Environment | WPN World People News

On August 28, the California Assembly passed Senate Bill 100 (SB 100), legislation that will transition the state’s energy grid to 100% clean energy by 2045. California’s commitment to clean energy comes as the Trump administration is dismantling protective standards for power plants and car emissions, unleashing climate and air pollution in communities across the country. SB 100 will now go once more to the California State Senate as a formality before it heads to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.

Some of the world’s most highly-regarded climate change science, policy, research, and legal experts will appear as witnesses in the ongoing hearings by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in the Philippines on the responsibility of 47 fossil fuel companies for the global climate crisis.

Fish farmers at one of the Hung Vuong farms in the Mekong Delta catch and weigh pangasius fish before releasing them back into their ponds.

Under a settlement on August 24, announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), CertainTeed Corporation will pay $365,500 in civil penalties to resolve alleged violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) at the CertainTeed Lake Charles Polymer Plant in Westlake, Louisiana.

A project to preserve unique archaeological sites in Iraqi Kurdistan dating back up to 10,000 years is to receive investment from the UK Government’s £30 million Cultural Protection Fund, Heritage Minister Michael Ellis announced on August 24.

Hurricane Lane was downgraded to a Category 3 storm late Thursday, yet still was packing a wallop with rain and winds on Hawaii.

The National Weather Service said Lane, packing winds of up to 200 kph (124 mph), was not projected to make a direct hit on the islands yet is expected to pass near or over parts of the main Hawaiian Islands Friday.

On August 23, community members from across the country called on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to withdraw EPA’s proposal to roll back the Chemical Disaster Rule. On Friday, August 17, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency’s 20 month delay of that rule was unlawful.

Hurricane Harvey was the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, and one year later, Save the Children remains committed to supporting children who are still deeply impacted by the catastrophic storm and recovering from the emotional distress of having their worlds turned upside down.

Hurricane Lane soaked Hawaii with more than 50 centimeters (19 inches) of rain in 24 hours, and forecasters warned some areas could see up to 80 centimeters (31 inches) before the storm turns westward over the weekend.

Eastern Pacific Ocean