Top China coal province vows 20 percent cut in pollution by 2020: Xinhua

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - One of China's top coal-producing provinces has vowed to slash its level of fine particle pollution by one-fifth by 2020, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday, citing the provincial government.

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China to ban domestic ivory trade by end of 2017

(Reuters) - China will slap a total ban on the domestic ivory trade within a year, the government announced on Friday, shutting the door to the world's biggest end-market for poached ivory.

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U.S. scrambles to clear egg exports to bird flu-hit Korea

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. officials are urgently seeking an agreement with South Korea that would allow imports of American eggs so farmers can cash in on a shortage caused by the Asian country's worst-ever outbreak of bird flu.

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Philadelphia Zoo euthanizes lion thought to have been oldest in U.S.

(Reuters) - The Philadelphia Zoo has euthanized a 25-year-old lioness believed to have been the oldest lion in the United States after the animal suffered an acute decline in mobility and behavior, the zoo said on Friday.

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Vienna Zoo says twin panda cubs venture out of cave, growing healthily

VIENNA (Reuters) - Twin panda cubs born last summer at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo have ventured out of their cave to make their public debut, keepers said on Friday, adding the sister and brother were growing up healthily.

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Ireland confirms bird flu case, carrying out tests

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland has found the H5N8 bird flu strain in a wild duck in the south eastern town of Wexford, the agriculture department said on Friday.

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China warns freezing northern provinces more heavy smog on the way

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China on Thursday warned northern regions to get ready another bout of heavy smog, expected over the New Year, as daytime temperatures hover around freezing.

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Magnitude 6.2 quake hits near Sumbwa, Indonesia - USGS

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck on Friday off the island of Sumbawa in the Indonesian archipelago, 71 km (44 miles) south of Raba city, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

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Four million in Damascus without mains water after springs targeted: U.N.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Four million people in Damascus have been without safe drinking water supplies for more than a week after springs outside the Syrian capital were deliberately targeted, the United Nations said on Thursday.

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Winter storm with heavy snows, fierce winds targets New England

(Reuters) - A winter storm is expected to dump heavy snows and produce fierce winds in New England on Thursday evening and into Friday morning, the National Weather Service said.

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Senators ask Trump EPA chief pick to disclose energy industry ties

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats on the U.S. Senate's environment panel on Wednesday asked President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency to disclose his ties to the energy industry ahead of his confirmation hearing early next year.

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Five arrested for trespassing at Dakota pipeline protest site

(Reuters) - Protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline flared briefly for the first time since the federal government ruled against the project last month, law enforcement said on Wednesday, as five demonstrators were arrested and less-than-lethal rounds were fired by authorities.

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Herd of elk dies at Oregon reservoir after falling through ice

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A herd of elk died after falling through thin ice while crossing a reservoir in northeastern Oregon, a state wildlife official said on Wednesday.

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Obama designates monuments to protect tribal land in Utah and Nevada

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday designated over 1.6 million acres of land in Utah and Nevada as national monuments, protecting two areas rich in Native American artifacts from mining, oil and gas drilling.

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Madrid to cut traffic volumes in half as pollution rises

MADRID (Reuters) - Madrid said on Wednesday all privately-owned cars with even-numbered registration plates will be banned from the Spanish capital's roads on Thursday to curb rising air pollution.

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Floods in southwest Congo kill at least 50

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Flooding this week in the Democratic Republic of Congo port city of Boma killed at least 50 people and left another 10,000 homeless, authorities told Reuters on Wednesday.

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Cheetah headed to extinction with just 7,100 left, wildlife experts warn

LONDON (Reuters) - The world's fastest land animal, the cheetah, is in danger of extinction because it is running out of space, research led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has found.

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Fat herds, leaner profits: For China's pig farmers, New Year feasts bring cold comfort

BEIJING (Reuters) - With China's Lunar New Year festivities fast approaching, pig farmers in the world's biggest pork market have little to cheer. As they fatten herds to meet peak demand, a slump in retail prices and a spike in feed costs are grinding up profits.

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Shallow quake of magnitude 5.8 hits Nevada - USGS

LONDON (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck 29 km (18 miles) west south west of Hawthorne, Nevada, in the United States on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey said.

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Weather good for Ivorian main cocoa crop despite price concerns

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Patchy light rains mixed with hot weather and mild Harmattan winds last week in most of Ivory Coast's main cocoa growing regions should boost next year's crop, farmers said on Tuesday, but demand from buyers has slackened due to low global prices.

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Seven missing after freak rains drench Australia's outback

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Unusual torrential rain in Australia’s outback turned the Uluru monolith into a series of cascading waterfalls and triggered flash floods, and seven people are missing including a Japanese tourist who was swept away in a car and an Australian family.

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China smog war moves to courts with range of crimes to widen

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's courts will widen the range of offences that constitute "environmental crimes" to make it easier to take legal action against polluters, a senior judiciary official told a news briefing on Monday.

