Beijing removes 180,000 old, polluting cars from roads from January-April

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing removed 180,000 old and polluting vehicles from its roads in the first four months of 2017, the Chinese capital's environmental bureau has said, as part of its efforts to tackle congestion and cut smog.

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Human noise pollution 'pervasive' in U.S. protected areas

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Potentially harmful human-caused noise pollution affects nearly two-thirds of all protected areas in the United States, according to a report released on Thursday.

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Lion cubs born in Chile after world first veterinary procedure

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Two baby lion cubs were presented to the public at a zoo in Chile on Thursday, born after a pioneering veterinary procedure that involved a reversed vasectomy of their father.

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U.S. will lose jobs if it quits Paris climate deal: U.N.

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States will shoot itself in the foot if it quits the Paris climate accord because China, India and Europe will snap up the best power sector jobs in future, U.N. Environment chief Erik Solheim said on Thursday.

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Do-or-die: EU pushes Trump to stick to Paris climate deal

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - EU officials are scrambling to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump not pull out of the Paris climate accord after his advisers warned of legal problems if Washington stayed in but lowered its commitments.

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Rain threatens U.S. Midwest as flooding force hundreds from homes

(Reuters) - Unrelenting rain will drench the already saturated U.S. Midwest on Thursday and Friday, forecasters said, after floods in the region killed at least five people and forced residents in vulnerable areas to evacuate their flooded communities.

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Seasonal rains bring hope and disease to drought-ravaged Somalia

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Heavy seasonal rains have started in Somalia, aid officials and residents said on Thursday, reducing the risk that the drought-ravaged Horn of Africa nation will plunge into famine.

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Growing Antarctic crack primes Delaware-sized iceberg

(Reuters) - A crack that could create an iceberg the size of Delaware - and destabilize one of the largest ice shelves in the Antarctic - has branched out and begun to widen more quickly, a scientist said on Wednesday.

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Ohio lawmakers add budget provision that could open state parks to fracking

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Ohio legislators took a step toward allowing fracking in state parks, adding a provision in a pending budget that would strip the governor of the ability to control the issuing of licenses for the oil and gas drilling practice that has raised environmental concerns.

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Flooding forces hundreds from homes in Canadian province

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Flooding in towns across the Canadian province of Quebec has forced hundreds of residents from their homes, and public security officials fear water levels will rise further with forecasters expecting rain on Friday, local media reported on Wednesday.

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NATO urges global fight against climate change as Trump mulls Paris accord

NORFOLK, Va. (Reuters) - Climate change poses a global security threat that all countries must fight together, a NATO general said on Wednesday, as U.S. President Donald Trump nears a decision on whether to pull out of the Paris climate deal.

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Business wins, 'clobbered' Philippines environment chief says after ouster

MANILA (Reuters) - In less than 10 months, Regina Lopez ordered the closure of more than half the mines in the Philippines, canceled dozens of contracts for future projects and banned open-pit mining.

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Major flooding in Missouri kills at least 5; more rain expected

(Reuters) - Floods across the U.S. Midwest that have killed at least five people shut major roadways in the St. Louis area on Wednesday, while residents of vulnerable areas piled sandbags to avert destruction as rivers were expected to crest.

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China's Silk Road push in Thailand may founder on Mekong River row

KHON PI LONG, Thailand (Reuters) - China's plan to blast open more of the Mekong River for bigger cargo ships could founder on a remote outcrop of half-submerged rocks that Thai protesters have vowed to protect against Beijing's economic expansion in Southeast Asia.

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Indonesian activists rescue albino orangutan

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian environmentalists have rescued a rare albino orangutan from captivity on the island of Kalimantan, a conservation charity said on Tuesday.

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Conservationists sue to halt fracking in Ohio's only national forest

(Reuters) - Four conservation groups on Tuesday sued the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management in an attempt to halt fracking plans in a portion of Ohio's only national forest.

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Rwanda brings rhinos back to boost tourism

KIGALI (Reuters) - A decade after poachers wiped out its native population of rhinos, Rwanda has reintroduced the animals to its national parks after flying up a group of 10 from South Africa on Tuesday.

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German minister to try to persuade U.S. to remain in climate pact

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said on Tuesday she would seek to convince the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to remain part of the Paris Climate Agreement during her trip to the United States later this month.

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UK seaside towns fight back against seagull attacks

LONDON (Reuters) - Fed up with holidaymakers being divebombed by greedy seagulls in "horror movie" scenes, one British costal area is fighting back by making it an offence to feed the birds.

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UK will not appeal court ruling on air pollution plan: PM May's spokesman

LONDON (Reuters) - The British government will not appeal a court ruling on its plans to tackle air pollution and will meet a deadline for May 9 to detail its efforts to improve air quality, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said on Tuesday.

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Twin polar bear cubs born at Sea World in Australia

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Two polar bear cubs born a week ago at Sea World in Australia's Gold Coast are expected to make their public debut in three months time, but staff have seen the blind and toothless pair suckling milk from their mother inside their den.

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Powerful storm front that killed 16 threatens eastern United States

(Reuters) - A powerful storm system bore down on the eastern United States on Monday after spawning tornadoes and torrential rains that killed at least 16 people and shut down hundreds of roads over the weekend, forecasters said.

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Fire in Georgia wildlife refuge could take months to fight: U.S. officials

(Reuters) - A wildfire that has burned more than 100,000 acres (40,469 hectares) at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southern Georgia could take until November before it is put out, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said on Monday.

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Mississippi River likely to close at St. Louis as waters rise: Coast Guard

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Mississippi River was expected to be closed to boat traffic at St. Louis on Tuesday as waters rose to moderate flood level due to heavy precipitation, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said on Monday.

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Strong quake hits sparsely populated area in Southeast Alaska

(Reuters) - A strong earthquake struck Southeast Alaska near its border with Canada's Yukon Territory on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, followed by a series of minor seismic events in the sparsely populated area.

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Global pension funds warm to India's solar power ambitions

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Some of the world's biggest pension funds, seeking long-term returns on green investments, are scouting for deals in India's solar power sector, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is targeting $100 billion in investment in the next five years.

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U.S. appeals court grants Trump request on climate regulations case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday granted a Trump administration request to put on hold a legal challenge by industry and a group of states to former President Barack Obama's regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse emissions mainly from coal-fired power plants, rules that the Republican president is moving to undo.

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Climate protests to mark Trump's 100 days in office

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the second time in a month, tens of thousands of protesters are expected to turn out in Washington on Saturday to voice concern over climate change in a mass demonstration marking the 100th day of Donald Trump's presidency.

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Torrential rains, damaging winds on tap for U.S. midsection

(Reuters) - A dangerous storm front will thrash the U.S. midsection over the weekend with torrential rainfall, damaging winds and large hail that will leave behind the threat of flooding throughout the region, the National Weather Service warned.

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EPA says website undergoing makeover to match Trump, Pruitt views

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The website of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA.gov, is getting a makeover to reflect the views of President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, the agency said on Friday.

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Strong earthquake hits off Philippines, warning of large waves

MANILA (Reuters) - A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 struck off the coast of the island of Mindanao in the Philippines on Saturday, the country's seismology agency said, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was a risk of large waves as far away as Indonesia,.

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Snow expected in U.S. Plains wheat belt, heavy rains in Midwest

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A weekend storm is expected to bring as much as a foot (30.5 cm) of snow to parts of the U.S. Plains winter wheat belt and heavy rain to the southern Midwest, stalling corn and soybean planting, meteorologists said on Friday.

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EU states approve plans for stricter limits on pollutants from power plants

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Power plants in the European Union will have to cut the amount of toxic pollutants they emit such as nitrogen oxides under new rules approved by EU member states on Friday and widely applauded by environmental groups.

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Norway races Australia to fulfill Japan's hydrogen society dream

By Lefteris Karagiannopoulos, Sonali Paul and Aaron Sheldrick

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El Nino likely to return this year - WMO

GENEVA (Reuters) - El Nino weather conditions associated with droughts and flooding have a 50-60 percent probability of returning this year, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday, revising its view from two months ago.

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Crushing blow to soy processors as Chinese grow wary on GMO

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese consumer backlash against genetically modified (GMO) crops is beginning to dent demand for soy oil, the nation's main cooking oil, and could spell crisis for the multi-billion-dollar crushing industry, which depends on GMO soybeans from the United States and elsewhere.

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Greenpeace gatecrashes Credit Suisse shareholder meeting

ZURICH (Reuters) - Activists from environment group Greenpeace gatecrashed Credit Suisse's annual shareholder meeting on Friday to protest against the Swiss bank's dealings with companies behind the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).

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Next battleground: An aging Great Lakes pipeline stirs new protest

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - The growing protest movement against U.S. oil and gas pipelines has so far focused on stopping or delaying new construction, with some high-profile successes.

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Trump advisers likely to meet in May on Paris climate pact

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Trump administration officials will likely meet in May to reach a final decision on whether the United States should stay in the Paris climate deal, after holding an initial meeting on Thursday at the White House, an administration source said.

