Oil has empowered capitalism and some of the world’s most exploitative regimes. Move away from it and we can solve some of the key issues we face, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot.
The move happened as the agency shed thousands of workers. Critics and ex-employees say the administrative staff driven out were crucial for maintaining operations.
The transfer of federal forest land in Arizona to a pair of international companies that plan to mine one of the largest copper deposits in North America is complete.
Oklahoma took on an ambitious project to catalog all of the state’s injection wells, which shoot toxic waste generated by oil drilling back into the ground. Despite records showing risk of drinking water pollution, the state chose not to act.
The $5 billion project in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to help produce up to 10 billion barrels of oil by the end of this decade. Critics say it could endanger people and marine life.
The state concluded there is “no current cause for concern.” Experts worried about the long-term impacts of fracking waste say more research is required.