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Blizzard in U.S. Northern Plains to head east, ease grip

(Reuters) - A winter storm that threatened the U.S. Northern Great Plains with icy roads, power outages and high winds is expected to ease its grip late on Monday as it moves east into the Great Lakes and New England, forecasters said.

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Typhoon eases but Philippines braces for floods, mudslides; two dead

MANILA (Reuters) - A typhoon weakened as it cut across the Philippines on Monday after bringing down trees and power lines, and authorities warned of flash floods and mudslides although casualties were few with police reporting only two deaths.

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Twelve years after Asia tsunami, 400 bodies unidentified in Thailand

BANGKOK (Reuters) - At least 400 victims of Asia's 2004 tsunami that killed 226,000 people remain unidentified in Thailand 12 years on, police said on Monday.

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China to levy new taxes in bid to strengthen pollution fight

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's largely rubber-stamp parliament passed a law on Sunday that will levy specific environmental protection taxes on industry for the first time from 2018, as part of a renewed focus on fighting the country's pollution woes.

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China's war on smog sends shivers across commodities sector

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's crackdown on exhaust-spewing factories that shut or slashed output this week at sites including steel mills, textile and cement factories and coal-fired power plants will ripple across major bulk commodity markets into 2017.

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Santa Claus on track to deliver gifts despite storm: U.S. military

DENVER (Reuters) - A powerful Christmas Eve snowstorm descending on much of North America will not slow Santa Claus as he delivers presents to good girls and boys, U.S. military officials who track his annual flight said on Saturday.

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Thousands flee coastal villages as typhoon approaches Philippines

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine authorities on Saturday evacuated thousands in coastal villages in the country's central region where a category 4 typhoon is expected to make landfall later this weekend, bringing strong winds and heavy rains.

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EU to exempt foreign flights from emissions scheme

BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union is set to extend the exclusion of foreign airlines from its emissions trading system to give a United Nations-brokered global deal time to come into effect, two EU sources said.

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China to require tougher new vehicle emission standards for 2020

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China will require all light vehicles to adhere to tougher new "China VI" emission standards by the middle of 2020, according to a notice published by environment regulators on Friday.

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China's name and shame campaign fails to deter polluters

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has publicly named more than 20 enterprises it says broke environmental rules during this week’s outbreak of hazardous smog in the country's north, its latest attempt to bring lawbreaking firms to account by shaming them.

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Winter weather to make holiday travel treacherous in northern U.S.

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Heavy snow, freezing rain and wind gusts will make holiday travel treacherous in swaths of the northern United States.

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Mongolia's nomad herders facing winter disaster as temperatures plunge

ULAANBAATAR (Reuters) - Mongolia's traditional nomads are facing a natural disaster known as "dzud", where frigid temperatures and heavy snow cause widespread livestock deaths, threatening herders' livelihoods.

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Temperatures around North Pole leap close to melting point

OSLO (Reuters) - Temperatures around the North Pole surged close to melting point on Thursday as a freak blast of warm air blanketed an Arctic region usually deep frozen in mid-winter darkness, scientists said.

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Australian cyclone downgraded but could rebuild: forecasters

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's first cyclone of the 2016-2017 summer season has been downgraded to a tropical storm after losing punch over the Indian Ocean, but could reform in the next two days, forecasters said on Friday.

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Chinese island engulfed in waste after garbage dumped in Yangtze River: media

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A massive load of garbage, including needles and broken bottles, has washed ashore on an island close to Shanghai, after two ships allegedly dumped more than 100 tonnes of waste in the Yangtze River, the Shanghai Daily reported on Friday.

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EPA denies automakers' request for more time on fuel economy review

DETROIT (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday told an automaker lobbyist group that it will not extend the deadline for a review of strict fuel economy standards through the 2025 vehicle model year, indicating the agency will push ahead with a plan to make the rules final before the Obama administration leaves office Jan. 20.

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Singapore's only polar bear chills out ahead of 26th birthday

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Inuka the polar bear began five days of celebrations for his upcoming 26th birthday with a salmon and minced beef ice cake topped with peanut butter at Singapore Zoo on Thursday.

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China smog triggers demand for masks, filters, but hobbles deliveries

BEIJING (Reuters) - Near-record pollution levels in parts of China this week proved a two-edged sword for the country's e-commerce titans: orders poured in for anti-smog products, but transport restrictions meant it was a challenge to get these delivered.

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Blue skies return to Beijing, but dangerous smog still blankets northern China

BEIJING (Reuters) - Blue skies returned to Beijing on Thursday after winds dispelled dangerously high levels of air pollution that had blanketed the Chinese capital for five days prompting a pollution red alert, but large parts of northern China remain under choking smog.

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Beijing districts to cap population in bid to tackle smog, congestion

BEIJING (Reuters) - Five districts in Beijing have announced plans to cap or lower their population in the next few years, local media reported on Wednesday, as the Chinese capital bids to tackle chronic pollution and congestion.

