The 50 Biggest Stories About the Environment in 2020
By Madison Troyer, Stacker News
On 12/31/20 at 1:00 PM EST
Two things dominated the news cycle in 2020: the coronavirus pandemic, and the 2020 presidential election. But these weren t the only noteworthy events of the year. Plenty of other significant things happened, especially in the environment and climate change spheres.
A handful of years ago, some of the world s leading scientists declared 2020 a critical year in the fight against climate change. Back in 2015, this declaration brought nearly 200 countries together to develop the Paris Climate Agreement, a pledge to reduce worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, and keep rising global temperatures in check. While the agreement had been successful in its mission so far, scientists say that it s not enough. More must be done to keep the world from becoming an uninhabitable hellscape, including wide-ranging public policies, checks on corporate emissions, and changes in the wa
Kathryn Scott, special to Colorado Politics Bernie Sanders campaign volunteer Drew Romano, 25, from Boulder erupts in cheers inside the Bernie Sanders Colorado Headquarters as Sanders is reported to have won the Colorado Democratic primary. Voters take to the polls and ballots are counted during the Super Tuesday primary on March 3, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. Colorado shares a Super Tuesday primary with 14 other states and territories.
Kathryn Scott, Special to The Denver Gazette
Ernest Luning, The Denver Gazette
Kathryn Scott, Special to The Gazette
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post Pool
Gov -elect Gianforte can protect state s outdoor dollars | Columnists helenair.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from helenair.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
For Immediate Release Wednesday, December 30, 2020
DENVER Environment America, a national nonpartisan network of state environmental groups, contributed to numerous environmental victories in 2020. The organization is looking ahead to spurring more environmental progress at the federal and state levels.
“We enter 2021 with hope for a brighter and healthier year,”
said Environment America’s Acting President Wendy Wendlandt. “With a new presidential administration and state and local governments showing leadership, we are optimistic we can continue to slash emissions from our cars and trucks, transition more of our cities and states to 100 percent renewable energy, conserve our wild spaces, reduce plastic waste and ensure Americans have clean water.”
Published: Wednesday, December 30, 2020
David Bernhardt. Photo credit: Francis Chung/E&E News
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Capitol Hill in March. Francis Chung/E&E News
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt started off 2020 empowering his most controversial public lands deputy, a move that a federal judge later deemed unlawful. He s ending the year in quarantine, having tested positive for COVID-19.
In between these bleak-sounding bookends, the 51-year-old Bernhardt rewrote how the Interior Department works. While the results get mixed reviews, and in some cases may get erased by the incoming Biden administration, 2020 was undeniably consequential for the department.
Endangered Species Act rules changed. Refuge hunting opportunities expanded. The Bureau of Land Management s headquarters moved. Some environmental protections were loosened. Ethics officers were reinforced, tribal trust responsibilities were reconfigured and workers got sent home.