World

Democrats fail to block Arctic reserve oil drilling

By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday failed to pass a measure to block oil and gas drilling in part of the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, losing to Republicans who believe production there would provide jobs and wealth. An amendment blocking the development failed 48-52, mostly along party lines. A lone […]

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Study links pollution to millions of deaths worldwide

LONDON (Reuters) – Pollution is killing millions of people worldwide, mostly through the diseases it causes including heart conditions, strokes and lung cancer, according to a large international study. Almost all pollution-related deaths – around 92 percent – are in poor or middle-income countries, the research found. And in rapidly industrializing countries such as India, […]

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California Dept of Insurance estimates wildfires losses at $1.05 billion

By Suzanne Barlyn and Sangameswaran S (Reuters) – The California Department of Insurance said on Thursday its preliminary estimate for insured wildfire losses was $1.05 billion, based on claims received by the state’s eight largest insurers, adding that it expected the numbers to rise. Insurers have received 601 claims for commercial property losses, 4,177 claims […]

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U.S. House members ask EPA not to lower biofuels requirements

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A group of 22 members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked the Environmental Protection Agency in a letter on Thursday not to lower some requirements for mixing biofuels into the country’s fuel supply, but also not to let ethanol exports qualify for renewable fuel credits, according to a copy of […]

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China’s President Xi says will continue years-long war on smog

BEIJING (Reuters) – China will keep up its years-long battle against smog to ensure “blue skies” and promote a “revolution” in clean energy, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of a key Communist Party congress. Improving the notoriously toxic air across the northern regions of the world’s second-largest economy has been […]

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Dutch will miss 2020 green energy, climate targets: report

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Netherlands will miss 2020 targets for renewable energy production and greenhouse gas emissions despite new investments in wind power, according to a government review published on Thursday. Based on current projections, green schemes will produce 12.4 percent of the Dutch energy supply by that year, below a 14-percent target agreed with […]

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South Sudan rebel groups clash, at least three dead

By Jason Patinkin KAMPALA (Reuters) – South Sudanese rebel groups fought each other this week in a strategic area near the Ugandan border leaving at least three dead, rebels said. The clashes broke out on Tuesday and Wednesday in Kajo Keji between two groups: one loyal to former army general Thomas Cirillo and one loyal […]

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‘Save the dung beetle!’ Global science chief says biodiversity vital

By Alister Doyle OSLO (Reuters) – Governments should extend the protection of nature far beyond iconic creatures such as tigers and elephants to species including worms and beetles that are vital to human prosperity, the chair of a global scientific project said on Thursday. “We are trying to … put biodiversity and ecosystems on the […]

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Trump ‘committed’ to U.S. renewable fuels: Iowa governor

(This story corrects ninth paragraph to say that refiners want exported ethanol to qualify for renewable credits, not exported fuel blended with ethanol.) By David Shepardson and Jarrett Renshaw WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump sought to ease concerns on Wednesday that his administration would make major alterations to biofuels policy, telling Iowa’s governor […]

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EU agrees measure to safeguard carbon market from Brexit

By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU lawmakers and member states have agreed ways to safeguard the carbon market if Britain leaves the emissions trading scheme as a result of Brexit. The deal seeks to prevent a mass selloff in the carbon market if British companies suddenly find themselves out of it. Britain is the […]

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Barrick Gold and Tanzania reach agreement, govt to take stake in mines

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – Barrick Gold has agreed that Tanzania will own a 16 percent stake in three gold mines operated by Barrick’s Acacia Mining Plc, the company and a government minister announced on Thursday. Barrick Chairman John Thornton told a news conference in the Tanzanian capital that the company had also agreed to […]

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South Africa commits to shale gas despite adverse court ruling

By Wendell Roelf CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South Africa’s mineral resources minister said on Thursday the government remains committed to shale gas exploration despite a court order revoking fracking regulations that pushes back plans to award the first exploration licenses by 2019. Farmers lobby AgriSA had said earlier that the High Court had issued an […]

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