Hawai'i's primary energy provider faces at least three lawsuits, two of which seek class action status, after catastrophic wildfires devastated the state, killing at least 99 people and destroying the historic town of Lahaina on Maui.
Why it matters: What caused the wildfires remains unknown, but the lawsuits allege they were ignited by strong winds knocking down Hawaiian Electric's energized power lines.
Workers' advocates are urging local, state and federal governments to implement safety standards to protect the physical and mental well-being of Latinos who work under unrelenting heat conditions.
Driving the news: Farmworkers — the majority of whom in the U.S. are Latino — and others who work outside are especially vulnerable to the heat waves gripping parts of the country. Farmworkers in particular are more likely to die from heat stress than other outdoor workers, studies have found.
This winter in South America has been one of the hottest on record, intensifying crises created over the last year by severe droughts, wildfires and floods in some regions.
Why it matters: The results, as depicted above, are stark. The data sheds new insights into where 2023 may rank on the list of the globe's warmest years.
Why it matters: This was the first time a U.S.judge has determined through a trial that a right to environmental protection also covers climate change.
High-stakes contract talks between the United Auto Workers and Detroit's Big 3 automakers are a tricky test of Democratic coalition politics as the EV transition marches ahead.
Driving the news: President Biden yesterday urged the Ford, GM and Stellantis to avoid plant closures as part of a wider statement on the talks.
A judge in Montana ruled on Monday that the state violated the state constitutional rights of 16 young people by promoting the use of fossil fuels and ignoring the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming and climate change.
Why it matters: The ruling, a historic first in the U.S. for environmental law, could influence thousands of other pending climate change lawsuits in the country.
The year since passage of the big climate law has brought over $100 billion in U.S. solar and storage company investments.
Why it matters: New data from the Solar Energy Industries Association — a major industry trade group — on private investment suggests the law's subsidies for manufacturing and generation are significantly boosting industry activity levels.
Oil giants are increasingly testing the waters in the nascent direct air capture (DAC) industry.
Driving the news: Chevron will receive up to $3 million to help explore feasibility of a DAC project in California, the Energy Department revealed Friday.
A climate science debate is simmering over how much of 2023's record warmth is due to human-caused factors, chiefly the burning of fossil fuels, and the role of other influences.
E-bike incentive programs have been rolled out or proposed in about two dozen states nationwide, helping to bring down out-of-pocket costs — especially for lower-income buyers.
That's according to data collected by PlanRVA, which promotes cooperation on regional planning issues among Richmond, Virginia-area communities.
Canada's military was deployed to help fight massive wildfires in the country's Far North — where evacuation orders were issued for hundreds of people due to 233 blazes burning across 5.2 million acres in the region Sunday.
The big picture: Four firefighters have died responding to wildfires in Canada this year, which have razed some 33.4 million acres in the country's worst-ever fire season.
/2023/08/13/1691963901385.gif?w=3840)
