Two protesters holding a sign that says Keystone XL Pipeline not in our national interest.

Keystone oil pipeline leaks again in North Dakota, adding to long list of failures

A leak in the Keystone oil pipeline has spilled 3,500 barrels of crude in North Dakota, marking the 23rd spill in its 15-year history.

Josh Funk reports for The Associated Press.

In short:

The Keystone oil pipeline, built in 2010 by TC Energy and now operated by South Bow, leaked again Tuesday, releasing 3,500 barrels of oil in North Dakota.
The pipeline has had 23 total spills, including a 2022 rupture in Kansas that was the largest U.S. onshore oil spill in nearly a decade.
Investigators blame many of the spills on flawed construction, poor welds, and original design issues identified in government and safety agency reports.

Key quote:

“Keystone’s incident history illustrates the problematic pipeline’s systemic issues.”

— Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust

Why this matters:

The Keystone pipeline has long been a flashpoint in the debate over fossil fuels, not just for its contribution to carbon emissions but for its persistent vulnerability to leaks — failures that have environmental and public health consequences well beyond the immediate site. Compounds like benzene, toluene, and heavy metals are released when spills occur, creating particular health risks for people living nearby. With each rupture, the pipeline reveals deeper structural issues: aging materials, regulatory blind spots, and a fundamental tension between energy infrastructure built for a carbon-heavy past and a climate reality demanding urgent transition.

apnews.com

Credit: Douglas Fischer

One lawyer's groundbreaking work in shaping climate law

As governments stall and emissions climb, human rights lawyers like Monica Feria-Tinta are turning to the courts to force climate action — one tree, island, or river at a time.

Samira Shackle reports for The Guardian.

In short:

Feria-Tinta is pioneering legal strategies that argue climate inaction violates human rights, helping Indigenous and vulnerable communities take their cases to global courts.
Her work includes landmark victories like the Torres Strait case, where the United Nations ruled Australia failed to protect islanders from climate harm, and Ecuador’s Los Cedros forest, which won legal rights as a living entity.
While legal wins are often slow and hard-fought, they’re shifting the global legal landscape, transforming courts into battlegrounds where climate justice and biodiversity now have a voice.

Key quote:

“Whether it’s a single tree, or a whole community depending on a river, what is at stake is the future of humanity.”

— Monica Feria-Tinta

Why this matters:

As heat, floods, and displacement intensify, the courtroom has become a potent line of defense. Climate litigation can hold powerful players accountable, push policy change, and help protect the ecosystems our health depends on — even when other systems fail. These legal wins are slow, complex, and anything but guaranteed. But they’re a signal that the courtroom is becoming one of the last places where the planet still stands a fighting chance.

Read the Full Article on

www.ehn.org

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.

Keystone oil pipeline leaks again in North Dakota, adding to long list of failures

One lawyer's groundbreaking work in shaping climate law

Electric vehicles are helping Nepal clean up its deadly air

California tribes rekindle ancient fire traditions to heal the land and themselves

EPA stalls civil rights enforcement as pollution complaints pile up

Trump moves to block state climate rules and lawsuits tied to fossil fuel emissions

EPA move to end climate emissions tracking leaves public in the dark

Trump’s pick for EPA general counsel lacks regulatory and courtroom experience but moves ahead in Senate vote

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.