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EU's top court upholds carbon tax on Swiss flights

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The European Union is within its rights to apply carbon taxes to flights between Switzerland and member states although flights to and from other countries outside the bloc are exempt, the EU's top court said on Wednesday.

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Ban on new Arctic drilling gives Canada leg up: U.S. lawmakers

OTTAWA (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday slammed an agreement made with Canada to ban offshore Arctic drilling, saying Ottawa's plan to review its ban every five years gives Canada a leg up on energy exploration.

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U.S. agency orders corrective action for North Dakota oil spill

HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. pipeline regulators on Wednesday ordered Belle Fourche Pipeline Co to improve leak detection, along with other actions, after a Dec. 5 incident that spilled about 4,200 barrels of oil in North Dakota.

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Exxon Mobil oil spill hits communities in southeast Nigeria: local leader

ONITSHA, Nigeria (Reuters) - An oil spill from Exxon Mobil Corp facilities in southeast Nigeria's Akwa Ibom state has hit local communities, affecting farming, fishing and drinking water, a local leader said on Wednesday.

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Residents of China's capital getting out of town to escape smog

BEIJING (Reuters) - Residents of China's capital were wearing face masks and using air purifiers to try to avoid heavy pollution blanketing the city for a fifth day on Wednesday, but others were giving up the fight and joining a rush of "smog avoidance" travel.

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Chinese cities choked by dangerous smog for fifth day; factories, schools closed

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Northern China was shrouded in almost record pollution for a fifth day on Wednesday, disrupting flights, traffic and shipping, and closing factories and schools, with some residents complaining emergency anti-smog measures were not operating.

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Australia's first cyclone of season heads for Pilbara iron ore belt

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A tropical low in the Indian Ocean has intensified into Australia's first cyclone of the 2016-2017 summer season and could make landfall over the weekend, weather forecasters said on Wednesday.

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Alert level raised for Alaska volcano after explosion observed

(Reuters) - A remote Aleutian volcano erupted on Tuesday sending a cloud of ash into the air and forcing scientists to raise alerts to the highest levels, a monitoring website said.

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Earth's temperature to dip but still sizzle in 2017

OSLO (Reuters) - World temperatures are likely to dip next year from a sizzling record high in 2016, when man-made global warming was slightly boosted by a natural El Nino event in the Pacific Ocean, scientists said on Tuesday.

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Oklahoma's new fracking rules aim to reduce earthquake risk

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Oklahoma is imposing guidelines to reduce the risk of earthquakes caused by hydraulic fracturing in its oil-rich shale formations, the first rules in the state to target the controversial production technique.

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Obama bans new oil, gas drilling off Alaska, part of Atlantic shore

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday permanently banned new oil and gas drilling in federal waters in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, in one of his last environmental pushes before he leaves office next month.

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Volkswagen reaches agreement to fix, buyback U.S. diesels

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge said on Tuesday Volkswagen AG has reached an agreement for a mix of buybacks and fixes for about 80,000 polluting 3.0-liter diesel VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles as the German automaker works to put a diesel emissions cheating scandal behind it.

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Former Flint officials criminally charged in water crisis

FLINT, Mich. (Reuters) - Michigan prosecutors on Tuesday charged four former government officials with criminal conspiracy to violate safety rules in connection with the Flint water crisis, which exposed residents to dangerous levels of lead, the state's attorney general said.

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EU nations back stricter emissions rules for new gasoline engines

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU nations backed measures to strengthen new on-road emissions tests on Tuesday to supplement laboratory-based ones, whose flaws were laid bare by the Volkswagen scandal.

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Smog engulfs cities in northern China for fourth day

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - A plane carrying the chief executive of the world's biggest oil exporter was prevented from landing in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Tuesday because of thick smog blanketing large swathes of northern China.

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Plantations seen behind more than half Malaysian Borneo deforestation

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Palm oil and pulp wood companies are responsible for more than half of the rapid deforestation in the Malaysian part of Borneo island, an environmental scientist said in an interview.

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Thousands of Fijians shelter in evacuation centers from floods, landslides

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Thousands of Fijians sheltered in evacuation centers and tents on Tuesday as heavy rain and floods cut roads, covered sugarcane fields and caused landslides, said the South Pacific nation's disaster office.

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Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes off Solomon islands: USGS

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 struck off the Solomon Islands on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the second powerful tremor in the islands to Australia's north in less than two weeks .

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U.S. Interior Department finalizes rule to protect waterways from coal mining

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department on Monday finalized a contentious rule to protect streams and forests from the impact of coal mining, one of the Obama administration's last major environmental regulations that the incoming Trump administration is likely to target.

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Water conservation push could put California utilities in a tough spot: Fitch

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - New rules floated by California water regulators would force utilities to sell less water at a time when it is becoming more difficult for them to raise customer rates, credit ratings agency Fitch said on Monday.

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Obama prepares to block drilling in Arctic, Atlantic: Bloomberg

(Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is preparing to block the sale of new offshore drilling rights in much of the U.S. Arctic and parts of the Atlantic, Bloomberg reported, citing two people familiar with the decision.

