Signals from the Storm - 2 July 2025
Lots of news this week, as ever... Jury's still out if the Big Beautiful Bill will destroy the clean energy industry in America...
Programming note: There will be no article this Friday, July 4th, as I take some time off to celebrate Independence Day. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend filled with good food and good company! I'll be back with fresh environmental news and updates on Monday, July 7th!
Tiny creatures, massive impact: How zooplankton store 65 million tonnes of carbon annually (Science Daily) - Zooplankton in the Southern Ocean transport around 65 million tonnes of carbon annually to deep waters through seasonal vertical migrations, a previously underestimated process that significantly contributes to global carbon sequestration and demands inclusion in climate models.
This breakthrough turns old tech into pure gold — No mercury, no cyanide, just light and salt (Science Daily) - Researchers at Flinders University have developed a mercury- and cyanide-free gold extraction method using a water-disinfection compound and light-activated polymer, enabling high-purity gold recovery from ore and e-waste with minimal environmental impact.
Introducing the Land Healing Stewards Initiative (raincoast.org) - The Land Healing Stewards Initiative blends ecological restoration with community-based education to protect endangered Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystems in British Columbia, center Indigenous knowledge, and build long-term stewardship through immersive land and sea expeditions with youth and local partners.
Most People Worldwide Support a Carbon Tax—Even If They're Paying It (theenergymix.com) - A global survey of over 40,000 people across 20 countries found strong support for a carbon tax that redistributes wealth to lower-emitting nations, with most respondents—even in high-income countries—willing to pay more personally if it helps fight climate change and poverty simultaneously.
'Upcycled' food is on the rise – here's what you need to know (The Conversation) - Upcycled food—made from ingredients rescued from waste streams like spent grains or fruit pulp—is gaining popularity as a sustainability solution, but concerns remain over minimal content requirements, unclear labeling, and higher costs that may mislead consumers without stronger regulations and transparency.
80% Of Registered Voters Support Funding Renewable Energy, New Yale-GMU Study (Forbes) - A new Yale-GMU study shows overwhelming bipartisan support among U.S. registered voters for renewable energy funding, climate action, and environmental protections, highlighting strong public opposition to proposed rollbacks of clean energy investments and related federal programs.
Breaking Down Compostable Bags (Sierra Club) - Compostable bags can effectively support food waste reduction and soil health when certified and properly used, but their breakdown depends on composting conditions, and inconsistent acceptance by composting services highlights the need for clearer standards and consumer guidance.
Life in the Everglades: Big Cypress and its people (Miami Herald) - Residents, Indigenous leaders, and environmental advocates living near the proposed “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades are fiercely opposing the project, citing threats to the fragile ecosystem, disrespect for Indigenous lands, and mischaracterizations of their vibrant, resilient swamp community.
Trump administration faces legal action over federal cuts on manatee protection (Miami Herald) - The Center for Biological Diversity has filed notice of legal action against the Trump administration for staff cuts at Florida's Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, arguing the reductions threaten already vulnerable manatees by undermining oversight and protections amid growing environmental stressors.
A year after Helene, river guides in Appalachia navigate a new world (Grist) - Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene devastated central Appalachia, river guides like Heather Ellis are navigating a transformed landscape, as climate-driven floods reshape beloved waterways, destabilize outdoor economies, and push communities to rebuild both physically and emotionally amid ongoing uncertainty.
Five Years After Pennsylvania's Landmark Fracking Report, Its Public Health Goals Remain Largely Unmet, Groups Say (Inside Climate News) - Five years after a Pennsylvania grand jury issued eight recommendations to reduce fracking’s public health risks, environmental groups say the state has made little progress on most goals, citing inaction on chemical disclosures, setback distances, waste regulation, and health protections, despite some regulatory improvements and ongoing political gridlock.
Warming temperatures threaten the short-and-sweet lychee season (Miami Herald) - Rising winter temperatures driven by climate change are threatening South Florida’s lychee production by disrupting the fruit’s dormancy and pollination cycles, shortening its already brief season, and pushing growers to consider relocating groves farther north where cooler winters are becoming more favorable.
Thousands of families can't afford this free weatherization program (Grist) - Thousands of low-income households are being excluded from the federal Weatherization Assistance Program because they can’t afford costly prerequisite home repairs, leaving them in unsafe conditions and missing out on energy savings, health benefits, and critical climate resilience.