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In nod to oil industry, Trump to order review of offshore drilling bans

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday will order a review of offshore areas currently off limits to oil and gas drilling to determine which might be reopened, in his administration's latest move to expand domestic energy production.

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Appeals court grants Trump request to delay mercury air pollution case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Thursday granted a request from the Trump administration to put litigation on hold in which states and industry groups are challenging an Obama administration pollution control rule for mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants.

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EU steps up legal action vs. Poland over logging of primeval forest

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission stepped up on Thursday its legal action against Poland over the logging of the protected primeval Bialowieza forest in the north east of the country, warning that the next step would be a lawsuit in the EU's top court.

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Philippines' environment minister says to ban open-pit mining

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine Environment Secretary Regina Lopez said on Thursday she will ban open-pit mining in the country, part of her months-long crackdown on the sector she believes has caused extensive environmental damage.

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Judge says Exxon owes $19.95 million for Texas refinery pollution

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that ExxonMobil Corp should pay a $19.95 million penalty for pollution from its Baytown, Texas, refinery between 2005 and 2013, according to the decision accompanying the ruling.

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Automakers to meet with U.S. transportation, EPA chiefs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Major automakers are set to meet Thursday with the head of the U.S. Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency as the agencies begin a review of federal fuel efficiency rules that are a major piece of the climate change policy enacted by the Obama administration.

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Trump orders review of national monuments, seeks to allow development

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to identify national monuments that can be rescinded or resized - part of a broader push to open up more federal lands to drilling, mining and other development.

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Trump advisers to discuss U.S. role in Paris climate pact Thursday: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House advisers and Trump administration officials will meet on Thursday to discuss whether the United States should remain in the Paris climate agreement, a White House official said on Wednesday.

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Study finds how polluting nanoparticles get into blood and damage hearts

LONDON (Reuters) - Inhaled nanoparticles like those pumped out in vehicle exhausts can work their way through the lungs and into the bloodstream where they can raise the risk of heart attack and stroke, scientists said on Wednesday.

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Horny male seeks mate: Kenya's last northern white rhino joins Tinder

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Like many guys using the Tinder dating app, Sudan loves the outdoors and travels widely. The catch: he's the world's last male white northern rhino and desperately needs to mate.

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Trump administration to review dozens of U.S. national monuments

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday will order a review of national monuments created over the past 20 years with an aim toward rescinding or resizing some of them - part of a broader push to reopen areas to drilling, mining and other development.

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U.S. lawmakers push Yucca nuclear dump facing transport crunch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives will debate legislation on Wednesday to breathe life into the stalled Yucca Mountain spent nuclear fuel dump in Nevada, but critics say the project is hindered by the lack of an easy transport route.

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State prosecutors urge Trump not to withdraw from Paris accord

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than a dozen state prosecutors urged President Donald Trump in a letter on Tuesday not to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, which commits the United States, along with 200 other countries, to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions in an attempt to slow global warming.

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China to boost non-fossil fuel use to 20 percent by 2030: state planner

BEIJING (Reuters) - China aims for non-fossil fuels to account for about 20 percent of total energy consumption by 2030, increasing to more than half of demand by 2050, its state planner said on Tuesday, as Beijing continues its years-long shift away from coal power.

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Millions of Colombians at risk to climate change: minister

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Climate change has put nearly 12 million Colombians at risk from natural disasters like flooding and landslides, which could kill hundreds and cause serious infrastructure damage, the environment minister said on Tuesday.

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Court to hold hearing on UK air quality report delay: campaigners

LONDON (Reuters) - London's High Court will hold a hearing on Thursday over the British government's bid to postpone publishing its plans to reduce air pollution, environmental campaigners said on Tuesday.

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Oslo, London, Amsterdam lead push for greener transport: study

OSLO/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Oslo, London and Amsterdam are leading a shift by major cities to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from transport, helped by new technologies that will help to curb climate change and reduce air pollution, a study showed on Tuesday.

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Chile rocked by 6.9-magnitude quake; no major damage reported

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck off the west coast of Chile on Monday, rocking the capital Santiago and briefly causing alarm along the Pacific Coast but sparing the quake-prone nation of any serious damage.

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Arctic thaw quickening threatens trillion-dollar costs - report

OSLO, April 25 (Reuters) - The Arctic's quickening thaw is melting the permafrost under buildings and roads from Siberia to Alaska, raising world sea levels and disrupting temperature patterns further south, an international study said on Tuesday.

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China, under pressure at WTO, suggests revamp of dumping rules

GENEVA (Reuters) - China has proposed tightening the rules on when countries can impose anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs, saying their use was rising and that such charges were often misused and distorted international trade.

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Germany opposes EU emissions testing overhaul: Sueddeutsche

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany is against European Commission plans to overhaul a vehicle emissions testing scheme, Sueddeutsche Zeitung said, citing European Council documents submitted by Germany.

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French prosecutors open formal probe into PSA Group diesel emissions

PARIS (Reuters) - French prosecutors have opened a formal investigation into suspected diesel emissions test-cheating by PSA Group, the maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars, a judicial source said on Monday.

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Snowy weather worries pile onto backed-up Canada farmers

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - A snowy spring on the Canadian Prairies is raising jitters from the farm to the futures market about double delays in harvesting and planting in the major wheat- and canola-exporting country.

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Norway's Statoil plays down risks ahead of Arctic drilling

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's Statoil on Monday played down concerns that drilling in the Arctic is risky, days before it kickstarts its drilling campaign in the Barents Sea, where the country believes around half of its remaining resources could be located.

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Trump to set new executive orders on environment, energy this week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump this week will sign new executive orders before he completes his first 100 days in office, including two on energy and the environment, which would make it easier for the United States to develop energy on and offshore, a White House official said on Sunday.

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Florida evacuation orders lifted as rain quells wildfires

(Reuters) - Florida officials on Sunday lifted evacuation orders for about 2,000 homes threatened by wildfires in drought-stricken central and southwestern parts of the state, after rainfall helped firefighters battle the blazes.

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Exclusive: Vomitoxin makes nasty appearance for U.S. farm sector

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A fungus that causes “vomitoxin” has been found in some U.S. corn harvested last year, forcing poultry and pork farmers to test their grain, and giving headaches to grain growers already wrestling with massive supplies and low prices.

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On Earth Day, an environment-minded Republican turns to birds

NEW HOPE, Pa. (Reuters) - In his white dress shirt and black pin-striped pants, U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick stood out from the other birdwatchers gathered near a grove of bud-studded trees in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on Saturday morning.

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Florida wildfires force evacuations, destroy homes

(Reuters) - Scattered wildfires were burning in drought-stricken parts of central and southwestern Florida on Saturday, destroying nine homes and triggering evacuation orders for about 2,000 other residences.

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Canary Islands battles two-mile oil slick after ferry crash

MADRID (Reuters) - Emergency teams in the Canary Islands raced on Saturday to contain a three-kilometer oil slick caused by a ferry crashing into underwater fuel pipes, the regional government said in a statement.

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U.S. scientists to protest Trump policies at Earth Day rally in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. scientists will stage an unprecedented protest on Saturday, a March for Science provoked by steep cuts President Donald Trump has proposed for science and research budgets, and growing disregard for evidence-based knowledge.

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California rains muddy farm fields, higher vegetable prices soak shoppers

SALINAS, Calif. (Reuters) - Record rains are a double-edged sword for California's Salinas Valley: While the recent deluge virtually ended the state's historic drought, it also created muddy, unworkable fields - sending prices for everything from kale to cauliflower soaring.

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U.S. judge sentences Volkswagen to three-years' probation, oversight

DETROIT (Reuters) - A federal judge in Detroit on Friday sentenced Volkswagen AG to three years' probation and independent oversight for the German automaker's diesel emissions scandal as part of a $4.3 billion settlement announced in January.

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Vietnam punishes officials over Formosa incident

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's ruling Communist Party Secretariat said on Friday it was punishing four high-ranking government officials over the so-called Formosa incident, the government said in a statement on Facebook.

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Storm Arlene weakens into a post-tropical cyclone: NHC

(Reuters) - Tropical storm Arlene has weakened into a post-tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Friday.

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Exxon probe is unconstitutional, Republican prosecutors say

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A group of 11 Republican state attorneys general are protesting an investigation into whether Exxon Mobil Corp. violated consumer protection laws when selling fossil fuel products, according to a court filing.

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EU to propose linking CO2 emissions for trucks, cars to road toll charges

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is to propose making cars, trucks, buses and vans pay higher road toll charges the more CO2 they emit as it seeks to cut road transport's carbon footprint, two EU officials said.

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China urges closer ties with non-government bodies, media in war on water pollution

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China must work more closely with journalists and non-government bodies to expose incidents of water pollution, an official said on Friday, after activists this week discovered two untreated cesspits filled with hazardous industrial waste.

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Canada to delay implementing new methane norms by three years: CBC News

(Reuters) - Canada's federal government wants to delay the implementation of its new methane regulations by up to three years to 2020 and expects to fully implement it by 2023, CBC News reported on Thursday.

