Suncor oilsands wetlands impacts

Suncor fires back at critics of wetland severing plan

Alberta Wilderness Association wants the oil giant’s Fort Hills expansion to be reconsidered, saying there’s no evidence it can mine half the area and leave the other unharmed. Drew Anderson reports forThe Narwhal.

In a nutshell:

At issue are the McClelland Lake peatlands and Suncor's untested plan to split the unmined protected areas and mined areas with a wall - a plan that was actually approved more than 20 years ago but never implemented. The Alberta Wilderness Association, citing flawed data, is requesting reconsideration of the permit. Suncor argues that there are no grounds for reconsideration.

Key quote:

Suncor “submits that the Alberta Energy Regulator should decline to exercise its extraordinary power of reconsideration, and requests that the [regulator] dismiss the Alberta Wilderness Association’s request without further process.”

Big picture:

Oil giant Suncor wields enormous power in fossil-fuel-friendly Alberta, even helping the Canadian government draft climate change strategy. When it comes to permitting, Suncor is well-financed, well-lawyered, and well-connected. The oilsands behemoth routinely brushes off critics and challenges. Could this time be different?

Read the full story in The Narwahl.

Read more about Suncor and the Alberta oilsands:

An NOAA truck with a weather satellite on the back.

Trump’s government cuts disrupt NOAA forecasts and data collection

President Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce have triggered firings, operational cuts, and email security problems at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Oliver Milman reports for The Guardian.

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.
Courtroom with a jury box and judge's bench.
Credit: Pixabay

Trump EPA’s fraud claims stall in court as green bank funding freeze drags on

Federal court documents reveal the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump has yet to produce evidence of fraud in a $20 billion climate grant program it moved to freeze earlier this year.

Lisa Friedman and Claire Brown report for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
Person wearing green jacket with the word Greenpeace on the back.

Greenpeace verdict over pipeline protest defamation could spell problems for environmental activism and speech

A North Dakota jury found Greenpeace defamed pipeline builder Energy Transfer during protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, awarding $250 million in defamation damages. What does it mean for environmental activism and free speech?

Karen Zraick reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
A petrochemical plant on the water at nighttime.

Petrochemical industry struggles with overcapacity, rising costs, and shaky green investments

Executives at a Houston conference warned that global overbuilding, slow economic growth, and policy uncertainty are shaking the foundation of the petrochemical industry as it faces pressure to go greener.

Alexander Tullo reports for Chemical & Engineering News.

Keep reading...Show less
Wind turbines in grass field during golden hour.

Texas lawmakers move to restrict growth of wind and solar power

Texas and other Republican-led states are advancing legislation that could slow or block new renewable energy projects, as political momentum shifts back toward fossil fuels.

David Montgomery reports for Stateline.

Keep reading...Show less
Rusty pipes sitting on wooden dock over a water source with hills in the background.

B.C. regulator quietly let oil company delay decommissioning 4,300 pipelines

British Columbia’s energy regulator granted Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. a long-term exemption from pipeline decommissioning rules without public disclosure, raising concerns about transparency and industry influence.

Matt Simmons and Zak Vescera report for The Narwhal.

Keep reading...Show less
Blue 18-wheeler truck parked on pavement.

Illinois weighs bold move to curb diesel truck pollution across the state

Illinois may adopt California’s clean truck rules to cut diesel emissions, despite President Trump’s efforts to block state-level climate standards.

Kari Lydersen reports for Canary Media.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

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.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

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

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

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.

joe biden

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

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.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

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