What Are the Environmental Impacts of Artificial Intelligence? (Union of Concerned Scientists) - Artificial intelligence relies on energy- and water-intensive data centers that significantly contribute to carbon emissions, air pollution, and water stress, with the environmental and health burdens falling disproportionately on low-income communities while regulatory oversight remains limited.
The Season of Our Growing Discontent (Circle of Blue) -Intensifying heat, drought, wildfires, storms, and water shortages are turning summer into the most dangerous season across the Northern Hemisphere, exposing fragile infrastructure, stressing ecosystems, and revealing the mounting global risks of a warming planet.
How Gut Bacteria Change After Exposure to Pesticides (Environmental News Network) - A new study from Ohio State University maps how over a dozen pesticides alter specific human gut bacteria, revealing changes in growth, nutrient processing, and inflammation, and suggesting potential probiotic strategies to mitigate health risks.
N.C. Has Allowed a Likely Carcinogen Into Three Rivers Serving 900,000 People (Inside Climate News) - North Carolina city Asheboro and plastics manufacturer StarPet are being sued for discharging the likely carcinogen 1,4-dioxane into rivers that supply drinking water to 900,000 people, amid years of regulatory failures, legal loopholes, and political resistance that have allowed the pollution to persist and escalate.
IRA repeal would have four really bad consequences (Citizens' Climate Lobby) - Repealing the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits would raise household energy costs, undermine U.S. manufacturing and job growth, weaken energy security amid rising demand, and increase pollution that threatens public health and the climate.
New Orleans is sinking—and so are its $15 billion flood defenses (Science Daily) - Satellite data reveals that parts of New Orleans and its $15 billion post-Katrina flood defenses are sinking by up to two inches per year, threatening their effectiveness and underscoring the urgent need for continuous monitoring and maintenance to safeguard the city against rising sea levels and storm surges.
Colorado River states inch toward deal as Trump administration signals it may intervene (ehn.org) - As Colorado River negotiations edge toward a federal deadline, basin states weigh a new flow-based water-sharing model amid deepening drought and legal tension, while the Trump administration signals it may impose its own solution if consensus falters.
'Completely unexpected': Antarctic sea ice may be in terminal decline due to rising Southern Ocean salinity (The Conversation) - Antarctic sea ice may be in irreversible decline due to an unexpected rise in Southern Ocean salinity, which disrupts ocean layering, draws heat to the surface, and triggers a feedback loop accelerating ice melt, global warming, and ecosystem collapse.
New Senate GOP bill would kill clean power and spike energy costs (Canary Media) - The GOP’s so called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ targeting clean energy would impose punitive taxes and stricter deadlines on wind and solar projects, threatening tens of billions in investments, driving up electricity costs, and undermining grid reliability as power demand surges and fossil fuel infrastructure lags behind.
Where There's Fire, There's Smoke (Environmental News Network) - Harvard researchers have developed an online tool that estimates health risks from wildfire smoke exposure to help communities prioritize fire management strategies and reduce future smoke-related health impacts.
What Would Happen if the Amazon Rainforest Dried Out? A Decades-Long Experiment Has Some Answers (theenergymix.com) - A 24-year Amazon drought experiment shows that long-term rainfall loss causes significant tree death and carbon release, shifting the rainforest from a carbon sink to a source, though it hasn’t yet transformed into savanna, highlighting both the forest's resilience and its vulnerability to climate change.
Water Contaminant Levels Can Remain High for Eight Years After a Wildfire, Study Finds (EcoWatch) - A new study finds that wildfire pollution can significantly degrade water quality for up to eight years, with contaminants like nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon, and sediment reaching levels hundreds of times higher than pre-fire conditions, posing long-term challenges for water management amid intensifying climate-driven wildfires.
Ancient Himalayan village relocates as climate shifts reshape daily life (Mongabay) - The Himalayan village of Samjung in Nepal was abandoned after disappearing snowfall, dried-up streams, and a devastating flood made life untenable, forcing residents to relocate as accelerating climate change reshapes the region's landscape and livelihoods.
Does climate change make tornadoes more common in Florida? (Miami Herald) - As hurricanes grow stronger and more intense due to climate change, they may also be spawning more tornadoes farther from their center, raising safety concerns in regions like Florida where storms can cause deadly tornado outbreaks even hundreds of miles from landfall.
Lawsuit filed against Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades (Miami Herald) - Environmental groups are suing to block the construction of the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center in the Everglades, arguing it threatens endangered wildlife and wetlands, bypassed required environmental reviews, and lacks legal authority under Florida law.