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Bosch expected to settle U.S. Volkswagen diesel claims for $300 million: source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - German auto supplier Robert Bosch GmbH [ROBG.UL] is expected to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. owners related to the Volkswagen pollution scandal for more than $300 million, a source briefed on the matter said on Monday.

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EU parliament critical of delays to new car emissions rules

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Several EU countries, including Italy, France and Spain, have delayed the adoption of stricter car emissions' tests, despite evidence that this has allowed pollution to go above legal limits, a draft report by European Parliament said on Monday.

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Air pollution in northern Chinese city surpasses WHO guideline by 100 times

BEIJING (Reuters) - Concentrations of airborne pollutants in a major northern Chinese city exceeded a World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline by 100 times on Monday as north China battled with poor air quality for the third straight day.

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Scientists discover 163 new species in Greater Mekong region: WWF

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A rainbow-headed snake and a dragon-like lizard are among 163 new species that scientists recently discovered in the Greater Mekong region, conservation group WWF said on Monday, adding rapid development in the area, from dams to mines, was threatening wildlife survival.

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Most of Europe set for warmer than normal January-March: The Weather Company

(Reuters) - Above normal temperatures are expected across most of Europe during the first three months of 2017, with the exception of the Iberian peninsula, the Weather Company said on Monday.

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China to build its first deep sea oil spill response center

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will set up its first deep sea oil spill emergency center in the southern city of Shenzhen, China's state asset supervisor said on its website.

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Risk of Australia's first 2016/17 cyclone this week

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A slow-moving tropical low in the Indian Ocean could intensify into Australia's first cyclone of the 2016/17 season, forecasters said on Monday.

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China smog brings halt at some cotton mills in Hebei, Shandong: trade website

BEIJING (Reuters) - Cotton mills in two provinces in China have suspended output as part of measures to curb smog that has blanketed the north of the country in the past few days, triggering official pollution alerts, according to an industry website.

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Sinopec's Yanshan refinery cuts output by 30 percent due to Beijing smog alert

BEIJING (Reuters) - Sinopec's Yanshan refinery has reduced production by 30 percent in response to Beijing's smog alert, a spokesman for the Yanshan refinery said.

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Texas city lifts tap water ban after chemical spill fear

(Reuters) - Tap water in Corpus Christi is safe to drink, the mayor of the Texas city said on Sunday, lifting a four-day ban after a chemical spill that forced most of the Texas city's residents to rely on bottled water while tests were underway.

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Highways shut, flights grounded as smog blankets China's Tianjin

BEIJING (Reuters) - Authorities in Tianjin grounded three dozen flights and closed most highways on Sunday after severe smog blanketed the city, one of more than more than 40 in China's northeast to issue pollution warnings in the past 48 hours.

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Actor DiCaprio says climate action is U.S.'s 'biggest economic opportunity'

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Tackling climate change is the "biggest economic opportunity" in the history of the United States, no matter who holds political office, said Hollywood star and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Magnitude 8.0 quake hits east of Papua New Guinea

(Reuters) - A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck 157 km east of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

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Smoggy Beijing, under alert, orders factories to shut or cut output

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing's city government ordered 1,200 factories near the Chinese capital, including a major oil refinery run by state oil giant Sinopec, to shut or cut output on Saturday after authorities issued the highest possible air pollution alert.

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Arctic blasts' icy fingers grasp northeastern United States

BOSTON (Reuters) - A blast of Arctic air grasped the northeastern United States on Friday, bringing Boston the coldest temperatures for this day in more than a century, prompting school closings and officials to warn residents to cover up or stay indoors.

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VW agrees to pay $200 million to offset U.S. emissions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG has agreed to pay just over $200 million to offset emissions from about 80,000 3.0 liter diesel U.S. vehicles, a source told Reuters.

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Coalition of 24 states urges Trump to kill Obama's carbon emission plan

(Reuters) - Officials in 24 states have urged U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to kill the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's strategy to combat climate change and shut down coal-fired power plants.

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China wants 23 northern cities put on red alert for smog

BEIJING (Reuters) - Environmental authorities in China have advised 23 northern cities to issue red alerts, the highest possible air pollution warning, on Friday evening, against the "worst" smog the country has experienced since autumn, state media said.

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Climate scientists adjust as Trump builds team of oil allies

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Climate scientists worried that President-elect Donald Trump will slash their budgets and sideline their research are entering survival mode, trimming the words "climate change" from study proposals, emphasizing business applications of their work, and safeguarding data that shows global warming is real.

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DuPont in $50 million settlement over Virginia mercury pollution: Justice Dept

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chemical company EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co has agreed to pay about $50 million to resolve claims stemming from the release of mercury from its former facility in Waynesboro, Virginia, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.

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Tigers and meerkats enjoy seasonal treats at London zoo

LONDON (Reuters) - Tiger cubs and meerkats at London zoo woke up to a feast of seasonal treats on Thursday - all designed to encourage them to use their natural talents.

