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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EPA chief targets regulatory uncertainty, fuel economy standards: CNBC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said on Thursday he aims to reduce regulatory uncertainty for industry and will put out an announcement on fuel efficiency standards "very soon," saying a review of the standards was pushed through too quickly.

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Exclusive: Norway's wealth fund may blacklist firms over emissions, corruption risk

LYSAKER, Norway (Reuters) - The ethics watchdog for Norway's $900-billion sovereign wealth fund will recommend this year that the fund exclude or put on a watch list several firms in the oil, cement and steel industries for emitting too much greenhouse gas.

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China environmental fines up 49 percent on year, ministry says

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's environmental fines amounted to 848 million yuan ($122.72 million) in 2016, up 49 percent from a year earlier, according to a document distributed by the Environment Ministry ahead of a news conference in Beijing on Thursday.

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Shell sells Canadian oil sands, ties bonuses to emissions cuts

LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to sell most of its Canadian oil sands assets for $8.5 billion, the latest international oil major to withdraw from the costly projects, which are among the most carbon heavy.

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Famine-hit South Sudan to charge up to $10,000 for foreign work permits

JUBA (Reuters) - War-ravaged South Sudan has hiked work permit fees 100-fold for foreign aid workers to $10,000, officials said, despite suffering from famine.

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EPA auditor to review emissions testing checks after VW case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency watchdog plans to review whether the agency's internal controls are effective at detecting vehicle emissions fraud, the EPA's Office of Inspector General said.

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Vietnam says must be sure Formosa Plastics can operate safely

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam will only allow Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics' local unit to dispose of waste once it is completely sure it can do so safely, the government said on Wednesday.

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Malta's 'Azure Window' rock formation collapses into the sea

VALLETTA (Reuters) - A rock structure in the form of an arch which had featured in countless Malta tourism brochures collapsed into the sea on Wednesday in what Prime Minister Joseph Muscat described as a "heartbreaking event".

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Wildfire threat remains after killing six, destroying numerous structures

(Reuters) - The threat of wildfires is expected to remain high on Wednesday in the U.S. Plains, where prairie fires have claimed six lives, prompted thousands of evacuations and destroyed numerous structures.

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Bangladeshi asylum seekers tricked into radiation clean-up: media

TOKYO (Reuters) - Two Bangladeshi asylum seekers in Japan cleared up radioactive contamination from one of the world's worst nuclear disasters on the false promise doing so would win them permission to stay in the country longer, media reported on Wednesday.

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Cyclone slams into Madasgacar, at least three dead

ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - Cyclone Enawo, a massive tropical storm packing winds gusting as high as 300 kmh, killed at least three people when it slammed into the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, officials said on Wednesday.

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One Dutch tourist dead and two missing after avalanche at French resort

LYON, France (Reuters) - An avalanche in the French skiing resort of Valfrejus has resulted in the death of one Dutch national, with two other Dutch citizens missing, local police said on Wednesday.

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EU consumer agencies to join forces to press VW over dieselgate scandal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European national consumer agencies plan joint action to seek compensation for Volkswagen drivers who bought emissions-cheating diesel cars on the strength of their green credentials, the European Commission said on Tuesday.

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Jailhouse shock: Taiwan prison aims to jump-start island's solar power dream

PINGTUNG, Taiwan (Reuters) - On Pingtung jail's sunlit roof, prisoner no. 24 has a view of a brighter future. Ex-cop Chen, serving time for bribery, is learning how to install solar panels in a program that's part of Taiwan's shimmering vision of a future without nuclear power.

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Senate revokes Obama federal land-planning rule

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Tuesday revoked a rule that aimed to give the public more input into federal land management decisions, the latest move by the Republican-led Congress to undo Obama administration environmental regulations it sees as a burden.

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Warming may disrupt four-fifths of world's oceans by 2050: study

OSLO (Reuters) - Global warming will disrupt four-fifths of the world's oceans by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, threatening fish that are the main source of food for a billion people, scientists said on Tuesday.

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Three killed in Texas wildfire, blazes also hit Oklahoma and Colorado

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Three ranch hands have been killed while trying to protect livestock from a wildfire in the Texas Panhandle, where blazes have scorched about 125,000 acres (50,585 hectares), officials said on Tuesday.

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U.S. Democrats urge EPA not to reopen vehicle fuel efficiency rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and 11 other Democrats said on Tuesday it was "critical" that the Trump administration leave in place new vehicle fuel efficiency rules, saying the higher standards were achievable.

