Environment

“Arctic biota are already under serious pressure from global heating, which progresses four times faster in the Arctic compared with the globe."

“After two years spent unraveling the policies of his predecessors, Mr. Trump and his political appointees are launching a new assault.”

A major class action lawsuit was recently filed in a District Court and pits plaintiffs in Dimock, PA against big oil and gas. This case could be key in determining whether "frackers," who contaminate drinking water, can be held accountable under federal law.

"Oil majors' climate branding sounds increasingly hollow and their credibility is on the line."

“The coal industry has benefited from lax pollution controls for decades, and we are pleased that the EPA is finally requiring the industry to stop dumping toxic pollutants into our waterways.”

“It’s nice to see that places like that still exist.”

One of the biggest stories of 2015 was the sharp decline of oil prices, which fell this year to levels not seen in more than a decade.

“I think there’s an opportunity here to do what’s right for the environment."

“At no other point in modern history has humanity faced such an array of familiar and unfamiliar risks and hazards, interacting in a hyper-connected and rapidly changing world."

The protocol acknowledges that because "microplastics smaller than [one millimeter] in size (such as microbeads) are more difficult to find... more sophisticated technology is required to conclusively identify them."