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Rare tiger cub makes first public appearance at Florida zoo

(Reuters) - An endangered Malayan tiger cub has made her first public appearance at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, playfully wrestling with her mother and exploring her new surroundings.

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Disasters claimed 10,000 lives, cost $158 billion in 2016: Swiss Re

ZURICH (Reuters) - More than 10,000 people died as a result of natural and man-made disasters during 2016, with financial losses totalling at least $158 billion, Swiss Re said on Thursday.

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Beijing issues red alert for severely high air pollution

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing's city government has issued a red alert for severely high levels of air pollution in the Chinese capital, running for five days from Friday evening, the environmental protection bureau said on its official Twitter-like Weibo account.

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EU lawmakers opt for higher reduction rate in carbon market reforms

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Lawmakers in the European Parliament's Environment Committee voted to adopt a higher rate at which permits should be removed from the market as part of draft reforms of the bloc's carbon market.

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Hong Kong faces new rules on illegal timber flooding China

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Campaigners say new global rules to protect endangered tree species will be a test for Hong Kong, already grappling to deal with its role as a conduit for illegal timber flooding into China to meet demand for fancy furniture.

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Philippines cancels environmental permits of three mines - minister

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine government has canceled the environmental compliance certificates (ECC) of three mines, including two nickel producers, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez said on Thursday.

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U.S. Northeast braces for arctic air after N.Y. boy dies in snowbank

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Arctic air sweeping through the U.S. Midwest on Wednesday is expected to bring the Northeast the freezing conditions that contributed to the death on Tuesday of an upstate New York boy who became trapped in a snowbank.

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Undersea mystery: seahorse genetic secrets unveiled

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists have unlocked some of the genetic secrets of the weird and wondrous seahorse including its exotic eccentricity of male pregnancy.

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Volkswagen's bestselling Audi under microscope after EU emissions tests

BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) - Audi's top-selling model released excessive toxic diesel emissions in results from lab tests run by the European Commission and seen by Reuters, raising suspicions of wrongdoing at Volkswagen's luxury division.

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G20 task force wants companies to come clean on climate risk

LONDON (Reuters) - Companies will be asked to disclose how they manage the risks to their business from climate change and greenhouse gas emission cuts by a global task force set up to try to prevent market shocks from the warming of the planet.

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U.N. environment chief concerned at climate science skeptics among Trump picks

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Some elite U.S. politicians' denial of the science backing up climate change is worrying, the United Nations environment chief said on Wednesday, adding that the fight against global warming would continue, even without the United States.

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Greenpeace activists target EDF Paris HQ in anti-nuclear protest

PARIS (Reuters) - Greenpeace activists blocked access to the Paris headquarters of French power utility EDF on Wednesday in a protest against the company's nuclear activities.

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G20 task force wants companies to come clean on climate risk

LONDON (Reuters) - Companies will be asked to disclose how they manage the risks to their business from climate change and greenhouse gas emission cuts by a global task force set up to try to prevent market shocks from the warming of the planet.

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Rights groups welcome order to shut Thailand gold mine

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Human rights groups on Wednesday welcomed a decision by Thailand to close the country's only active gold mine by the end of the year as the mine's operator said it had laid off the employees.

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U.S. Energy Department balks at Trump request for names on climate change

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department said on Tuesday it will not comply with a request from President-elect Donald Trump's Energy Department transition team for the names of people who have worked on climate change and the professional society memberships of lab workers.

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West Coast states to fight climate change even if Trump does not

CORONADO, Calif. (Reuters) - The governors of the three U.S. West Coast states on Tuesday vowed to step up their efforts to fight climate change in the face of the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has dismissed global warming as a hoax.

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Fracking harms drinking water in 'some circumstances,' EPA concludes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fracking for oil and natural gas can contaminate drinking water under "some circumstances," the Environmental Protection Agency said in a report released Tuesday, which changes a previous finding that the drilling process does not cause "widespread, systemic" effects.

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Frozen cameras, cars and bagels to document Standing Rock protests

CANNON BALL (Reuters) - Reuters photographers Lucas Jackson and Stephanie Keith were assigned to cover the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock Native American reservation. These are their stories from inside the growing camp of protesters in North Dakota that were captured by their camera lenses as the winter freeze set in.

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Unusual Chile volcano activity sparks interest, worries

LAGUNA DEL MAULE, Chile (Reuters) - A "unique" burst of activity at a little-known volcanic complex near the Chile-Argentina border has attracted the interest of international scientists and led worried governments to plan for a potentially devastating eruption.

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Arctic air chills parts of U.S. Great Plains on path to other regions

(Reuters) - A biting cold blast of Arctic air gripped the northern Great Plains early on Tuesday, bringing dangerous wind chills and the threat of frostbite, weather officials said.

