State Dept survey reveals despair in the ranks: ‘People do not…

A survey of workers in the U.S. State Department under President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has found that morale is at low and that employees "do not speak optimistically about the future." The Hill reported on a document obtained by the Wall Street Journal that details just how deep dissatisfaction runs in the rank and file of the State Department and U.S. diplomatic corps.

U.S. wind industry tacks as Trump shifts the political climate

Three days after Energy Secretary Rick Perry directed his staff to find ways to give a boost to coal and nuclear power, the rival wind industry kicked its lobbying response into action. The American Wind Energy Association would tap allies in Congress willing to weigh in with Perry and buy advertisements on "news channels closely followed by the Trump administration," according to a memo its leader sent to board members.

The Latest: UNHCR hopes for a generousa US refugee policy

The Latest on the Trump administration's revived travel ban for visitors from six mostly Muslim countries : The U.N. refugee agency says it hopes for a "generous approach" from the United States as the Trump administration adjusts U.S. refugee resettlement policies. Spokesman William Spindler of UNHCR noted the U.S. "tradition of generosity toward those fleeing war and persecution" after the administration set new criteria for visa applicants from six mostly Muslim nations and all refugees.

LETTERS: Readers speak out on climate, health care

Recent guest column by U.S. Rep. Randy Weber supporting President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement;Trump's own secretary of state, formerly Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson, argued for acceptance.When it comes to how high they price their products, drug companies want the public to ignore what they spend on marketing and the tax breaks ... (more)

Oil to Keep Flowing in Dakota Line While Legal Battle Continues

Oil will continue to flow through the Dakota Access Pipeline through the summer while authorities conduct additional review of the environmental impact, after a judge on Wednesday ordered more hearings in coming months. Last week, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg in Washington ruled in favor of Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, who said more environmental analysis of the Dakota Access line should have been carried out.

More rational policies in our future?

In the wake of President Trump's exit from the Paris climate treaty, reactions from other quarters were predictably swift, nasty, sanctimonious and hypocritical. Al Gore paused near one of the private jets he takes to hector lesser mortals to say the action will bring "a global weather apocalypse."

Renewable energy push is strongest in the reddest states

Some of the fastest progress on clean energy is occurring in states led by Republican governors and legislators, and states carried by Donald Trump in the presidential election. Two years ago, Kansas repealed a law requiring that 20 percent of the state's electric power come from renewable sources by 2020, seemingly a step backward on energy in a deeply conservative state.

Pittsburgh residents don’t want their city ‘smoky’ again

Residents in Pittsburgh say it's ironic that President Donald Trump name-dropped their city during his announcement on Thursday that the United States was pulling out of a global climate accord. After all, it's stricter environmental regulations and clean energy policies that transformed their once "smoky city" into a beautiful place to live.

Mayor Roberts says she’s leading on climate change. GOP opponent says she is – grandstanding.’

After President Donald Trump said he would withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord Thursday, Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts and her Democratic opponents in September's primary said they opposed the decision and backed the city's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. City Council member Kenny Smith, the Republican mayoral candidate, said he too has "consistently supported" the city's efforts and goals to become more environmentally-friendly.

Exxon and Tillerson Accused of Frauding Investors Over Climate Risks

Former ExxonMobil chair and CEO Rex Tillerson, who now serves as President Donald Trump's secretary of state, reportedly "approved of the inconsistency." ExxonMobil is being accused of using "sham" accounting to "mislead" investors about the likely financial risks posed by climate change, which New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said was evidence of potentially "wide-ranging fraud" executed under the direction of former CEO and current U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson .

Renewable energy expected to continue growth, despite Trump

" President Donald Trump may abandon U.S. pledges to reduce carbon emissions, but global economic realities ensure he is unlikely to reverse the accelerating push to adopt cleaner forms of energy. Around the world, coal-fired power plants are being shuttered as governments and private companies invest billions in wind turbines and solar farms.

$9 million available for biomass development

Up to $9 million in funding will be made available through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative to increase the nation's energy independence by supporting the development of bioenergy feedstocks, biofuels, and biobased products. The projects funded through BRDI - a joint USDA and Department of Energy program - will help develop economically and environmentally sustainable sources of renewable biomass, increase the availability of renewable fuels and biobased products, and diversify the nation's energy portfolio.

Westporter Off to Become U.S. Senate Page

Ethan Parker, 16, of Westport is off to Washington, D.C. this summer to work as a U.S. Senate page under the sponsorship of New York Sen. Charles Schumer, the Senate minority leader. The Greens Farms Academy honor roll sophomore is one of 30 students from across the country who will serve the 100 senators.

Coal impacts could push 122 million people into extreme poverty by 2030.

That's according to a report from the global anti-poverty organization Oxfam, which specifically calls for Australia to stop propping up the coal industry - especially the $300 million in subsidies it's offered up for a proposed mine in Queensland. "Against the backdrop of an imperiled Great Barrier Reef and extreme weather disasters, Australia's carbon pollution is continuing to climb - the tragic consequence of more than a decade of climate policy paralysis and short-term political opportunism," Helen Szoke , CEO of Oxfam Australia, says.

.com | No ‘clean slate’ between the US and Russia – Tillerson

Relations between the United States and Russia, at their lowest level since the Cold War, will not restart "with a clean slate", Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Sunday. The former ExxonMobil CEO, who was decorated in 2013 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, had said previously that the relationship between the two nuclear powers had hit its lowest point since the Soviet collapse in 1991.