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China environment fines rise 56 percent to $963 million in 2016: ministry

BEIJING (Reuters) - China imposed total fines of 6.63 billion yuan ($963.30 million)for environmental violations in 2016, up 56 percent compared to the previous year, the environment ministry said in a statement on Friday.

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Atlantic salmon farms shift to open seas, trying to shake off lice

OSLO (Reuters) - Atlantic salmon farming companies are designing huge pens to raise fish in the open seas in a radical shift from calm coastal waters where marine lice have slowed growth of the billion-dollar industry.

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SeaWorld in Texas welcomes last orca to be born in its parks

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The last orca to be born at a SeaWorld park, which popularized killer whale shows in the 1960s but faced growing opposition in recent years, has been born in Texas at SeaWorld San Antonio.

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Meteorologists see normal Atlantic hurricane season in 2017

(Reuters) - Most meteorologists forecast the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season will be less active than a year ago, with the number of named storms and hurricanes near average.

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Tropical depression one forms west of Azores: NHC

(Reuters) - Subtropical depression one has transitioned into a tropical depression and is expected to dissipate Thursday night or Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory on Thursday.

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World Bank to continue alternative energy financing efforts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said on Thursday that the multilateral lender does not plan to change its stance on financing alternative energy projects and mitigating the effects of climate change.

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Trump's EPA to reconsider oil and gas emissions rule

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will reconsider a rule on greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas operations and delay its compliance date, the agency said on Wednesday in the Trump administration's latest move to reduce regulations.

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Philippines wind farm generates power, jobs and curious tourists

PILILLA, Philippines (Reuters) - Wind turbines are helping the Philippines diversify its energy sources beyond fossil fuels and generating not only power, but jobs, revenue and interest among thousands of curious tourists.

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EPA chief visits Indiana waste site amid proposed budget cuts

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (Reuters) - The head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toured his first hazardous waste site on Tuesday amid proposed budget cuts that could devastate efforts to clean up contaminated land and water around the country.

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Peruvian police rescue rare Galapagos tortoises from traffickers

LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian police rescued 27 baby Galapagos tortoises, a highly endangered species, from a group of traffickers trying to take them to Europe, authorities said on Wednesday.

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Last stand: Nebraska farmers could derail Keystone XL pipeline

Neligh, NEBRASKA (Reuters) - When President Donald Trump handed TransCanada Pipeline Co. a permit for its Keystone XL pipeline last month, he said the company could now build the long-delayed and divisive project "with efficiency and with speed."

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Canada oil sands beefing up defenses as wildfire season looms

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Northern Alberta's oil sands producers and communities are stepping up preparations for wildfire season to avoid a repeat of last year's devastating blaze that shut in more than a quarter of Canadian crude output and left thousands homeless.

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Lobby groups file challenge to France's Flamanville nuclear reactor

PARIS (Reuters) - A group of activists has filed a legal challenge with the French prime minister's office against the extension of EDF's license for construction of the Flamanville nuclear reactor in northern France.

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Subtropical depression one forms over north central Atlantic: NHC

(Reuters) - A subtropical depression has formed over the north central Atlantic and is located about 890 miles (1,435 kilometers) westsouthwest of the Azores, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.

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E.ON offers UK households solar panels with battery storage

LONDON (Reuters) - German utility E.ON launched a combined solar panel and battery storage product for British customers which could cut rising electricity bills by 50 percent, it said on Wednesday.

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NHC says 70 percent chance of cyclone formation over central Atlantic

(Reuters) - A non-tropical low pressure system located over the central Atlantic a little more than 700 miles southwest of the Azores could strengthen into a cyclone over the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.

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NHC says 50 percent chance of cyclone over central Atlantic

(Reuters) - A subtropical cyclone could emerge in the next 48 hours over the central Atlantic, as a low pressure system 700 miles (1,127 km) southwest of the Azores has a 50 percent chance to strengthen, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.

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White House meeting on Paris climate deal postponed: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A White House meeting that was to help determine whether the United States should withdraw from the Paris climate accord has been postponed, an administration official said on Tuesday.

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Earthquake shakes Ecuador's Amazon region, damage unclear

QUITO (Reuters) - An earthquake in the Andean region shook Ecuador on Tuesday, witnesses said, sending people running into the streets in the capital of Quito a year after a deadly quake hit the country's Pacific coast.

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BP says crews brought leaking Alaskan well under control

HOUSTON (Reuters) - BP Plc said workers on Alaska's North Slope had brought under control a company-operated well that spewed oil and gas over the weekend.

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Amid business ties, some fund firms eased proxy pressure: study

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Several big fund firms supported challenges on executive pay or climate disclosures less frequently where they had business ties to energy companies and utilities, according to a new study released on Tuesday.

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China firms accused of impeding, detaining pollution inspectors

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has punished firms in the provinces of Shandong and Hebei, suspending operations and detaining employees after pollution inspection teams were impeded and apprehended while carrying out their duties, the environment ministry said on Tuesday.

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Chemicals spill at Tesla battery factory, no serious injuries: officials

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Emergency workers were investigating a hazardous material spill at Tesla Inc's Gigafactory battery plant in Nevada on Monday, but there were no significant injuries and no threat to the public, authorities said.

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Trump advisers to meet Tuesday to discuss Paris climate agreement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's top advisers will meet on Tuesday to discuss whether to recommend that he withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, a White House official said on Monday.

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Sri Lanka landslide death toll rises to 29, unknown number still missing

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Rescue workers cleared mud and debris from a landslide at a giant rubbish dump in the Sri Lankan capital for a fourth day on Monday, as the death toll rose to 29 and uncertainty remained over the number of people missing.

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NHC says 30 percent chance of cyclone over central Atlantic

(Reuters) - A non-tropical low pressure system located over the central Atlantic about midway between Bermuda and the Azores Islands has a 30 percent chance of strengthening into a cyclone in the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Monday.

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China's Tianjin port cracks down on coal in Beijing's war on smog: notice

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Tianjin Port Co Ltd will impose measures to curb the trucking and storage of coal months earlier than expected, as one of the nation's busiest ports complies with government orders in its war on smog, a customer notice shows.

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Magnitude 5.7 quake strikes northwest of Vanuatu: USGS

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck northwest of the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.

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Vietnam PM halts $10.6 billion steel plant on environmental concern

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's prime minister halted work at a $10.6 billion steel plant on concern over its environmental impact, in an effort to prevent another "Formosa incident", local media reported, citing a government statement.

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Guinea colonel accused of trafficking as police seize his 'private zoos'

KINDIA, Guinea, (Reuters) - - Police in Guinea have arrested an army colonel on suspicion of animal trafficking and seized a menagerie of animals from two properties he owns that they described as private zoos, a senior officer said on Saturday.

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Sri Lanka rubbish dump landslide death toll rises to 19

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Emergency workers looking for survivors after a massive rubbish dump collapsed in Sri Lanka suspended their search on Saturday night, having already extracted 19 bodies from the rubble and mud.

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Long-awaited giraffe born in New York zoo to global audience's delight

NEW YORK (Reuters) - At long last, April the giraffe gave birth on Saturday to a long-overdue calf, to the delight of hundreds of thousands of people who have been monitoring a live cam feed from her pen in a New York zoo in anticipation of the grand event.

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Magnitude 6.1 quake hits northern Chile: USGS

(Reuters) - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck northern Chile, 144 km (90 miles) southeast of Calama, at a depth of 188 km, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said on Saturday.

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Exclusive: With Nigeria's northeast facing famine, WFP funds could dry up in weeks – sources

ABUJA (Reuters) - The United Nations' World Food Programme could in a few weeks run out of funding to feed millions living on the brink of famine in Nigeria, four people familiar with the matter said, intensifying one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.

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Wintry wolverine has cub in Belgium, beating climate-change odds

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The wolverine, a carnivore confined to colder climates since the last Ice Age, has re-established a tenuous foothold further south in a Belgian wildlife park.

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UK-based start-up hopes to cut plastic waste with innovative water balls

LONDON (Reuters) - Small transparent spheres filled with natural or flavored water could help provide a solution to London's plastic waste problem, according to the start-up company based in the British capital that manufactures them.

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Emergency warnings lifted after Cyclone Cook clips New Zealand

SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand's civil defense authorities lifted severe weather warnings on Friday after tropical Cyclone Cook moved off the country's South Island, but also cautioned that the effects of the storm would still be felt in some areas.

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Armyworms ravage crops in southern Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Crop-eating caterpillars known as fall armyworms have damaged crops across southern Ethiopia, the latest country to be struck by the pests in a region already struggling with widespread drought and hunger, authorities said on Thursday.

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U.S. weather forecaster increasing chances of El Niño this year

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday projected the possibility of El Niño developing in the Northern Hemisphere late summer or fall.

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Earthquake-hit farmers in Italy rest hopes on fields of lentils

CASTELLUCCIO, Italy (Reuters) - Over seven months after a devastating earthquake hit the central parts of Italy, farmers from the Umbria region are hoping that their fields of lentils can help revive local agriculture and tourism.