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Polar bear numbers seen declining a third from Arctic sea ice melt

(Reuters) - Rising temperatures that melt sea ice in the Arctic will probably reduce the polar bear population by a third over the next few decades, and the same warming trend is likely to worsen the decline of wild reindeer, scientists said on Monday.

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Zimbabwe drought, hunger push farmers to seek greener pastures

NYANGA, Zimbabwe (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A decade ago Ndaizivei Nyamatsatse was the proud owner of 20 cows - a number that made him the envy of his neighbors in Zimbabwe's eastern province of Manicaland, where cattle are prized as a symbol of wealth.

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Beijing mulls ban on coal trucks, storage in Tianjin in smog fight

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing's environmental watchdog is considering a ban on the use of trucks to transport coal and closing coal storage facilities in Tianjin, one of China's busiest ports, a researcher with the agency said, in what would be a drastic move to tackle smog.

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China to appoint 'river chiefs' to fight pollution: Xinhua

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China will appoint "river chiefs" to prevent pollution in the nation's waterways, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday, in the latest step taken by Beijing to rein in environmental damage.

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Atlanta zoo names twin giant pandas 'Elegant' and 'Joy'

(Reuters) - Thousands of giant panda fans from around the world have chosen the names Ya Lun and Xi Lun for the new female twins at the Atlanta zoo, officials said on Monday.

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Snow, cold to sweep across U.S. Northeast ahead of arctic blast

(Reuters) - A snowstorm that pummeled the Midwest and grounded hundreds of flights will sweep across the U.S. Northeast on Monday, creating tough travel conditions ahead of the season's first arctic blast, forecasters said.

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Schools shut, thousands evacuated as cyclone bears down on south India

CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - Authorities in India evacuated tens of thousands of people from low-lying areas and closed schools and colleges on Monday, as a cyclone barreled towards the southeastern coast.

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EU clears energy schemes in France, Denmark

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Monday cleared four renewable energy support schemes in France, as well as Danish support for energy intensive users, saying they were in line with European Union rules on state aid.

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Kenya's Maasai break with coming-of-age tradition to save the lion

KIMANA, Kenya (Reuters) - Under the shadow of a snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, hundreds of Maasai boys brave the morning chill to take part in a ritual that marks their coming of age.

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Midwest snow storm grounds hundreds of Chicago flights

(Reuters) - Hundreds of flights into and out of Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports were canceled on Sunday as a winter storm system dumped moderate to heavy snow on the Upper Midwest and Lower Great Lakes regions before heading toward the U.S. Northeast.

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Santa in trouble? Reindeer shrink in Arctic as climate changes

OSLO (Reuters) - Reindeer are shrinking on an Arctic island near the North Pole in a side-effect of climate change that has curbed winter food for animals often depicted as pulling Father Christmas' sleigh, scientists said on Monday.

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Trump team memo on climate change alarms Energy Department staff

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump's Energy Department transition team sent the agency a memo this week asking for the names of people who have worked on climate change and the professional society memberships of lab workers, alarming employees and advisors.

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First gorilla born in captivity, age 59, returns to Ohio zoo after surgery

(Reuters) - The first gorilla born in captivity has returned to her enclosure at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio after recovering from successful surgery last week to remove a malignant tumor, the zoo said.

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Canada agrees to first national carbon price: PM Trudeau

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The government on Friday agreed a deal with eight of Canada's 10 provinces to introduce its first national carbon price, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters.

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Trump's EPA pick may struggle to dismantle Obama's environmental legacy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump's pick to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has fought President Barack Obama’s measures to curb climate change at every turn as attorney general of Oklahoma. Now he is hoping to take apart Obama's environmental legacy from the inside out, a task that could prove tougher than it sounds.

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Earthquake measuring 6.9 strikes off Solomon Islands: USGS

LONDON (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck early on Saturday off the Solomon Islands, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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Male panda who fathered twins born in summer dies in Vienna zoo

VIENNA (Reuters) - Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo aid on Friday a 16-year-old male panda had died from a lung tumor after fathering twin cubs born last summer.

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Amazonian tribe in Peru says it will block new oil drilling plans

LIMA (Reuters) - An indigenous federation opposed to a recently approved plan for oil drilling in the Peruvian Amazon said on Friday that native communities will physically block any attempt by oil companies to operate on their lands.

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Polar vortex redux? U.S. forecasters say it could hit next week

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Forecasters are sending chills down some spines with a prediction that much of the northern half of the United States could see frigid weather next week similar to life-threatening lows the polar vortex brought to parts of the country in 2014.

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Japan doubles Fukushima disaster-related cost to $188 billion

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said on Friday it has nearly doubled its projections for costs related to the Fukushima nuclear disaster including decommissioning and compensation to 21.5 trillion yen ($188.40 billion).

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Washington state says it sues Monsanto over PCB damages, cleanup costs

(Reuters) - Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said on Thursday he had filed an environmental lawsuit against Monsanto Co seeking damages and cleanup costs associated with the company's production of PCBs.

