Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of the summer travel season and that means a lot of driving and flying. When discussing greenhouse gas emissions, the focus is usually on cars and trucks since they generate the most. But the aviation sector is under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien
California sues oil companies for exacerbating climate change
California claims the five biggest oil and gas companies knew that using their products led to climate change, but then spent decades misleading the public. The lawsuit says extreme weather fueled by climate change has caused billions of dollars in damages in the state and these companies should pay for some of that damage. California
Government eyes more coal regulations as black lung cases sharply rise among miners
We often use the black humor that “our electeds treat Sea-Tac Airport like electeds in West Virginia treat coal miners.” And this article shows exactly what we mean. The best we can seem to do for coal miners is to do something called ‘mitigation’, ie. treating their symptoms. Miners routinely kill themselves to feed their
What the shakeups, legal losses for fossil fuel companies mean for climate change efforts
Three major oil and gas firms — ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron — suffered hits in court and among their own investors Wednesday, amid pressure for businesses and governments to seriously curtail emissions that drive climate change. William Brangham explores the significance of the hits with Dr. Leah Stokes, a political scientist with expertise
Americans are flying much less during the pandemic. Will airlines survive?
U.S. airlines are sending out warnings about huge financial losses and urgently requesting help. Tens of thousands of flights for the fall have been canceled, and change fees have been eliminated in order to attract travelers. Meanwhile, flight staff and security are being drawn into arguments with passengers who refuse to comply with mask mandates.