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Mercedes-Benz undecided if it will sell future U.S. diesels

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz USA chief said the German automaker has not decided whether to resume selling diesel vehicles in the United States.

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New Zealand braces for second major storm in two weeks

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand on Thursday braced for the tail wind of a cyclone as authorities evacuated seaside areas, closed schools and warned people to reconsider their Easter holiday plans.

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Fish tracked from DNA 'finprints' left in waters off New York

OSLO (Reuters) - Scientists have tracked fish off New York by following the traces of DNA left in the water, a technique that could help gauge life in rivers, lakes and the oceans around the world, a study showed on Wednesday.

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Mosul zoo's last two animals reach safer ground in Jordan

AMMAN (Reuters) - The last two surviving animals from Mosul's dilapidated zoo arrived this week at an animal shelter in Jordan, after months of malnutrition and a long journey out of Iraq that included being stuck at the border for 12 days.

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Automakers hope to reach U.S. deal on 2025 vehicle emissions

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A trade group for automakers said on Tuesday it hopes to reach a deal with California and the Trump administration over vehicle fuel efficiency standards.

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China slams Shanghai for environmental violations

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's business hub of Shanghai has slacked off in efforts to improve the environment, levying fines too small to deter polluters, hundreds of whom have flouted closure orders, authorities said on Wednesday.

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Magnitude 5.6 quake hits the Philippines: USGS

(Reuters) - A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck the center of Mindanao island in the Philippines on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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Amateur husky racers brave -24C in Arctic wilderness

(Reuters) - Amateur dog-sled racers pushed themselves to the limits to complete a 300 km journey in temperatures as low as -24 degrees Celsius in the Arctic wilderness.

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Cuddly ambassadors spell panda-monium for Dutch zoo

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Netherlands will welcome its first giant pandas this week at a zoo fitted out with a pagoda-style enclosure as its new centerpiece, crowning 16 years of hard lobbying by Dutch animal lovers.

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China solar, wind to attract $780 billion investment by 2030 - research report

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's wind and solar sectors could attract as much as 5.4 trillion yuan ($782 billion) in investment between 2016 and 2030 as the country tries to meet its renewable energy targets, according to a research report published on Tuesday.

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Emerging nations urge rich countries to honor climate finance pledges - statement

BEIJING (Reuters) - China, Brazil, India and South Africa have urged industrialized nations to honor the financial commitments made in Paris in 2015 to help developing countries fight against global climate change, they said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

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Warning lifted as cyclone shifts away from New Caledonia

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A powerful cyclone that hit New Caledonia late on Monday and shuttered nickel operations has moved offshore, allowing authorities to lift warnings on the French South Pacific territory.

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U.S. asked for more time on climate policy: Italy minister

ROME (Reuters) - Countries from the G7 group of advanced economies did not sign a joint declaration at the end of an energy meeting in Rome as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump needs more time to work on its climate policy, an Italian minister said on Monday.

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Strong quake strikes off southeast Philippines - USGS

(Reuters) - An earthquake measuring 6.1 magnitude struck in the ocean off the southeast of the Philippines on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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Iceland magma drilling project may revive giant UK power cable link

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists will study the possibility of producing geothermal energy from magma for the first time, in a $100 million project in Iceland, which if successful could produce up to 10 times more energy than from a conventional well.

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French minister says U.S. energy secretary has not signaled climate backpedalling

ROME (Reuters) - U.S. energy secretary Rick Perry has said nothing about the U.S. backpedaling on climate change commitments, French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Segolene Royal said on Monday.

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Malaysia seizes $3.1 million worth of rhino horns at airport

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian authorities have seized about $3.1 million worth of rhinoceros horns flown in from Mozambique via Qatar, the latest seizure in Asia of products from endangered species to feed demand for traditional remedies, officials said on Monday.

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UK car industry defends diesel as government readies pollution plan

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's automotive industry body defended diesel cars on Monday, as the government prepares to announce proposals for improving air quality which could follow London in making it more expensive to use the most polluting vehicles.

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New Caledonia braces for cyclonic flooding, huge waves

SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Caledonia was bracing for high winds, massive waves, and heavy rain as a powerful cyclone bore down on the French South Pacific territory on Monday.

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Cyclone strikes healthiest part of Great Barrier Reef

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A cyclone that left a trail of destruction in northeast Australia and New Zealand has also damaged one of the few healthy sections of the Great Barrier Reef to have escaped large-scale bleaching, scientists said on Monday.

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Earthquake measuring 5.9 magnitude strikes in Luzon, Philippines: USGS

(Reuters) - An earthquake measuring 5.9 magnitude struck near Batangas in Luzon province in the Philippines on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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Bagrada bug appears in Chile for first time, destroying crops

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - The bagrada bug has appeared in Chile for the first time in recent months, and has damaged crops of cabbages, broccoli and other vegetables, the government said on Friday.

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Peru's president says flood recovery may cost up to $9 billion

LIMA (Reuters) - The reconstruction of areas of Peru hit by severe floods in recent months will cost $3 billion in the short term, and up to $9 billion over five years, the country's president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, said in a radio interview on Friday.

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Atlanta storm halts thousands of Delta Air flights

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc said it had canceled nearly 3,000 flights this week after a severe storm hit its hometown of Atlanta, Georgia and apologized for its response to the "unprecedented" weather.

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Appeals court upholds California's anti-greenhouse gas program

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - A state appeals court on Thursday ruled California's high profile market system for reducing greenhouse gas emissions does not amount to an illegal tax, a decision that could lift a pall over the so-called cap-and-trade program's marketplace for buying and selling pollution allowances.

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Low water hinders Rhine and Danube river shipping in Germany

HAMBURG (Reuters) - Low water levels on the Rhine and Danube in Germany mean freight vessels cannot sail fully loaded on the German sections of the two rivers, traders said on Friday.

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Beijing struggles to get residents to declare war on trash

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's garbage-strewn capital of Beijing has promised to boost spending to banish growing mountains of waste, but is struggling to persuade its upwardly-mobile residents to sort their trash.

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New Zealand begins clean-up as Cyclone Debbie floodwaters peak

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand began a major clean-up operation on Friday after heavy rain and floodwaters from the tail end of Cyclone Debbie swamped towns in the North Island and caused landslips that blocked roads.

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Minnesota tracks down seed planted on weed-infested conservation land

CHICAGO (Reuters) - One company sold the seed planted on all the land in a U.S. conservation program in Minnesota that is infested with an invasive weed threatening cropland, the state's agriculture department said on Thursday.

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Chile's wine industry sees little impact from fires, heatwave

TALAGANTE, Chile (Reuters) - A torrid summer and devastating fires across central Chile's wine belt have forced an earlier harvest this year, but there are no signs that volume or flavor will be affected, local industry experts said on Thursday.

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Coal miner Cloud Peak urges Trump to stay in Paris climate deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chief executive of U.S. coal mining company Cloud Peak Energy urged President Donald Trump in a letter on Thursday to help shape global climate policies by keeping the United States in the Paris climate accord.

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Vietnamese protest one year after Formosa spill disaster

(Reuters) - Protests were held at several places along Vietnam's coast on Thursday, a year after the country's worst environmental disaster was caused by a spill from a steel mill, activists said.

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China's Sinopec shuts Yanshan refinery rubber unit after environmental checks

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Sinopec has ordered its rubber unit in Yanshan refinery to shut in response to environmental checks, it said, after the Ministry of Environmental Protection detected odor.

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New York, other states challenge Trump over climate change regulation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A coalition of 17 U.S. states filed a legal challenge on Wednesday against efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to roll back climate change regulations, deepening a political rift over his emerging energy policies.

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Exclusive: India's Ganges clean-up in a shambles, Modi intervenes

NEW DELHI/KANPUR, India (Reuters) - India's $3 billion plan to clean the holy Ganges river is badly behind schedule with large stretches contaminated by toxic waste and sewage, forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, according to government officials and documents seen by Reuters.

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New Zealand and Australia still pounded by ex-Cyclone Debbie

WELLINGTON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Thousands of people at the top of New Zealand's North Island were told to evacuate on Thursday while an Australian town is forecast to be underwater later in the day as the tail end of Cyclone Debbie continues to cause major flooding.

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Canada needs single body to assess oil pipelines, mines: panel

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada needs a single federal authority to assess the potential impact of major projects such oil pipelines and mines, a move that could help quell environmental protests, an official panel said on Wednesday.

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U.S. Southeast, Midwest face threat of severe storms, potential tornadoes

(Reuters) - A dangerous weather system packing severe thunderstorms was expected to roll through the U.S. Southeast and parts of the Midwest on Wednesday, bringing with it the threat of tornadoes, forecasters said.

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European history on repeat: Study finds evidence of 'Brexit 1.0'

LONDON, (Reuters) - Scientists have found evidence of how ancient Britain separated from Europe in what they are dubbing "Brexit 1.0" - a flooding event that happened in two stages thousands of years ago.