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U.S. aquarium aids in release of rescued penguins in South Africa

(Reuters) - Twenty-three rescued African penguins that had been abandoned several weeks ago along the coast of South Africa were released back into the wild on Thursday, according to officials at the U.S. aquarium who helped rehabilitate them.

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EU takes legal action against Germany, UK over VW scandal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union began legal action on Thursday against Germany, Britain and five other member states for failing to police emissions test cheating by carmakers after the Volkswagen diesel scandal.

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Magnitude 7.7 quake hits Solomon Islands, region at risk of tsunami

(Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 hit off the Solomon Islands at 1738 GMT on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was initially reported to be of magnitude 8.0.

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Earthquake magnitude 6.8 reported off coast of Northern California: USGS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 was reported off the coast of Northern California on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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Giraffes suffer 'silent extinction' in Africa: Red List report

OSLO (Reuters) - Giraffe numbers have declined by as much as 40 percent since the 1980s in a "silent extinction" driven by illegal hunting and an expansion of farmland in Africa, the Red List of endangered species reported on Thursday.

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Nearly 100 killed, hundreds hurt as quake strikes Indonesia's Aceh

PIDIE JAYA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Nearly 100 people were killed and hundreds injured in Indonesia on Wednesday when a strong earthquake hit its Aceh province and rescuers used earth movers and bare hands to search for survivors in scores of toppled buildings.

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Solar Impulse founder sees electric passenger plane in 10 years

GENEVA (Reuters) - The co-founder of a project that saw a solar-powered aircraft complete the first fuel-free flight around the world this year expects electric passenger planes to operate in just under 10 years.

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Quake of magnitude 6.1 strikes China's rugged Xinjiang: USGS

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 hit China's far western region of Xinjiang on Thursday, the U. S. Geological Survey said.

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Two juveniles charged with arson in Tennessee wildfires that killed 14

(Reuters) - Two juveniles were charged with arson on Wednesday in connection with the eastern Tennessee wildfires that broke out last month in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in which 14 people died, officials said.

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Canada set to agree carbon price, marking climate split with Trump

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's government and 10 provinces are set to agree a national carbon price on Friday, doubling down on a bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions just weeks before avowed climate change skeptic Donald Trump becomes U.S. President.

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Paris imposes driving restrictions, plans clunker ban as smog hits highs

PARIS (Reuters) - The French capital Paris announced on Wednesday licence-plate based driving restrictions for a third day in a row and plans bans on old cars as the City of Light experienced the worst air pollution in a decade.

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Insurers should consider climate risk more: industry group

LONDON (Reuters) - Insurers should pay more heed to climate risk in their investment strategies to plug an annual $100 billion "protection gap" of uninsured losses from natural catastrophes, a network of 29 global insurance players said in a report on Wednesday.

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Cattle shortage leaves Zimbabwe's fields unploughed as rains fall

MPUDZI, Zimbabwe (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - After a year of paralyzing El Nino-induced drought, Zimbabwe’s farmers have been relieved to receive substantial rain in recent weeks, with normal to above-normal rainfall predicted for the new growing season.

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Australia PM rejects carbon pricing, fuels divisions with power generators

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's center-right Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Wednesday ruled out introducing carbon pricing on emissions from the country's power generators after a backlash from within his own party.

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California EPA says settled with Apple on hazardous waste claims

(Reuters) - The California Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday said Apple Inc agreed to pay $450,000 to settle state claims that it had mishandled hazardous electronic waste at facilities in Silicon Valley.

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South Korea to slap VW with record fine, pursue executives over emissions ads

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's antitrust watchdog said on Wednesday it will file criminal complaints against several executives at Volkswagen AG's South Korean unit and fine the company a record 37.3 billion won ($31.87 million) for false advertising over its vehicle emissions.

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Google meets renewable energy goal for global operations

(Reuters) - Alphabet’s Google is on track to purchase enough renewable energy to cover all its global electricity consumption next year, the company said on Tuesday.

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House panel quizzes EPA on VW zero emission vehicle fund

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. House panel on Tuesday questioned the Environmental Protection Agency's diesel emissions settlement with Volkswagen AG , which requires the German automaker to invest $2 billion in zero emission vehicle efforts over 10 years.

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Conservationist tracks swan migration across Channel by motorized glider

LONDON (Reuters) - A conservationist has crossed the Channel in a motorized paraglider as part of a near three-month project to track the migration of swans across Europe.

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Western North Dakota crude pipeline shut down after spill

(Reuters) - A crude oil transmission line was shut down in western North Dakota following a leak that spilled oil into a creek, the state said on Tuesday.

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Vale-BHP's Samarco expects preliminary license in first quarter

RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian iron ore miner Samarco Mineracao expects to receive a preliminary environmental license in the first quarter, an important step in its effort to resume operations by mid-2017, Chief Executive Officer Roberto Carvalho said in an interview on Tuesday.