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White rhino shot dead in French zoo, horn sawn off

PARIS (Reuters) - Poachers broke into a French zoo, shot dead a rare white rhinoceros and sawed off its horn in what is believed to be the first time in Europe that a rhino in captivity has been attacked and killed.

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Berlin's polar bear cub Fritz, heir to Knut, dies in zoo

BERLIN (Reuters) - A four-month-old polar bear cub born in captivity in Berlin has died of complications from a liver inflammation, officials at the city's Tierpark zoo said on Tuesday.

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Philippine minister asks Duterte to halt second mine review she earlier supported

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine environment minister has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to halt a second review of 28 mines that she ordered closed or suspended, challenging its legality despite initially supporting it.

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Struggling to smelt, Venezuela state-run steelmaker grows sunflowers, crops

PUERTO ORDAZ (Reuters) - Workers at Venezuelan steelmaker Sidor are planting sunflowers and vegetables on company premises to ease a national food deficit as steel output has almost ground to a halt nine years after the company was taken over by the government.

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Colorado wildfire burns 30,000 acres, destroys homes

DENVER (Reuters) - A wind-driven wildfire erupted on the eastern plains of Colorado on Monday, scorching 30,000 acres of grassland, prompting the temporary evacuation of a small farming town and destroying at least three homes, emergency officials said.

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National Weather Service issues tornado watch for Midwest states

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The National Weather Service on Monday issued a tornado watch for a large swath of the Midwestern United States, warning of possible wind gusts up to 70 mph (113 kph) and tennis ball-sized hail in some areas.

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Arctic sea ice may vanish even if world achieves climate goal: study

OSLO (Reuters) - Arctic sea ice may vanish in summers this century even if governments achieve a core target for limiting global warming set by almost 200 nations in 2015, scientists said on Monday.

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White House weighs U.S. biofuels program change, no position yet -official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is reviewing the possibility of a key change to U.S. biofuels policy requested by oil refiners and Carl Icahn, the billionaire investor and special advisor on regulations to President Donald Trump, a White House official said on Monday.

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Hot, dry weather in Ivory Coast sparks concern for cocoa crop

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Dry weather and strong heat in some of Ivory Coast's main cocoa growing regions are raising concerns about the size and quality of the upcoming cocoa mid-crop, farmers said on Monday, following forecasts for record production.

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China vows new steel, coal capacity cuts to make sky blue

(Story corrects measure of energy consumption in seventh paragraph in March 5th instance)

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Polluted environments kill 1.7 million children a year: WHO

LONDON (Reuters) - A quarter of all global deaths of children under five are due to unhealthy or polluted environments including dirty water and air, second-hand smoke and a lack or adequate hygiene, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

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Quake of 6.5 magnitude strikes off Papua New Guinea

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An earthquake of 6.5 magnitude struck off the south coast of Papua New Guinea on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.

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Moderate aftershock in Philippines kills one, hurts 25

MANILA (Reuters) - A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.9 hit the Philippines on Sunday, killing a woman and hurting 25 people, the Philippine seismic agency and a provincial governor said.

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Somalia says 110 die of famine, diarrhea in 48 hours

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Some 110 people in southern Somalia have died within 48 hours from famine and diarrhea, both resulting from drought, the prime minister said on Saturday.

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Quake of 6.3 magnitude strikes off Papua New Guinea: USGS

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck off Papua New Guinea on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

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Cause of Mexican sewage spill fouling U.S. beaches under investigation

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A massive sewage spill from Mexico's Tijuana River that polluted miles of coastland in Southern California and northern Mexico has prompted an investigation, with U.S. officials calling it deliberate and Mexican authorities saying it was an accident caused by heavy rain.

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White House seeking sharp budget cut to climate agency: Washington Post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is seeking a 17 percent cut to the budget of the government's meteorological agency that monitors the climate and issues daily weather forecasts, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

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Court rules Wyoming wolves should be stripped of federal protections

(Reuters) - Wolves in Wyoming should be stripped of Endangered Species Act protections and management given to the state rather than the U.S. government, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday, a decision that opens the door for hunting of the animals.

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Montana activists ramp up campaign against culling Yellowstone bison

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - Wildlife advocates are ramping up their campaign against the annual culling of bison that roam onto state lands in Montana each winter from Yellowstone National Park, erecting dramatic billboards showing buffalo bleeding in the snow.