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Formosa Vietnam steel mill meets conditions for test runs a year after spill

HANOI (Reuters) - Formosa Plastics Corp's steel mill in Vietnam has met environment ministry conditions to start test runs, state television said on Wednesday, a year after a toxic spill from the plant caused the country's worst environmental disaster.

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U.S. coal companies ask Trump to stick with Paris climate deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some big American coal companies have advised President Donald Trump's administration to break his promise to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement – arguing that the accord could provide their best forum for protecting their global interests.

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Trump declares end to 'war on coal,' but utilities aren't listening

WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - When President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week to sweep away Obama-era climate change regulations, he said it would end America's "war on coal", usher in a new era of energy production and put miners back to work.

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Fewer Atlantic hurricanes seen in 2017, but three could be 'major'

(Reuters) - The upcoming Atlantic Ocean hurricane season could include at least three severe tempests, but will likely involve fewer storms than usual overall, private forecaster AccuWeather predicted on Wednesday.

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Magnitude 5.0 quake hits Botswana, two days after large quake

(Reuters) - A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck Botswana in the early hours of Wednesday, two days after a strong 6.5-magnitude tremor shook the southern African country, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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U.S. would slash EPA vehicle testing budget under Trump plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration would virtually eliminate federal funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's budget for vehicle emissions and fuel economy testing but will seek to raise fees on industry to pay for some testing, a government document shows.

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Window closing for Republican stealth assault on U.S. regulations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The clock began running out this week on a strategy that has provided U.S. Republicans in Congress with their only notable legislative successes this year: aggressive use of an obscure U.S. law known as the Congressional Review Act (CRA).

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Ex-Cyclone Debbie wreaks havoc in New Zealand

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Floods and landslips blocked roads across New Zealand's north island on Wednesday after it was swept overnight by the tail-end of powerful Cyclone Debbie, which has left a trail of destruction in Australia.

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EU nations consider lowering energy savings targets: draft

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU nations are considering lowering targets on energy savings after 2021, a draft document seen by Reuters shows, in what climate campaigners say would be blow to the European Union's goals to curb the worst effects of global warming.

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White House exploring new value-added tax and carbon tax: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is exploring a value-added tax and a carbon tax as part of a planned tax code overhaul, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified administration official and a person briefed on the matter.

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EU will release 60 million euros to help Britain repair 2015-16 flood damage

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - Britain will get 60 million euros (51.3 million pounds) from the European Union to repair damage caused by the floods last year, a lawmaker said on Tuesday.

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EU approves Finnish compensation for indirect carbon market costs

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU regulators on Tuesday approved a 149 million euro ($159 million) Finnish scheme to partly compensate energy-intensive industries for higher electricity prices resulting from indirect emission costs under the EU's Emission Trading System (ETS).

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Landslides, buckled tracks hit Australia coal exports in wake of cyclone

SYDNEY/MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A critical mountain pass on the railway connecting Australia's biggest coking coal mines to ports has been hit by landslides and buckled tracks caused by Cyclone Debbie, witnesses said, crippling efforts to get exports of the steel-making ingredient flowing again.

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Anger burns on Vietnam's poisoned coast a year after spill

QUANG TRI, Vietnam (Reuters) - "The big fish are all dead," complained 50 year-old Mai Xuan Hoa, picking small fish from a net as he tried to rebuild his livelihood a year after Vietnam's worst environmental disaster.

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New Zealand braces for big wet as ex-Cyclone Debbie makes landfall

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand was bracing for potential flooding and landslips on Tuesday as the remnants of Cyclone Debbie made landfall, a week after the powerful storm hit neighboring Australia where three people were killed by subsequent floods.

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Colombia starts to bury 262 landslide victims, search continues

MOCOA, Colombia (Reuters) - Scores of decomposing cadavers were being released for burial on Monday as rescuers continued to search for victims of weekend flooding and landslides that devastated a city in southern Colombia, killing at least 262 people.

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Trump donates first-quarter salary to National Park Service

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, who made a fortune in real estate before running for political office, has decided to donate his first-quarter salary of $78,333 to the National Park Service, the White House announced on Monday.

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Magnitude 6.5 quake strikes Botswana: USGS

GABORONE (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck nearly 250 km north-northwest of the Botswana capital Gaborone on Monday, at depth of 12 km (7 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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New York, other states challenge Trump over energy efficiency

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A coalition of U.S. states and municipalities has begun legal action against President Donald Trump's administration, accusing it of violating federal law by delaying energy efficiency standards for several consumer and commercial products.

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China vows fresh smog crackdown as toxic air shrouds capital

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's smoggiest cities have pledged to ramp up the battle on pollution after air quality deteriorated in the first few months of this year, the China Daily reported on Monday, as smog blanketed the capital, Beijing, and the surrounding region.

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Coal exports disrupted in cyclone-hit Australia as floodwaters rise

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Damage to rail lines in cyclone-hit north-east Australia will take up to five weeks to repair, disrupting exports of the steel-making material from the world's largest coking coal region and putting pressure on global prices.

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Alaska officials report oil leak in beluga whale habitat

(Reuters) - Alaska officials reported an oil leak from an underwater pipeline late on Saturday that was within habitat designated as critical for endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales.

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EPA chief says Paris climate agreement 'bad deal' for U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States should continue to be "engaged" in international climate change discussions but the Paris climate change agreement is a "bad deal" for the country, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency said Sunday.

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Colombia landslide kills at least 14, 60 injured

BOGOTA (Reuters) - A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border province of Putumayo has left at least 14 people dead and 60 injured, officials said on Saturday.

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Peru seeks more international aid to cope with extreme floods

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru needs more international aid to help hundreds of thousands of people cope with continuing floods and mudslides that have killed more than 100 people and torn apart much of the country's infrastructure, the transportation minister said Friday.

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China's Hebei promises new assault on smog after 2017 spike

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Heavily-polluted Hebei province in northern China will take more action to shut "backward" coal-fired power plants, promote new energy vehicles and relocate more industries, it said on Saturday after a surge in smog levels in January and February.

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Two dead, tens of thousands stranded by Australia floods

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Australians were stranded by floodwaters on Saturday after the remnants of a powerful cyclone swept along the country's east coast, cutting roads, destroying bridges and killing two people.

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EPA scientific integrity office reviewing Pruitt's comments on carbon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's scientific integrity watchdog is reviewing whether EPA chief Scott Pruitt violated the agency's policies when he said in a television interview he does not believe carbon dioxide is driving global climate change, according to an email seen by Reuters on Friday.

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'Worldwide momentum' on climate change despite Trump: U.N. official

OSLO (Reuters) - Governments have created "worldwide momentum" to slow climate change despite threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to pull out of the 2015 Paris Agreement to slash greenhouse gas emissions, the U.N.'s climate chief said on Friday.

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Brazil's JBS accused of violating Amazon rainforest protection laws

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The world's largest meatpacker, Brazil's JBS SA, has for years knowingly bought cattle that were raised on illegally deforested land, turning a blind eye to regulations meant to protect the Amazon rainforest, Brazil's environmental regulator has alleged.

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Czech divers search for new depths in world's deepest cave

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech divers are preparing to search the world's deepest underwater cave again to see if there is more to be discoverer from its already record-breaking depths.

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Australians cling to roofs as floodwaters swamp towns

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Flooding rivers swamped towns along Australia's east coast on Friday forcing tens of thousands of people to be evacuated as fast-flowing waters cut roads and destroyed bridges after the remnants of a powerful cyclone swept through the region.

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Mongolian capital to ban low-grade coal to ease smog

ULAANBAATAR (Reuters) - Mongolia will ban the burning of low-grade coal in its capital Ulaanbaatar within the next decade, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism said, as the country tries to curb toxic air pollution.

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China shuts some ivory factories, Hong Kong seen as a loophole

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China, the world's largest importer and end user of elephant ivory tusks, is shutting a third of its ivory factories and retail stores on Friday, the first major step ahead of a formal ban on ivory sales by the end of the year.

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China says pollution inspectors find firms falsifying data

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's air quality inspectors found problems at more than 3,000 companies in the first three months of this year, of which a large proportion were found to be falsifying data, the environment ministry said on Friday.

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Manatees taken off U.S. endangered list, conservationists cry foul

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Manatees were taken off the U.S. Interior Department's list of endangered species on Thursday and reclassified as threatened, a move condemned by conservationists who say it weakens protections for the giant marine mammal, also known as a sea cow.

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In Pakistan, clean fuel firm struggles despite energy shortages

CHAKWAL, Pakistan (Reuters) - Hassan Raza says his clean fuel company, which captures natural gas "flared" at Pakistan's oil fields and sells it to industrial customers, is struggling to expand despite energy shortages and concerns over the country's poor pollution record.

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Deep spring snow means California could ease water conservation rules

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California's Sierra Nevada Mountains are buried in snow despite warm spring weather, scientists said on Thursday, a further sign that the state is emerging from years of drought and an indication that mandatory conservation rules may soon be eased.

