Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with energy-producing countries gathered in Doha, Qatar, for an increase in the supply of oil and natural gas exports to Europe, the Associated Press reported.
More than 1,000 residents were evacuated on Saturday after the Philippines' Taal volcano spewed a 1.5-kilometer plume, Reuters reports.
Driving the news: The Taal volcano, located approximately 45 miles south of central Manila, received a level 3 alert on a 5-level scale. That means "there is magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions," per Reuters.
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is suffering its sixth mass bleaching event due to heat waves caused by climate change, scientists said Friday.
Driving the news: At least 750 reefs show widespread bleaching, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) said.
Scientists said Friday that an ice shelf the size of New York City has collapsed in East Antarctica after record high temperatures.
Why it matters: This marks the first time in human history that an ice shelf collapsed in the region, which had long been considered stable and less vulnerable to climate change. If the water frozen in East Antarctica melts, it would raise sea levels more than 160 feet around the world, according to AP.
Chick-fil-A and Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the owner of Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, pledged this week to eliminate the use of "forever chemicals" in food packaging.
Why it matters: These extremely durable synthetic chemicals, which can last for hundreds of years without breaking down, are used in hundreds of consumer goods and have been linked to adverse health effects in humans and animals by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The White House is looking to thread a policy needle by embracing more U.S. liquefied natural gas shipments to Europe while insisting it's not backing off its commitment to fighting climate change.
Driving the news: On Friday, U.S. and European leaders announced a task force focused on helping to cut the EU's heavy reliance on Russian fossil fuels and boosting clean energy.
The "smart home" of the future may be fully or partially energy self-sufficient, equipped with a charging station that not only powers your electric vehicle, but could serve as a backup generator if the electricity goes out.
Why it matters: One of the great promises of smart home technology is resilience — the idea that we might wean our dependence on the power grid by building in solar capabilities and relying more on stored battery power.