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U.S. ethanol group clashes with Icahn over details of biofuels negotiation

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The head of the Renewable Fuels Association says billionaire investor Carl Icahn told him last week President Donald Trump was about to issue an order overhauling the U.S. biofuels program - something both Icahn and the White House have denied.

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Pipe dream? China faces daunting task to suck in gas and wean itself off coal

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has set itself a staggering task to cure its smothering pollution: switching coal-fired boilers and heating systems in at least 1.2 million households in 28 of its smoggiest northern cities to run on gas or electricity. By October.

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'Green' funds flush with new cash, challenges as Trump era dawns

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Environmentally conscious investors are using their pocketbooks to protest President Donald Trump's plans to slash environmental regulations, fueling a rally in funds that only invest in companies that meet progressive criteria for sustainability.

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Texas environmentalists sue Houston-area refinery over pollution

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Two Texas environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Thursday under the U.S. Clean Air Act alleging repeated pollution violations by a Houston-area refinery owned by Brazil's national oil company, Petrobras, the organizations said.

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Trump's EPA budget proposal targets climate, lead cleanup programs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is proposing to slash a quarter of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's budget, targeting climate-change programs and those designed to prevent air and water pollution like lead contamination, a source with direct knowledge of the proposal said on Thursday.

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Early surge in coal usage in 2017 may not last

(Reuters) - There are signs utilities are buying more coal this year than last thanks to a late-year surge in natural gas prices, but the black rock still isn't expected to regain its crown from gas as the leading fuel source for power generation.

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U.S. EPA withdraws request for methane information from oil, gas companies

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday withdrew a requirement for the oil and gas industry to provide information on methane emitted from its operations, one of what will be several moves to undo the Obama administration's climate change regulations.

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Oil, biofuels groups urge U.S. EPA deny refiner requests to tweak RFS program

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A coalition of trade groups representing oil, biofuels and other interests pressed the U.S. government on Thursday to deny requests to tweak the country's biofuels program, the latest in a series of political maneuvers that have roiled markets.

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Blizzard dumps snow on Hawaii, California set for record winter rain

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - As California edged toward historic rainfall totals in one of the wettest winters in memory, its neighbor state across the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, has been hit with sustained blizzard conditions that have dumped 8 inches of snow onto mountain peaks.

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Stop-start cars push battery metal lead into investors' focus

LONDON (Reuters) - Investors are starting to focus on lead due to the large amounts of the metal in batteries used in increasingly popular stop-start cars produced by automakers aiming to comply with stringent new emissions legislation.

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Egyptian researchers turn shrimp shells into biodegradable plastic

CAIRO (Reuters) - Researchers at Egypt's Nile University are developing a way to turn dried shrimp shells that would otherwise be thrown away into thin films of biodegradable plastic they hope will be used to make eco-friendly grocery bags and packaging.

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Trial, bond hearing dates set for VW emissions scandal executive in U.S.

DETROIT (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday set for April 18 in Detroit the trial of a former Volkswagen AG U.S.-based executive charged with crimes related to the company's massive diesel emissions scandal, but the defense indicated it may seek a postponement.

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Hundreds of North American bee species face extinction: study

(Reuters) - More than 700 of the 4,000 native bee species in North America and Hawaii are believed to be inching toward extinction due to increased pesticide use leading to habitat loss, a scientific study showed on Wednesday.

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Oklahoma faces continued risk of quakes linked to drilling: USGS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Parts of Oklahoma and Kansas are likely to experience damaging earthquakes as a result of oil and gas industry activity in 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Wednesday in its second annual forecast of natural and human-caused seismic risk.

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Storms move east after killing three in U.S. Midwest

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Tornadoes and storms that already have killed at least three people and destroyed homes in the U.S. Midwest are moving east on Wednesday, the National Weather Service and media reported.

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China orders aluminum, steel cuts in war on smog

SHANGHAI/MELBOURNE (Reuters) - China has ordered steel and aluminum producers in 28 cities to slash output during winter, outlined plans to curb coal use in the capital and required coal transport by rail in the north, as Beijing intensifies its war on smog, a policy document shows.

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U.S. military marches forward on green energy, despite Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump and his top advisors have often scoffed at government support of green energy. His chief strategist called it “madness.”

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Nepal banishes old vehicles from Kathmandu's streets to fight smog

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal has forced 2,500 old vehicles off roads in its capital city of Kathmandu, part of a fight against alarming air pollution levels that have hit nine times World Health Organisation (WHO) limits.

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