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High court pick could help decide fate of Trump's climate policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee could help decide the fate of his moves to undo climate-related U.S. regulations, but legal experts said Neil Gorsuch's judicial record makes it hard to predict whether as a justice he would back a sweeping rollback.

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Environmental groups sue Trump administration for approving Keystone pipeline

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Several environmental groups filed lawsuits against the Trump administration on Thursday to challenge its decision to approve construction of TransCanada Corp's controversial Keystone XL crude oil pipeline.

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Volkswagen settles 10 U.S. state diesel claims for $157 million

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG said on Thursday it has agreed to pay $157.45 million to settle environmental claims from 10 U.S. states over its excess diesel emissions, as the world's largest automaker looks to move past the scandal.

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Tens of thousands told to evacuate after cyclone brings flood fears to Australia's east

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian authorities told 40,000 people to evacuate to higher ground on Thursday as a storm system generated by a powerful cyclone that pummeled the northeast two days ago swept down the coast with heavy rain.

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China ivory prices fall on ban, but illegal markets abroad thrive: researchers

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The price of ivory on Chinese markets has slumped by two-thirds since 2014 as Beijing rolls out a ban on trade in elephant tusks, but illegal markets in neighboring countries are expanding, researchers said.

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EU says China, EU must show joint leadership on climate as U.S. pulls back

BEIJING (Reuters) - China and the European Union need to show joint leadership on climate change and cannot expect the "same leadership" from the United States under the new administration, European climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said in Beijing on Thursday.

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Texas judge kicks Exxon climate lawsuit to New York court

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas on Wednesday kicked an Exxon Mobil Corp lawsuit seeking to thwart two states from pursuing a fraud case over climate change to a Manhattan court, saying his court wasn't the best place to resolve the dispute.

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Montana tribe, conservationists sue U.S. government for ending coal moratorium

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Native American tribe in Montana and a coalition of conservation groups sued the Trump administration on Wednesday for lifting a moratorium on coal leases on public land without consulting tribal leaders and conducting a full environmental review.

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Threatened Utah praire dogs have their day in court...and win

(Reuters) - Prairie dogs in Utah won a turf battle against property developers on Wednesday when a U.S. appeals court reinstated restrictions on development in areas inhabited by the threatened animals.

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Thinning Arctic sea ice lets in light, prompts algae bloom-study

OSLO (Reuters) - Climate change is stirring life in the Arctic Ocean as thinning sea ice lets in more sunlight, allowing microscopic algae to bloom in the inhospitable region around the North Pole, scientists said on Wednesday.

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Four dead, about 200,000 without power after Texas, Oklahoma storms

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Four people were killed and nearly 200,000 customers were without electric power on Wednesday morning after overnight storms pounded Texas and Oklahoma, bringing tornadoes, torrential rain and hail to large parts of the states.

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Paris and London mayors announce scheme to gauge car emissions

PARIS (Reuters) - The mayors of Paris and London announced a new scheme for monitoring emissions from vehicles on Wednesday, aimed at improving air quality in the two capitals.

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China, EU reaffirm climate action after Trump backs away

BEIJING/OSLO (Reuters) - Nations led by China and the European Union rallied around a global plan to slow climate change on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump began undoing Obama-era plans for deep cuts in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

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China says committed to Paris accord as Trump undoes U.S. climate policy

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is still committed to the Paris climate change accord agreed in 2015, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to dismantle Obama-era climate change regulations.

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Fog grounds flights in and out of New Zealand capital

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Thick flog blanketed the New Zealand capital on Wednesday, leading to the cancellation of more than 100 flights and leaving travelers stranded.

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Strong quake of 6.9 magnitude hits Russia's far east: USGS

(Reuters) - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck near Komandorskiye Ostrava in Russia's far east on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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Floods in Peru threaten to sweep away rich archaeological legacy - explorer

LIMA (Reuters) - Extreme floods wreaking havoc in Peru are also threatening the South American country's rich archeological heritage and the tourism that thrives on it, a Peruvian archaeologist said on Tuesday.

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Trump signs order sweeping away Obama-era climate policies

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an order to undo Obama-era regulations to curb climate change, keeping a campaign promise to support the coal industry while calling into question U.S. support for an international deal to fight global warming.

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Thousands of water lines to be replaced in Flint settlement

(Reuters) - The state of Michigan will replace water lines serving at least 18,000 homes in Flint over the next three years under a settlement approved by a U.S. judge to address a 2015 crisis that exposed residents to lead in their drinking water.

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Beijing development plan calls for more green space, cap on population

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing will publish a draft plan for the long-term development of the Chinese capital on Wednesday, according to state media, which includes measures to cap the population and cut air pollution.

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Perry pushes Nevada nuclear waste site in first official visit

(Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry pushed for opening Nevada's Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site in a meeting with the state's governor on Monday, but the local leader said he remains staunchly opposed to the project.

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Trump to sign order sweeping away Obama-era climate policies

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Tuesday to undo a slew of Obama-era climate change regulations, a move meant to bolster domestic energy production but which environmentalists have vowed to challenge in court.

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Threatened U.S. pullout might help, not hobble, global climate pact

OSLO (Reuters) - A 2015 global pact for fighting climate change will benefit in some ways at least if U.S. President Donald Trump carries out a threat to pull out, backers say, in a shift from gloom about the fate of a deal that took two decades to negotiate.

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High winds batter northeast Australia as Cyclone Debbie approaches

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Coastal areas in northeast Australia were battered by high winds and heavy rainfall early on Tuesday as a powerful cyclone that prompted authorities to urge some 30,000 people to evacuate bore down on the country.

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Native Americans to meet Norway's wealth fund watchdog over pipeline

OSLO (Reuters) - Standing Rock Sioux tribe representatives will meet the ethics watchdog for Norway's $915 billion sovereign wealth fund on Monday over a U.S. oil pipeline, a watchdog official said on Monday.

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Eight feared dead as avalanche hits Japanese students

TOKYO (Reuters) - Eight people are feared dead and two were in critical condition on Monday after an avalanche hit a group of high school students and teachers climbing in central Japan.

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Thousands on alert as Cyclone Debbie bears down on Australia

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Thousands of Australians were being urged to evacuate from coastal communities in the path of a powerful cyclone on Monday, as the storm bore down on the nation's northeast.

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Tel Aviv's trash is being turned into fuel

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Residents of Tel Aviv can start feeling a little less guilty about the amount of garbage they throw away.

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Trump greenlights Keystone XL pipeline, but obstacles loom

WASHINGTON/CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration approved TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, cheering the oil industry and angering environmentalists even as further hurdles for the controversial project loom.

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Lights go out around the world for 10th Earth Hour

(Reuters) - The lights are being switched off around the world at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, to mark the 10th annual Earth Hour, and to draw attention to climate change.

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California sets vehicle pollution rules after Trump brakes U.S. plan

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Reuters) - California on Friday approved vehicle pollution targets that the Trump administration last week put on hold, setting up a potential face-off between federal and state regulators that could be expensive for automakers and a headache for consumers.

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China air quality got markedly worse in Jan-Feb: ministry

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's air quality was markedly worse in the first two months of the year than the same period of 2016 following a series of smog outbreaks in northern China, official data published on Friday showed.

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California board adopts strictest U.S. methane rules

(Reuters) - California's air quality board voted unanimously on Thursday to approve methane regulations touted as the strictest adopted yet in the United States for controlling emissions of the second-most prevalent greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

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German environmental lobby sues motor authority over VW scandal

HAMBURG/BERLIN (Reuters) - German environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has filed a suit against German motor authority KBA, accusing it of failing to act robustly enough over Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal.

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Halve carbon emissions each decade to combat warming: study

OSLO (Reuters) - Scientists proposed on Thursday a legislative and economic framework to halve the world's carbon dioxide emissions every decade from 2020 and combat climate change, by issuing hefty penalties on carbon emitters.

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As Trump targets energy rules, oil companies downplay their impact

BOSTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s White House has said his plans to slash environmental regulations will trigger a new energy boom and help the United States drill its way to independence from foreign oil.

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Cost of U.S. car fuel standards could be 40 percent lower: report

DETROIT (Reuters) - The cost to implement tough fuel-efficiency standards for cars imposed by the Obama administration for the first half of the next decade could be up to 40 percent lower than previously estimated using existing conventional technologies, according to a report from a nonprofit group released on Wednesday.

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Smog-hit Beijing plans 'green necklace' to block pollution

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing and the surrounding province of Hebei will plant trees, establish green belts and make use of rivers and wetlands to create a "green necklace" to protect China's smog-hit capital from pollution, the Hebei government said on Thursday.

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China blames climate change for record sea levels

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese coastal sea levels hit record highs in 2016, driven by climate change as well as El Nino and La Nina events, the country's sea administration said.

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Exclusive: Lead poisoning afflicts neighborhoods across California

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dozens of California communities have experienced recent rates of childhood lead poisoning that surpass those of Flint, Michigan, with one Fresno locale showing rates nearly three times higher, blood testing data obtained by Reuters shows.

