A Louisiana-based oil company will pay $43 million in civil penalties and damages and $432 million to a clean-up trust fund over a spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: Taylor Energy's former Gulf of Mexico offshore oil production facility is the source of the longest-running oil spill in U.S. history, ongoing since 2004, per a Department of Justice statement.
SUVs' share of the global auto market reached fresh records this year, growth that counters the climate benefits of the growing vehicle electrification, the International Energy Agency said.
The big picture: "In 2021, SUVs are on course to account for more than 45% of global car sales — setting a new record in terms of both volume and market share," IEA analysts write in a new post.
Dutch billionaire Steven Schuurman, who co-founded and led Elastic, a data and analytics firm, is donating $1.5 million to two prominent youth climate groups: Fridays for Future and Earth Uprising.
Why it matters: Youth-led activism serves a unique and powerful role in the climate movement, acting as a moral voice for future generations while prompting sustained, widespread media attention.
The Biden administration announced Tuesday it has approved two major solar projects on federal land in California's desert and moved to solicit interest in more solar power developments in other Western states.
