Kenyan law banning seed sharing is unconstitutional, court says
A high court in Kenya has declared unconstitutional sections of a seed law that prevented farmers from sharing and selling indigenous seeds in what food campaigners have called a landmark win for food security. The case had been filed by 15 smallholder farmers, who are members of community seed banks that have been in operation for years, preserving and sharing seeds among colleagues. The court said sections of the seed law that gave government officials powers to raid seed banks and seize seeds were also unconstitutional.
Louisiana cancels $3 billion coastal restoration project
Louisiana is officially canceling a $3 billion coastal restoration project funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project aimed to rebuild over 20 square miles of land in southeast Louisiana to combat erosion and sea level rise. Conservation groups supported the project as a science-based solution to climate change. However, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry opposed it, citing harm to local oystermen and the fishing industry. On Thursday, a coalition of federal agencies overseeing the settlement funds declared the project "no longer viable" because of litigation and a suspended federal permit after the state halted work.
Underwater turbine spinning for 6 years off Scotland's coast is a breakthrough for tidal energy
Submerged in about 40 meters of water off Scotland’s coast, a turbine has been spinning for more than six years to harness the power of ocean tides and generate electricity. The trade association Ocean Energy Europe says keeping such a large turbine operating in the harsh sea environment that long is a record that demonstrates the technology's commercial viability. Tidal energy technologies are still in the early days of their commercial development, but their potential for generating clean energy is big. The MeyGen tidal energy project has four turbines that power up to 7,000 homes annually.
Websites hosting major US climate reports taken down
Websites displaying legally mandated U.S. national climate assessments seem to have disappeared. The reports tell state and local governments and everyday people what to expect in a warming world and how to prepare for it. Scientists say the peer-reviewed authoritative reports save money and lives. Websites for the national assessments and their parent agency — the U.S. Global Change Research Program — were down Monday and Tuesday with no links, notes or referrals elsewhere. The White House says the information will be housed in NASA to comply with the law, but gave no further details.
NWS no longer translating products for non-English speakers
The National Weather Service is no longer providing translations of its products after its contract with an artificial intelligence company was allowed to lapse. It's a change that experts say could put non-English speakers at risk of missing warnings about extreme weather. A weather service spokesperson declined to comment on the lapse of the contract. It comes as the weather service's parent agency, NOAA, is among federal agencies targeted by the Trump administration for aggressive staff and budget cuts. Nearly 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home, according to 2019 Census data.
Federal cuts disrupt repairs on two of America's most iconic trails
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail that runs through three western states is already challenging. Now the grueling journey may become even tougher this year due to federal cuts. Over a year’s worth of trail work to clear downed trees and rebuild stretches of the Pacific Crest Trail has been canceled, while similar repairs have been disrupted for the Appalachian Trail. Wildfires and hurricanes already were taking a toll on America's two legendary trails that are used by millions each year. Now the associations overseeing the paths say cuts in grant money and the Trump administration's downsizing of the federal workforce threaten their very existence.
Jury reaches verdict in trial of pipeline company's lawsuit against Greenpeace
A North Dakota jury has found Greenpeace liable for defamation and other claims in connection with protests against an oil pipeline's construction. The jury said Wednesday that the environmental advocacy group must pay more than $650 million in damages to Dallas-based Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access. The companies had alleged defamation, trespass, nuisance, civil conspiracy and other claims against Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace Fund Inc. Attorneys for Greenpeace had denied the claims. The case reaches back to protests in 2016 and 2017 against the Dakota Access Pipeline and its Missouri River crossing upstream of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation.
Scientists raise concerns as the US stops sharing air quality data from embassies worldwide
The U.S. government’s decision to stop sharing air quality data from embassies and consulates worldwide is worrying some local scientists and experts who say the data was vital for people to be aware of air quality and monitor their government's progress in improving public health. Historical data will remain on an Environmental Protection Agency site, but live data will stay down unless funding is restored. Scientists said the data were reliable, allowed for air quality monitoring and helped prompt governments to clean up the air. The fiscal cut is one of many under President Donald Trump, whose administration has been deprioritizing environmental and climate initiatives.
Malaysia is betting on data centers to boost its economy. But experts warn they come at a price.
Johor in Malaysia is being transformed by the construction of giant data centers. The government hopes that the billions in investment as part of a global artificial intelligence boom will help it get rich by modernizing its economy. But experts warn that data centers come at a price: They guzzle land, water and power and offer few direct jobs in return. Some experts say that they're looking to build in warmer countries, despite higher power and water consumption for cooling, because they're less welcome in cooler, richer countries. Others warned of digital colonialism, where rich tech companies get richer but leave little behind.
Man from uncontacted Indigenous tribe emerges in Amazon, and villagers demonstrate a lighter
In a rare encounter, a young man from an isolated Indigenous tribe approached a riverine community in Brazil’s Amazon, according to the country’s Indigenous affairs agency and local witnesses. Villagers believed the Indigenous man was asking for fire. Smartphone video of the encounter shows one resident trying to show him how to use a lighter. After being served fish, the man was taken to a nearby facility operated by Funai, the Indigenous bureau. The Amazon rainforest is home to the world’s largest number of uncontacted tribes. As a policy, Brazil does not actively seek contact with them but instead creates protected and monitored areas.
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