Misunderstandings and disinformation abounded at a 16 September hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency about geoengineering—efforts to alter Earth systems for the purpose of mitigating climate change.
science policy
EPA Proposes That Major Polluters No Longer Report Their Emissions
The EPA proposed today that approximately 8,000 polluting facilities, including oil refineries, power plants, and steel mills, should no longer be required to report their greenhouse gas emissions.
Underwater Glacier-Guarding Walls Could Have Unintended Consequences
Although they would likely impede the warm currents that melt glaciers, such walls would also likely block fish migration and nutrient upwelling, harming marine ecosystems and Greenland fisheries.
When Is a Climate Model “Good Enough”?
Models will always have bugs. How do scientists decide which ones are most important and how many is too many?
Cruise to Measure Gulf Dead Zone Faces Stormy Funding Future
Funding cuts are affecting The Pelican’s annual hypoxia cruise to investigate the environmental conditions off the coast of Louisiana.
USDA Moves to Rescind Roadless Rule Protecting 45 Million Acres of Wild Area
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects about 45 million acres (182,000 square kilometers) of National Forest System lands from road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvests.
FEMA Puts Dissenting Staff on Indefinite Leave
More than a dozen FEMA staff, all signatories of that Katrina Declaration, were placed on indefinite administrative leave.
Advances in Ecological Forecasting
AGU and ESA invite contributions to a cross-society special collection on ecological forecasting across ecosystems and scales.
Scientists Ask NSF to Keep Only Antarctic Icebreaker Afloat
On 28 July, more than 170 researchers sent a letter to National Science Foundation leaders and Congress, urging them to reconsider the decision to terminate the lease of the Nathaniel B. Palmer, the United States’ only Antarctic research vessel-icebreaker (RVIB) and a key part of science operations around the White Continent.
Kate Mulvaney: Bringing Human Dimensions to Water Resources
From small coastal towns to international ocean treaties, this EPA scientist has helped integrate social science into how people study and protect natural water resources.