Environment

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration this week is expected to announce new automobile emissions standards that relax proposed limits for three years but eventually reach the same strict standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency. The changes come as sales of zero-tailpipe emissions electric vehicles, needed to meet the standards, have begun to slow. The auto industry has cited lower sales growth in objecting to the EPA’s preferred standards unveiled last April as part of the most ambitious plan ever to cut…

Although consumer demand for EVs hasn't shown up in the way executives had expected, sales of the vehicles are still predicted to increase in the years to come.Andrew Merry | Moment | Getty ImagesDETROIT — The buzz around electric vehicles is wearing off.For years, the automotive industry has been in a state of EV euphoria. Automakers trotted out optimistic sales forecasts for electric models and announced ambitious targets for EV growth. Wall Street boosted valuations for legacy automakers and startup entrants alike,…

SpaceX launched the third test flight of its Starship rocket on Thursday and reached space, as the company pushed development of the mammoth vehicle past new milestones.Elon Musk's company launched Starship at about 9:25 a.m. ET from its Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas.The rocket flew further than previous tests, with the flight lasting about an hour before Starship broke up above the Indian Ocean. The company noted that the vehicle did not splash down in the water, which was the intended ending of the flight."We…

Photo: ALMANNAVARNADEILD / HANDOUT (Getty Images)This view offers a unique vantage point of the lava flows. On one side, the lava is more diffuse, and on the other side of the eruption, the molten rock forms fewer, but thicker, bands across the landscape. Photo: ALMANNAVARNADEILD / HANDOUT (Getty Images)This view offers a unique vantage point of the lava flows. On one side, the lava is more diffuse, and on the other side of the eruption, the molten rock forms fewer, but thicker, bands across the landscape. FOLLOW US…

The Audi SQ6 e-tron SUV.AudiAudi on Monday revealed its new all-electric Q6 e-tron SUV, the first production vehicle on its next-generation electric vehicle architecture.The Volkswagen-owned luxury carmaker says the new "Premium Platform Electric" opens up new levels of technology for Audi, including a rapid EV recharge time of 158 miles in 10 minutes.The vehicle ushers in the next generation of EVs for Audi, which continues to offer more all-electric and plug-in hybrid EVs despite growth slowing recently for EVs.Audi…

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.Do We Have to Send Humans to Mars for Exploration?It’s almost that magical time of year that the Humane Society of America likens to a “natural disaster.” Kitten season.“The level of emotions for months on end is so draining, said Ann Dunn, director of Oakland Animal Services, a city-run shelter in the San Francisco Bay Area. “And every year we just know it’s going to get harder.”Across the United States, summer is the height of…

The new carbon emissions feature on Uber’s app. Uber Environmentally conscious Uber riders interested in monitoring their carbon footprint can now discover the level of carbon dioxide emissions avoided if they take a trip in one of the company’s electric vehicle or hybrid options. In a bid to burnish its green credentials, Uber said on Monday it has introduced a new “Emission Savings” feature in its ridesharing app, enabling passengers around the world to track and learn more about their carbon emissions impact.…

A bill that would provide state tax rebates to draw data centers to Colorado has run into opposition from critics who warn of the facilities’ large demands for energy and water and potentially higher costs for other electric customers. The legislation would offer state sales and use tax rebates for construction materials and equipment starting in 2026. Senate Bill 24-085 declares that investing in projects such as data centers “is crucial for the economy of the future” and Colorado, considered a growing high-tech hub, is…

Extreme heat kills roughly half a million people worldwide each year, but at the current rate of global warming it could be close to five times as deadly by 2050. Then there are the indirect health risks of climate change: Chaotic weather and higher temperatures generate deadly natural disasters, bring diseases into new areas, and drive up economic insecurity and poor mental health.Governments need to act, and the Lancet Countdown—an international research collaboration that tracks how health is being impacted—is giving…

The First Street Foundation study points out that insurers could offer discounts to homeowners who take steps to fortify their homes, which would help make disasters less damaging. Moore said Florida once was a leader when it came to measures like building codes, although that has changed in recent years. The state also had lacked a disclosure policy requiring property owners to share a property’s flood history with buyers and renters.Another bill would compel landlords to inform tenants that they live in a flood zone,…