An explosion at a chemical plant in northern Illinois caused a massive fire that could burn for days and prompted evacuations of nearby residents, the Associated Press reports.
The state of play: The incident in Rockton occurred at the Chemtool Inc. plant, which produces "fluids, lubricants and greases" for a variety of different industries, per NBC 13.
A punishing mid-June heat wave is set to scorch much of the Southwest and West this week, with Las Vegas potentially eclipsing its highest temperature on record, which stands at 117°F.
Why it matters: The heat will build in a region that is experiencing a record drought, leading to dangerous fire weather conditions, high power demands, and causing water supplies to dwindle further. The heat itself could prove deadly.
Battery recycling startup Redwood Materials is amping up expansion plans, including adding more than 500 new manufacturing jobs in Nevada, as the United States gets serious about supporting a shift to electric vehicles.
Why it matters: The news coincides with an event being hosted today by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to dive into the DOE's newly released blueprint for the lithium battery supply chain.
Leaders of the G7 agreed to a sweeping new agenda over the weekend. But while the communique they issued is lofty in goals, it lacks crucial details on climate.
Why it matters: The G7's paucity of specifics on climate finance and domestic coal consumption, in particular, calls into question the ability of the wealthiest nations to take sufficient action on global warming.
The Pine Island Glacier on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is responsible for more than a quarter of Antarctica's contribution to global sea level rise over the past decades. Now, a new study shows it is more vulnerable to rapid melting than thought, because climate change is weakening its natural braking system.
Why it matters: At stake is the future of a glacier containing about 160 trillion tons of ice, which if it were all to melt into the ocean would cause about 1.6 feet of global sea level rise.
A gas pipe explosion in the central Chinese city of Shiyan on Sunday morning killed at least 12 people and wounded 138 others, 37 critically, Reuters reports, citing state media. Many were trapped, according to CNN.
The big picture: 155 people were evacuated from the city in Hubei province, as images posted to social media showed buildings flattened. Authorities have yet to announce the cause of the blast, but AP notes that "frequent deadly accidents" are usually linked to factors including poor safety standards.
G7 leaders are set to announce Sunday a range of measures to tackle climate change, including "ending almost all direct government support" for fossil fuels and phasing out gasoline and diesel cars.
Driving the news: The plan was outlined in a British government announcement Saturday, which states that the leaders will also agree to halting "all unabated coal as soon as possible."
