2025, a major tailings storage facility (TSF) failure occurred at a Sino Metals facility near to Chambishi in Zambia. There has been little news reporting about this failure, but […]