Space X and Starlink satellites
Credit: ANIRUDH/Unsplash

Musk’s Starlink launches spark calls from scientists for a federal review of environmental risks

A coalition of over 100 researchers is urging the federal government to halt new low-orbit satellite launches, including Musk’s Starlink, until environmental impacts are thoroughly studied.

Sarah Fortinsky reports for The Hill.


In short:

  • Researchers wrote to the FCC, warning that low-orbit satellites could cause environmental harm, including atmospheric pollution from reentry burns.
  • The letter highlights the lack of current regulatory review and the FCC’s "first-come, first-served" licensing, which prioritizes commercial over environmental considerations.
  • They call for the FCC to end its satellite environmental review exemption and encourage international collaboration to manage orbital space.

Key quote:

“The environmental harms of launching and burning up so many satellites aren’t clear. That’s because the federal government hasn’t conducted an environmental review to understand the impacts.”

— Researchers’ letter to the FCC

Why this matters:

Unchecked satellite launches risk introducing pollutants into the atmosphere and increasing space debris, posing threats to both Earth’s environment and the long-term safety of space exploration. Without regulatory changes, private entities could determine the environmental fate of space without accountability.

elon musk

Musk’s growing influence could shape US mining policy

Elon Musk’s proximity to Donald Trump could give him an outsized role in shaping critical mineral policy as the U.S. tackles supply chain challenges for electric vehicles.

Hannah Northey reports for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
pile of garbage

Global treaty to curb plastic pollution faces final negotiations

Delegates from more than 170 nations are meeting in South Korea to negotiate a treaty to reduce plastic pollution, but debates over production caps and enforcement could derail the effort.

Douglas Main reports for The New Lede.

Keep reading...Show less
animated electric car charging

California plans EV subsidies to offset potential federal tax credit repeal

California Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged to revive state-level subsidies for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration removes the federal EV tax credit, which provides up to $7,500 per vehicle.

Ian Duncan and Patrick Svitek report for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
person getting a shot

Climate change worsens disease threats while straining vaccine effectiveness

Global warming is enabling the spread of diseases like dengue and cholera while disrupting vaccine effectiveness and distribution, experts say.

Kiley Price reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
Paris

The Paris climate goals falter as fossil fuels thrive

A decade after the Paris Agreement, fossil fuel expansion and weak enforcement of climate goals have kept global warming on course to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius, exposing the limits of current strategies.

Lylla Younes reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
Tesla vehicle

Elon Musk leverages ties with Trump and Xi for Tesla’s success

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s relationships with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping position him to influence U.S.-China trade dynamics as tensions escalate over tariffs and EV supply chains.

Amy Hawkins reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
indigenous carving of a bird

Indigenous leader advocates for climate policy rooted in land stewardship

Eriel Tchekwie Deranger argues that addressing the climate crisis requires dismantling colonial systems and embracing Indigenous governance, which prioritizes sustainability, cultural connection, and equitable coexistence with nature.

Keridwen Cornelius reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
unions climate justice

Op-ed: The common ground between labor and climate justice is the key to a livable future

The tale of “jobs versus the environment” does not capture the full story.

Union workers from SEIU holding climate protest signs at a rally in Washington DC

El terreno común entre los derechos laborales y la justicia climática es la clave de un futuro habitable

La narrativa de “empleos vs. proteger el medio ambiente” no cuenta la historia completa.

unions and labor movement

LISTEN: Pradnya Garud on the role of unions in climate justice

“They’ve been able to combine forces and really come forward to bring social and environmental change.”

People advocating against the US hydrogen hub build out

Hydrogen hubs test new federal environmental justice rules

A massive push for hydrogen energy is one of the first test cases of new federal environmental justice initiatives. Communities and advocates so far give the feds a failing grade.

photos of people protesting the hydrogen hub buildout

What’s hampering federal environmental justice efforts in the hydrogen hub build-out?

“Organizational change in large bureaucracies takes time.”

photos of people protesting the hydrogen hub buildout

Los obstáculos para garantizar la justicia ambiental en los centros de hidrógeno federales

“El cambio organizacional en las grandes burocracias lleva tiempo”.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.