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Toyota to expand hybrid system development to further cut emissions

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp on Tuesday said it would expand the development of its gasoline-hybrid technology over the next five years to speed up the introduction of lower-emission engines in the face of stricter global emissions standards.

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Heavy flooding in Thailand kills 14, inundates tourist isles

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Floods in Thailand have killed 14 people and badly affected southern holiday islands as the country heads into the December-January high season for tourism, authorities said on Tuesday.

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Trump, ex-Vice President Gore meet to talk climate policy

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, a leading voice in the fight against climate change, and Donald Trump, who at one point called it a hoax, met on Monday in what Gore called a "productive" session.

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Auto group tries to block EPA from finalizing vehicle rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A major auto trade group is making a last-ditch effort to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from finalizing tough fuel economy standards through the 2025 model year.

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At Dakota pipeline protest, activists gird for fight ahead

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters in North Dakota celebrated the federal government's ruling against a controversial pipeline but girded for a protracted struggle as President-elect Donald Trump's transition team said on Monday it supports the project and would review it after he takes office.

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Lentils, chickpeas can help reverse dangerous trend of soil erosion: U.N.

ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Planting more lentils, chickpeas and other pulses will improve the health of the world's soils that have reached critical levels, threatening to worsen hunger and poverty levels, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday.

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EU lawmakers to postpone vote on carbon market reform until December 15: sources

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A vote by the European Parliament's environment committee on an overhaul of the EU's Emissions Trading System (ETS) will be postponed until Dec. 15 because major parties remain divided over how far the reforms should go, EU sources said on Monday.

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China targets clean air in large cities for over 80 percent of the year in 2020

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will target clean air for over 80 percent of the year in the largest 338 cities by 2020, compared with a 76.7 percent target in 2015, the country's cabinet said on Monday.

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Girls turn poo to clean power in Cameroon biogas push

BUEA, Cameroon (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - An initiative by youth organizations in Cameroon to turn human waste into biogas is reducing pollution and providing cheap, renewable energy to the growing populations of the university towns of Buea and Bamenda.

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With Dakota denial, outlook for U.S. pipelines turns murky

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army's denial of an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline, after permitting and legal obligations were followed, sets an uncertain precedent for new projects despite President-elect Donald Trump's promise to support energy infrastructure.

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Severe rain causes flooding in southern Spain, one woman dead

MADRID (Reuters) - The heaviest rainfall in years along Spain's southern coastline has flooded the streets of the city of Malaga and nearby towns, killing one woman and prompting the Spanish government to issue a public safety warning.

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Yellowstone plans to thin bison herd by 900 animals

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - Yellowstone National Park plans to reduce its famed bison herd by at least 900 head this winter, culling stray animals outside the park in Montana by hunting and a program to round up and deliver wayward stock to Native American tribes for slaughter.

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Floods kill at least 13 people in central Vietnam

HANOI (Reuters) - Floods brought by torrential rain since late November have killed at least 13 people in central Vietnam while more heavy rain is expected in coming days, the government and state media said on Sunday.

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Chilean regulator draws up environmental charges against SQM: reports

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's government has decided to draw up charges against lithium giant SQM for a series of alleged environmental violations that could result in fines of up to $22.2 million, Chilean media reported on Saturday.

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Ford recalls 680,000 vehicles including Fusion, MKZ

(Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Friday it will recall about 680,000 of its Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans to fix a seat belt issue.

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Death toll from devastating Tennessee wildfire climbs to 11

(Reuters) - The death toll from a devastating blaze in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee rose to 11 on Thursday, the highest loss of civilian life from a single U.S. wildfire in 13 years.

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Spike in Yellowstone grizzly deaths tied to conflicts with humans

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - U.S. wildlife managers at Yellowstone National Park are reporting an unusually high number of grizzly bear deaths, 55, linked to humans this year in a trend believed tied to a growing number of the bruins harming livestock or challenging hunters over freshly killed game.

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Magnitude 6.3 quake hits southern Peru -USGS

(Reuters) - A powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southern Peru on Thursday close to Lake Titicaca, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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U.S. veterans head to pipeline protest camp in North Dakota

CANNON BALL/WEST FARGO, N.D. (Reuters) - U.S. military veterans were arriving on Thursday at a camp to join thousands of activists braving snow and freezing temperatures to protest a pipeline project near a Native American reservation in North Dakota.

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Carnival's Princess unit to pay record $40 million for dumping oil, U.S. says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Carnival Corp's Princess Cruise Lines will plead guilty to seven felony charges of polluting the seas and trying to cover it up, and pay a record $40 million criminal penalty, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.

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Shell ties in bonuses to reinforced emissions strategy

LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell plans to link part of its executive bonuses to greenhouse gas emissions and conduct more active screening of future investments to further efforts to reduce the energy group's carbon footprint, its CEO told Reuters.

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From smog to fog: December arrives in Delhi

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - New Delhi has just got over the worst bout of smog in years but, after an interlude of clear weather, thick fog has now descended on the Indian capital and nearby regions, hitting road, rail and air travel.

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