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UK water company hit with record fine for polluting River Thames

LONDON (Reuters) - One of Britain's biggest water companies was handed a record 20 million pound ($25 million) fine on Wednesday for pumping sewage into the River Thames, killing wildlife and spreading sickness among livestock and people.

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Arctic ice sets new record low for winter: scientists

OSLO (Reuters) - The extent of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has set a new record low for the wintertime in a region strongly affected by long-term trends of global warming, scientists said on Wednesday.

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Fearing disease, Kenyans burn animal carcasses as drought deepens

LOIYANGALANI, Kenya (Reuters) - Villagers in northern Kenya have begun to burn piles of animal carcases, hoping to head off an outbreak of disease as their livestock starve to death in the region's worst drought in five years.

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Trump administration not considering a carbon tax: White House official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is not considering a carbon tax, a White House official said on Tuesday.

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Indonesia finds extensive reef damage after cruise ship runs aground

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A British-flagged cruise ship damaged more than 18,000 square meters (4.4 acres) of coral when it ran aground in waters popular with divers off Indonesia’s eastern province of Papua, government officials said on Wednesday.

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Business leaders urge G20 to put climate change back on agenda

BERLIN (Reuters) - Business executives and scientists on Tuesday urged the world's leading economies to put global warming back on the G20 agenda after finance ministers and central bankers failed to reaffirm their readiness to finance measures against climate change.

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French prosecutor opens Fiat Chrysler emissions investigation: source

PARIS (Reuters) - A French prosecutor has opened an investigation into Fiat Chrysler over allegations that the carmaker cheated in diesel emission tests, a judicial source said on Tuesday.

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Czech zoo saws off rhino horns to thwart poachers

PRAGUE (Reuters) - A Czech zoo has started sawing off the horns of its 21 rhinos to protect them from poaching after the killing of a rhinoceros in France earlier this month.

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Teens suing U.S. over climate change ask for Exxon's 'Wayne Tracker' emails

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lawyers for a group of teenagers suing the U.S. government in a climate change case have asked the government and the oil industry's leading trade group to turn over emails sent and received by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson using an alias address while he was running Exxon Mobil.

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China approves fewer GMO crop imports, hampering trade: U.S. industry group

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is approving fewer new biotech crops for import than before, hampering the launch of new products globally and hurting trade, an American industry group said on Tuesday.

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Hunger kills at least 26 in Somalia's Jubbaland region

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At least 26 people died from hunger in the semi-autonomous Jubbaland region of southern Somalia in just a day an a half, federal government radio said on its website.

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Regulator responding to Husky oil spill in Canada's Alberta

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - The Alberta Energy Regulator is responding to a crude oil spill by Husky Energy Inc in Canada's oil-rich Alberta province, and while the pipeline involved has been shut, the amount leaked and cause are unknown, the agency said on Monday.

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Colorado residents return to homes after Boulder wildfire

(Reuters) - Hundreds of people forced from their homes by a small wildfire near the University of Colorado in Boulder were allowed to return to their properties on Monday as firefighters made headway in containing the blaze, officials said.

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Thai 'piggy bank' turtle slips into coma after op to remove coins

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A 25-year-old sea turtle in Thailand slipped into a coma on Sunday after an operation to remove 915 coins from her stomach earlier this month.

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Republican green groups seek to temper Trump on climate change

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's outspoken doubts about climate change and his administration's efforts to roll back regulation to combat it have stirred a sleepy faction in U.S. politics: the Republican environmental movement.

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Indonesia plans to sue Thailand's PTTEP over 2009 oil spill

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia is preparing to sue a unit of Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) over alleged environmental damage from the Montara oil spill in 2009, the country's Coordinating Maritime Affairs Ministry said.

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Abnormal El Nino in Peru unleashes deadly downpours; more flooding seen

LIMA (Reuters) - A sudden and abnormal warming of Pacific waters off Peru has unleashed the deadliest downpours in decades, with landslides and raging rivers sweeping away people, clogging highways and destroying crops.

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Colorado wildfire scorches woodland, at least 1,000 people evacuated

(Reuters) - A wildfire near the University of Colorado in Boulder burned through about 62 acres (25 hectares) of woodland on Sunday, prompting authorities to urge at least 1,000 people to evacuate the drought-hit region.

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VW CEO offices searched in Audi investigation: Bild am Sonntag

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Munich prosecutors searched the offices of Volkswagen Chief Executive Matthias Mueller as part of an investigation into diesel emission test cheating at Audi, German weekly Bild am Sonntag said.

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U.S. judge signs Peabody bankruptcy exit after environmental deal

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge formally approved Peabody Energy Corp's plan to emerge from bankruptcy late Friday after the coal producer struck a settlement with the U.S. government over legacy environmental claims at a gold and metal mining subsidiary.

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EPA awards $100 million to upgrade Flint water system

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it had awarded $100 million to upgrade Flint, Michigan's drinking water infrastructure to address a crisis that exposed thousands of children to lead poisoning.

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Energy carbon emissions in 2016 flat for third year: IEA

LONDON (Reuters) - A greener energy mix helped keep energy-related carbon dioxide emissions flat in 2016 yet more needs to be done to avert a harmful rise in global temperatures, International Energy Agency (IEA) data showed on Friday.

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Avalanche kills two in Austria's Tyrol region

VIENNA (Reuters) - An avalanche in Austria's western region of Tyrol killed two people on Friday, local police said, two days after another avalanche in the same province killed four Swiss men.

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G20 financial leaders drop reference to climate change financing from draft

BADEN BADEN, Germany (Reuters) - World financial leaders have dropped a reference to financing climate change from their draft communique, said an official taking part in a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers of the Group of 20 leading economies.

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Chinese firms offer pollution solutions with bottled air, hat filters, smog socks

BEIJING (Reuters) - Even as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledges to ensure that blue skies never become a luxury, a state-backed firm is doing brisk business selling 48 yuan ($6.95) cans of fresh air bottled in a forest in western China.

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Japan court rules government liable over Fukushima: media

TOKYO (Reuters) - A court in Japan on Friday ruled that Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) and the government are liable for negligence in a case involving compensation for the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the first time the judiciary has ruled the state has liability, Japanese media reported.

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Trump's proposal to scrap Chemical Safety Board draws criticism

(Reuters) - President Donald Trump's proposal to do away with the federal agency that investigates chemical accidents drew sharp criticism from environmental, labor and safety advocates, who said that eliminating the watchdog would put American lives at risk.

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Lawmakers vow to fight proposed cuts in Chesapeake, Great Lakes clean-ups

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's proposal to defund programs to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes, two of the country's largest water systems, brought scorn on Thursday from a bipartisan array of lawmakers who vowed to fight the cuts.

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Trump budget would slash cleanup of hazardous waste sites by 30 percent

(Reuters) - Proponents of government efforts to clean up hazardous waste sites like radioactive soil buried in a St. Louis-area landfill fear the Trump administration's proposed 30 percent budget cut will slow or damage the already struggling Superfund program.

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Lawmakers press Trump to deny calls to overhaul biofuels program

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than 20 senators pressed President Donald Trump on Thursday to reject requests from oil refiners to overhaul the U.S. biofuels program, weighing in on a debate that has roiled markets from soybeans to gasoline in recent weeks.

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EU lawmakers reject call for ban on Arctic oil exploration

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament rejected a call to ban Arctic oil and gas exploration on Thursday, in a symbolic vote seen as a barometer for future moves by Brussels to regulate to protect the region.

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Volcanic explosion on Mount Etna injures 10 people

ROME (Reuters) - Ten people were injured in an eruption on Mount Etna on Thursday when magma flowing into snow caused a violent explosion that sent stones and rocks flying into the air, emergency services said.

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White House seeks to cut EPA budget 31 percent as Trump targets regulation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration is proposing a 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency's budget, eliminating its climate change programs and trimming back core initiatives aimed at protecting air and water quality, according to budget documents released on Thursday.

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White House proposes reviving Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House’s fiscal 2018 budget plan for the U.S. Department of Energy includes $120 million to restart licensing for the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump in Nevada, a project stalled for years by lawsuits and local opposition.

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Great Barrier Reef will never be as pristine as it once was: scientists

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef will never recover from the impact of unseasonably warm waters, scientists said on Thursday, as more of the World Heritage Site comes under renewed threat from a recent spike in sea temperatures.

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Trump budget plan to propose major cuts for State Dept., EPA: NY Times

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A budget proposal to be released by President Donald Trump on Thursday will call for spending cuts of 28 percent for the State Department and 31 percent for the Environmental Protection Agency, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing congressional staff members familiar with the plan.

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Exclusive: U.S. group Sierra Club seeks probe of EPA's Pruitt over CO2 comments

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. environmental group the Sierra Club has asked the Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general to investigate whether the agency's head, Scott Pruitt, violated internal policies when he said he did not believe carbon dioxide was a major contributor to climate change, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

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EPA confirms it will reopen review of 2025 fuel rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed on Wednesday it would reopen a review of whether the Obama administration's 2022-2025 vehicle emission rules are feasible, a win for automakers which have urged the Trump administration to reverse a January decision to uphold the standards.

