Environment Focus Washington from

Bloomberg Donates $4.5M to Continue U.S. Paris Climate Deal Commitment

April 23, 2018 Focus Washington

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Sunday stated that he is going to write a check for $4.5 million in order to fulfill the U.S. financial commitment to the Paris climate accord. “America […]

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Fighting Global Warming Behind Trump’s Back

March 15, 2018 Focus Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized all international efforts to lower the consequences of climate change and dismissed the scientific consensus that global warming is dangerous and driven by human consumption of fossil fuels. However, […]

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Storm Skylar to Blanket Whole States, Close Schools

March 13, 2018 Focus Washington

The Bay State’s third winter nor’easter in less than three weeks is expected to be a howling storm that will create “brutal” commutes today with white-out conditions, dumping as much as 2 feet of snow, […]

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Schwarzenegger Will Sue Oil Industry for First-Degree Murder

March 12, 2018 Focus Washington

Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced that his next mission will be taking oil companies to court “for knowingly killing people all over the world.” The former California governor, as well as one of the loudest global […]

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White House Under Attack From Animal Rights Groups

March 7, 2018 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump and the White House administration are under attack from animal rights groups regarding the decision to permit some imports of African elephant trophies, saying that the new system will allow decisions to […]

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Scientists Protest Against Trump’s Appointee at American Museum of Natural History

January 26, 2018 Focus Washington

A protest against Trump’s ally Rebecca Mercer is organized in New York City by members of the science community, who are protesting against Mercer’s role on the board of trustees at the American Museum of […]

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Trump Cancels Obama Review Meant to Ban Mining in Minnesota

January 26, 2018 Focus Washington

Environmental review that showed how the wilderness surrounding Minnesota mining land will be impacted if the government blocks hundreds of thousands of acres to be used, will be canceled by President Donald Trump’s administration. The […]

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Bill Nelson Will Try to Block Trump from Changing Offshore Drilling Rules

January 4, 2018 Focus Washington

Democratic Senator from Florida, Bill Nelson, plans to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to block President Donald Trump from overturning safety rules put in place after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in 2010, […]

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FEMA Allows Churches Access to Disaster Aid

January 3, 2018 Focus Washington

Officials have finally changed federal policies allowing churches to apply retroactively for disaster aid funds, almost four months after President Donald Trump suggested that they should be able to do so. The Federal Emergency Management […]

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Monsanto Offers Cash Back for Controversial Chemical

December 11, 2017 Focus Washington

Monsanto Co offers cash back to U.S. farmers who buy a weed killer linked to prevalent crop damage, while regulators in several states across the U.S. are weighing restrictions on the use of the chemical. […]

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Patagonia Sues Trump for Cuts to Utah Monuments

December 7, 2017 Focus Washington

Several major outdoor companies opposed President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that he will shrink two Utah national monuments. Outdoor recreation company Patagonia made its website black, and the following text could be read on it: […]

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Trump Expected to Reduce Size of Two Utah Monuments

December 1, 2017 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump may announce on Monday that he will be shrinking two Utah monuments, a result of a federal review of monuments which started this year. The president has been looking at whether to […]

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NOAA Nominee Pledges to Quit Family-run Business

November 30, 2017 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vowed to quit his family-run weather forecasting company if he is confirmed to the post, The Hill writes. Barry Myers, CEO of […]

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Pruitt Indicates EPA’s Environmental Strategy

November 29, 2017 Focus Washington

The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt on Moday signaled his strategy to protect the environment with a visit to Disney World, underlining its commitment to sustainable energy. Namely, the a program of […]

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Trump Administration Approve Drilling Operations in Arctic Ocean

November 29, 2017 Focus Washington

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on Tuesday granted a permit for Italian oil giant Eni SpA to drill an exploratory well in the Beaufort Sea as a way to test production conditions […]

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Exxon Teams Up with Oil Giants to Reduce Methane Emissions

November 23, 2017 Focus Washington

ExxonMobil Corp. and seven other energy firms are working together to tackle natural gas sector greenhouse gas emissions, the companies announced on Wednesday, The Hill reports. Exxon was the only American-owned company to sign an […]

