Heavy rain and snow are forecasted this week to hit the West Coast, where states are enduring a heavy drought, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that the state is facing "its worst drought since the late 1800s." While the precipitation will help address it, it will not be enough to entirely fix it.
The Environmental Protection Agency said Monday it will tighten pollution standards for cars and light trucks in an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles.
Why it matters: Transportation overall is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, so tougher standards for passenger vehicles are a major part of efforts to curb CO2 output.
Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) declaration Sunday that he opposes President Biden's signature climate and social policy legislation makes the administration's task of meeting its climate goals far more difficult.
Why it matters: The setback to slashing emissions comes as scientists say time is running out to avoid far worse impacts from global warming.
Post-COVID revival of businesses conferences could bring substantial carbon emissions, but planners can curb the impact while still enabling lots of in-person interaction, new analysis shows.
Driving the news: The paper in Nature Communications attempts a holistic look at the resource footprint of conferences, looking at travel and food demands for big in-person events, but also energy needed for remote communications, to name a few big categories.
General Motors has begun deliveries of two new electric models to customers: the GMC Hummer, and the EV600 van, the first offering from its BrightDrop commercial delivery vehicles business.
Driving the news: GM said Friday that FedEx, which has ordered 500 electric delivery vehicles from the recently created BrightDrop unit, received the first five.
A key input to the batteries that power electric vehicles and smartphones has more than tripled in price this year, as investment in the EV industry skyrockets.
Why it matters: Lithium carbonate is one material needed to create lithium-ion batteries. Battery packs for EVs can cost several thousand dollars, and keeping their costs down is one part of making EVs more affordable.
Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) decision Sunday to oppose President Biden's signature climate and social policy legislation imperils the administration's climate goals.
Why it matters: The package contained more than $300 billion in tax incentives for electric vehicles, clean energy deployment and other measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation was considered integral to achieving U.S. climate targets under the Paris Agreement.
