
theintercept.com
16 November 2020
Documents detail TigerSwan infiltration of Standing Rock
North Dakota’s private security regulator said a trove of company documents showed TigerSwan’s denials were “willfully false and misleading.”
In the UK, three indie bookstores are blending climate action and storytelling to help readers find hope, connection, and purpose in the face of planetary crisis.
In short:
Key quote:
“The way we see it, books are the starting points of action making and of change making.”
— Jessica Gaitán Johannesson, digital campaigns manager, Lighthouse Bookshop
Why this matters:
These British indie bookstores are rewriting what it means to be a sanctuary in the age of climate unraveling. They aren’t just places to thumb through a paperback and grab a quiet cup of tea — they’re building community, serving as an incubator for constructive action, and providing lifeboats for the eco-anxious, curated by booksellers who are part therapist, part activist, and part literary matchmaker.
Read more: Unconventional pathways to science with Dr. Katharine Hayhoe
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Maryland just became the first U.S. state to meet the “30 by 30” conservation goal — six years early — and it's already aiming for 40% by 2040.
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Key quote:
“Being able to sequester carbon and mitigate climate impacts makes us more resilient in the face of climate change.”
— Josh Kurtz, secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Why this matters:
As federal goals falter, states like Maryland show what’s possible when conservation and economic growth work hand in hand. More than preserving pretty places, Maryland's land protections encompass carbon sinks, wildlife habitats, natural water filters, and buffers against the intensifying wrath of climate change. What’s even more unusual is how they got here — not with grandstanding or greenwashing, but with something increasingly rare: bipartisan cooperation.
Read more:
Pollution is one of the top drivers of biodiversity loss. Why is no one talking about it at COP16?
As the Trump administration sharpens its attacks on environmental nonprofits, Earthjustice president Abigail Dillen warns the movement is under threat like never before.
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Key quote:
“There is, I think, something larger in play, which is that climate solutions are going to drive significant changes in our economy and the president is choosing to throw in with powerful incumbent industries rather than allowing for fair competition in the country. And one part of justifying this approach publicly is to silence groups who are effectively lifting up the reality of climate change and the urgent need to address it."
— Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice
Why this matters:
The federal government is moving beyond rollbacks to retribution. In a moment that feels ripped from the paranoia of the McCarthy era — only this time, the stakes are climate collapse and clean air — Dillen is raising the alarm as environmental nonprofits increasingly find themselves at the sharp end of criminal investigations and smear campaigns.
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Pope Francis turned the climate crisis into a global moral reckoning, but as the planet warms, his loss leaves a gaping hole in the fight for climate justice.
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Key quote:
“I now think the fight against climate change is lost. I see a huge vacuum, and I don’t know who is going to fill it.”
— Veerabhadran Ramanathan, member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Why this matters:
With Laudato Si, Pope Francis' groundbreaking 2015 encyclical, he flipped the script on how faith, morality, and science could converge to confront an overheating planet. He became perhaps the closest thing we have had to a climate prophet, reminding a fractured world that our war on nature was a war on the poor.
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Even as the Trump administration moves to expand fossil fuels and slash climate regulations, clean energy industries are accelerating beyond the reach of political backlash.
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Why this matters:
The global shift toward clean energy marks one of the most consequential transitions of our time, affecting everything from job markets and economic growth to geopolitical power and public health. As fossil fuels face declining returns, renewables are proving cheaper, cleaner, and more resilient.
Yet politics, especially in the U.S., remains a major wildcard. The Trump administration’s efforts to revive coal, streamline oil drilling, and dismantle climate safeguards may slow federal progress, but the economics of clean energy are increasingly winning out. Utility-scale solar, battery storage, and electric vehicle adoption continue to expand because they’re more profitable — not just more sustainable. The story isn’t whether the clean energy revolution is happening — it is. The question is whether the U.S. will keep up.
Related: Solar tax credit trading brings clean energy to underserved communities — but faces political risk
Amid a sweeping purge of U.S. government websites, scientists and activists are racing to archive vital health and climate data before it vanishes.
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Key quote:
“It’s stunning to me that, at a time when we’re seeing more intense hurricanes, greater rainfall extremities, more drought, more wildfires – why at that point would we ever imagine cutting the science that is key to addressing those issues, and keeping people safe?”
— Paul Bierman, geomorphologist, University of Vermont
Why this matters:
Without these datasets, researchers lose the tools to understand rising health and climate threats, from respiratory disease to extreme weather. Researchers know what’s at stake, and in basements, back rooms, and makeshift digital bunkers, scientists and volunteers are scrambling to download, duplicate, and rescue whatever they can.
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A new directive from the Interior Department will cut environmental reviews for drilling and mining projects on public lands from years to weeks, citing an emergency order from President Trump.
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Key quote:
“This is manifestly illegal if for no other reason than this is all a fake emergency. We’ll be in court, and we will challenge it.”
— Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity
Why this matters:
Federal environmental reviews are the last line of defense against unchecked industrial development on public lands and waters, ensuring projects don’t destroy wildlife habitat, pollute water, or bulldoze cultural sites before the public can weigh in. The Trump administration’s decision to bypass these protections under the guise of an emergency opens vast swaths of land — many ecologically or culturally sensitive — to fossil fuel extraction with minimal oversight. That could fast-track air and water pollution. Public comment periods often bring to light overlooked risks; eliminating that input increases the chances of long-term harm. Critics also say invoking emergency powers for non-emergency purposes sets a dangerous precedent that erodes environmental law and democratic processes.
Learn more: Bureau of Land Management removes climate and justice reviews from oil lease sale
"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”
A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations
“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”
“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.
We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.
Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.