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Trump Administration Rejects Icahn-Backed Bid for Biofuel Mandate Change

November 23, 2017 Focus Washington

The Trump administration rejected a bid to relieve refiners of their obligation to fulfill annual biofuel quotas, Bloomberg reports. The Environmental Protection Agency denied petitions by Valero Energy Corp. and other refiners to alter the […]

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Democrats Organize Anti-Trump Campaign at Climate Summit

November 13, 2017 Focus Washington

Several top Democratic lawmakers organized a campaign at the Bonn climate conference intended to demonstrate to world leaders that President Donald Trump does not represent the United States’ interests on climate change. Last week, the […]

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Trump Not Invited to Upcoming Climate Change Summit in France

November 8, 2017 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump is reportedly not invited to the climate change summit that will be held later this year in France, The Hill reports. An official in French President Emmanuel Macron’s Cabinet said Trump is […]

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Additional $36.5bn in Disaster Aid Likely to Be Approved

October 24, 2017 Focus Washington

Despite concerns expressed by some lawmakers, the Senate is moving forward with a disaster relief package of $36.5 billion. It would give Puerto Rico the necessary infusion of cash and would prevent the federal flood […]

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Senate Votes in Favor of Oil Drilling in Alaska

October 20, 2017 Focus Washington

Senate Republicans voted on Thursday to block a Democratic amendment aimed at protecting Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling, dealing a blow to Democrats and environmental groups. The attempt to attach the amendment […]

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Pruitt: Grant Funding to EPA Science Advisers Will Be Restricted

October 18, 2017 Focus Washington

EPA’s Scott Pruitt said Tuesday he may soon cut funding to science advisers to the EPA due to lack of objectivity in their research. Pruitt made these comments at a Heritage Foundation event, where he […]

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EPA Will Repeal Power Plant Rule

October 10, 2017 Focus Washington

Environmental Protection Agency Chief Scott Pruitt announced he will take steps to repeal the Obama rule which limits greenhouse-gas emissions, claiming “the war against coal is over.” Pruitt said Monday the new proposed rule is […]

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Trump’s Interior Department Likely to Delay Methane Leak Controls

October 5, 2017 Focus Washington

The Interior Department will probably delay the controls it previously planned to impose on the oil and gas industry. These rules were intended to capture methane emissions released during oil and gas production, but will […]

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Destruction from Hurricane Maria Set Puerto Rico Back Decades

September 25, 2017 Focus Washington

Puerto Rico’s nonvoting representative in the U.S. Congress said Sunday that Hurricane Maria’s destruction has set the island back decades, The Associated Press reports. “The devastation in Puerto Rico has set us back nearly 20 […]

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Puerto Rico May Be Months without Power

September 21, 2017 Focus Washington

Hurricane Maria has knocked out power across the island of Puerto Rico, home to 3.5m people, The BBC said, citing officials. Flash flood warnings cover the entire island, which continues to be lashed by heavy […]

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Tropical Jose Storm May Bring Nor’easter Conditions to New York, Boston

September 15, 2017 Focus Washington

As Floridians return home in the wake of deadly Hurricane Irma, Tropical Storm Jose may become a hurricane later today, potentially bringing Nor’easter like conditions to New York and Boston next week, ABC News reports. […]

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AP: Irma Looms as the Mythical ‘Big One’ Florida Has Long Feared

September 8, 2017 Focus Washington

They call it the Big One – a mythic, massive hurricane that would obliterate the densely populated southeast coast, and it has long been the stuff of Florida’s nightmares, The Associated Press/Newsmax reports. Irma, it […]

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House to Vote on $8bn Hurricane Harvey Aid

September 6, 2017 Focus Washington

The House will vote Wednesday to approve nearly $8 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief funds, days after President Trump requested $7.85 billion from Congress in immediate, supplemental aid, ABC News reports. The bulk of the funds would […]

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Hurricane Harvey Death Toll Rises to at Least 60

September 6, 2017 Focus Washington

Officials now blame at least 60 deaths on Harvey, the storm that dumped several feet of rain in southeast Texas in a matter of days, ABC News reports. Many of those deaths confirmed in 11 Texas counties […]

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