The court decision late last week to halt a large lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico was both nuanced and far-reaching. It is unlikely to lead to the long-term ban of future oil and gas leases both on and offshore, experts tell Axios.
Why it matters: The decision to cancel a $192 million lease sale and send it back to the Interior Department for a new environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act provides the Biden administration with some breathing room to review its leasing policies.
The weekend blizzard that slammed coastal Mid-Atlantic and New England with up to 30.9 inches of snow and howling winds is consistent with climate science research showing how the characteristics of these winter storms are changing.
Why it matters: Nor'easters have been affecting New England for generations, and they are deadly and costly. Climate change may be making these weather systems more potent.
A Columbia University researcher says pairing offshore wind with nascent tech that directly pulls carbon from the atmosphere could help maximize the benefits of both.
The big picture: Marine geophysicist David Goldberg, writing in The Conversation, says co-locating direct air capture (DAC) systems with offshore wind would ensure the systems are powered by clean energy.
Thousands of customers were without power in Massachusetts after a historic blizzard hit the region on Saturday, with Boston tying its record for the most snow to fall in one day, at 23.6 inches, and recording its sixth-largest snowstorm of all time.
The latest: Authorities in New York's Long Island have confirmed four storm-related deaths over the weekend, including two men who died shoveling snow in separate incidents in the town of Syosset.