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Trump seeks input from U.S. energy companies on Paris climate pact

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration has been contacting U.S. energy companies to ask them about their views on the U.N. global climate accord, according to two sources with knowledge of the effort, a sign Trump is reconsidering his 2016 campaign pledge to back out of the deal.

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In challenge to Trump, 17 Republicans in Congress join fight against global warming

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A group of 17 Republicans in Congress signed a resolution on Wednesday vowing to seek "economically viable" ways to stave off global warming, possibly putting them on a collision course with President Donald Trump who has called climate change a hoax.

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Trump plan to review vehicle fuel efficiency rules draws criticism

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's plans to reassess strict U.S. vehicle fuel-efficiency standards put in place under former President Barack Obama drew criticism on Wednesday from Democrats and environmental groups who accused him of risking more carbon emissions and higher fuel costs.

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Late-season snowstorm weakens in the Northeast

(Reuters) - A late-season snowstorm that swept the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States began to weaken on Wednesday after killing six people, grounding thousands of flights and closing schools.

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EU chemical agency says weed killer glyphosate not carcinogenic

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto Co's Roundup herbicide, should not be classified as a substance causing cancer, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) concluded on Wednesday.

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U.S. wildfires ravage ranches in three states

LIPSCOMB, Texas (Reuters) - When the Schwerzenbach family saw a wildfire racing toward their remote ranch in Lipscomb, Texas, there was no time to run.

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German prosecutors searching Audi offices in Germany

INGOLSTADT, Germany (Reuters) - German prosecutors searched Audi's two biggest plants and several other sites on Wednesday in connection with an emissions cheating scandal, adding to pressure on Volkswagen's luxury division and its Chief Executive Rupert Stadler.

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Munich prosecutors investigate emissions cheating in Audi cars

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Munich prosecutors said they have launched an investigation of unknown persons in connection with the sale of around 80,000 Audi diesel vehicles in the United States on suspicion that they were fitted with devices to cheat on emissions tests.

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Fossils from 1.6 billion years ago may be oldest-known plants

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fossils unearthed in India that are 1.6 billion years old and look like red algae may represent the earliest-known plants, a discovery that could force scientists to reassess the timing of when major lineages in the tree of life first appeared on Earth.

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U.S. judge denies tribe's request to stop oil flow in Dakota Access pipeline

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. District Court judge on Tuesday denied a request by a Native American tribe to issue an emergency injunction to prevent oil from flowing through part of the Dakota Access Pipeline, saying such a move would be against the public interest.

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Environmentalists seek to defend protections for wolves in California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Four environmental groups on Tuesday asked a court for permission to defend California's decision to grant endangered species protections to the gray wolf, the latest in an ongoing fight over the predator's future in the Western United States.

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Trump to roll back use of climate change in policy reviews: source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is preparing to release a wide-ranging executive order to reduce the role that climate change plays in policy decisions, according to a Trump administration official who reviewed a draft of the order.

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Blizzard blankets northeast U.S. with late-season snow

NEW YORK/BOSTON (Reuters) - A blizzard swept through the heavily populated northeastern United States on Tuesday, grounding thousands of flights, canceling classes and pummeling those who ventured out onto snow-bound streets.

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Snowstorm forces Canada's biggest airport to cancel 100 flights

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's biggest airport canceled more than a hundred flights on Tuesday as a late winter storm brought more snow to southern Ontario, forcing several colleges to suspend classes.

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Thailand seizes rhino horns worth $5 million in biggest haul for years

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai customs have confiscated 21 rhino horns with an estimated value of nearly $5 million in the biggest such seizure in Thailand for years, officials said on Tuesday.

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Trump to announce review of vehicle emissions rules: sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is set to formally announce a review of vehicle fuel efficiency rules locked in at the end of the Obama administration when he meets with automaker chiefs this week, according to two sources briefed on the matter.

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Tillerson used email alias at Exxon to talk climate: New York attorney general

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former chairman and chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp , used an alias email address while at the oil company to send and receive information related to climate change and other matters, according to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

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CalPERS plans 17 climate change proxy efforts this year

(Reuters) - The California Public Employees' Retirement System plans to be active in 17 proxy efforts on climate change directed at energy companies this proxy season, the pension fund's Chief Investment Officer Ted Eliopoulos said on Monday.

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Madrid to ban old cars by 2025 in crackdown on air pollution

MADRID (Reuters) - Madrid's city government announced plans on Monday to ban the oldest and most polluting vehicles from the city center by 2025 in a bid to crackdown on air pollution.

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Arctic ice loss driven by natural swings, not just mankind: study

OSLO (Reuters) - Natural swings in the Arctic climate have caused up to half the precipitous losses of sea ice around the North Pole in recent decades, with the rest driven by man-made global warming, scientists said on Monday.

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Earthquake shakes buildings in Myanmar's largest city Yangon: witnesses

YANGON (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.1 earthquake briefly jolted buildings in Myanmar's largest city and commercial hub of Yangon on Monday evening at around 8:50 p.m. local time.

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France likely a frequent power importer in years to come

PARIS (Reuters) - For two straight months this winter, France was a net importer of electricity for the first time in five years, a trend that could continue during periods of peak demand no matter who wins the April-May presidential election.

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China may roll back electric car quotas as industry pushes back

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is considering easing proposed quotas aimed at producing more electric vehicles, as Beijing gets pushback from the automotive industry over the scale and pace of the plans.

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Philippines' Duterte links miners to destabilization plot, wants mining ban

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday accused some miners of funding efforts to destabilize his government as he talked about a possible plan to impose a ban on mining given the environmental damage producers have caused.

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In race to curb climate change, cities outpace governments

OSLO (Reuters) - Cities from Oslo to Sydney are setting goals to curb climate change that exceed national targets, causing tensions with central governments about who controls policy over green energy and transport and construction.

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At least 48 people killed in garbage dump landslide in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - At least 48 people, 15 of them children, were killed in a landslide at a huge garbage dump on the outskirts of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the city's spokesman said on Monday.

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U.S. Northeast braces for late winter blizzard

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Forecasters put the U.S. East Coast from New York City to Boston on a blizzard watch starting as early as Monday night, with authorities warning residents to prepare for the possibility of widespread power outages, road closures and flight disruptions.

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Native American groups take oil pipeline protests to White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thousands of Native American demonstrators and their supporters marched to the White House on Friday to voice outrage at President Donald Trump's support for the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines, which they say threaten tribal lands.

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Storm causes floods, blackouts in New Zealand's biggest city

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A powerful storm caused flooding, landslides and blackouts in New Zealand on Sunday, leaving thousands of homes without power, emergency services officials said.

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Madagascar cyclone death toll rises to 38: official

ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - At least 38 people have been killed by Cyclone Enawo that struck Madagascar this week, according to an official of the country's disaster management department.

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Nordic pulp makers seek new lease of life from by-products

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Nordic forestry firms racing to replace paper business lost to the internet are trying to transform their pulp mill by-products into glue, biofuel and carbon fiber for aircraft and wind turbines.

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Japan's environment minister sees business risk in building new coal-fired plant

TOKYO (Reuters) - Chugoku Electric Power Co and JFE Steel may need to rethink plans for a new coal-fired power plant if they cannot present clear measures to address climate change concerns, Japan's environment minister suggested on Friday.

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Japan sees 40 percent chance of El Nino emerging between spring and summer

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's weather bureau said on Friday it sees a 40 percent chance that the El Nino weather pattern would emerge between spring and summer, but there is a higher chance that the current normal pattern without either an El Nino or La Nina will continue.

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UK offshore wind power subsidies set to drop below nuclear: Siemens

LONDON (Reuters) - Subsidy costs for British offshore wind farms are likely to fall below that of new nuclear plants in next month's government auction, German firm Siemens' head of its British offshore wind turbines business told Reuters.

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Tesla's Elon Musk offers to solve power crisis in South Australia

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk on Friday offered to save Australia's most renewable-energy dependent state from blackouts by installing 100 megawatt hours worth of battery storage within 100 days of signing a contract.

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U.S. solar soared in 2016, but investors still leery

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - New U.S. solar installations nearly doubled last year, but slowing demand for both residential and large-scale systems, falling panel prices and concerns about looming federal tax reform are still dampening investor appetite for the sector.

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U.S. Plains wildfires leave thousands of cattle dead

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Fast-moving wildfires that burned through nearly 2 million acres (809,380 hectares) of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas this week have devastated ranches and left thousands of cattle and other livestock dead, officials said on Thursday.

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Shell CEO urges switch to clean energy as plans hefty renewable spending

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The oil and gas industry risks losing public support if progress is not made in the transition to cleaner energy, Royal Dutch Shell Plc Chief Executive Ben van Beurden said on Thursday.

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U.S. forecaster sees increasing chances of El Niño later in 2017

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday that La Niña conditions had disappeared and projected the possibility of El Niño developing later this year, returning after the weather phenomenon wreaked havoc on global crops last year.

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