Europe Moves On as US Lets Science Slide
climate change and weather extremes, according to Reuters interviews.The effort - which has not been previously reported - marks the most concrete response from the European Union and other European governments so far to the U.S. government's retreat from scientific research under President Donald Trump's administration.Since his return to the White House, Trump has initiated sweeping budget cuts to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and other agencies, dismantling programs conducting
Kongsberg Ramps Up Maritime Defense Production to Meet Growing Demand
; Aerospace business made up 54% of those, as CEO Geir Håøy said the company was experiencing record-high market activity in the sector.Many European nations have pledged to significantly increase defence budgets in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has threatened to scale back military support for the region.Kongsberg has opportunities to increase production in Norway and is building up capacity in Australia, Håøy said in a call with analysts and media. Later this year, it will also start building production
NOAA 'Fully Staffed' with Forecasters, Scientists
," Lutnick told a Senate appropriations subcommittee overseeing NOAA, saying he got the National Weather Service (NWS) exempted from a federal hiring freeze.NOAA, which includes the NWS, lost around 1,000 people or 10% of its workforce amid federal job layoffs in the first months of the second Trump administration, including 600 at the weather service. At least six NWS offices had stopped the routine twice-a-day weather balloon launches that collect data for weather models.The U.S. hurricane season officially began on Sunday and lasts through November. NOAA forecast last week that this year's season
NOIA Statement Regarding New US Biological Opinion
The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) issued the following statement from President Erik Milito in response to the release of the revised Gulf of America Biological Opinion by the Trump administration:“We appreciate the Trump administration’s timely efforts to improve a Biological Opinion that was originally developed through a flawed, opaque process. Their willingness to revisit and revise the document reflects a strong commitment to restoring scientific rigor and regulatory balance.“As we continue reviewing the new opinion, we are concerned by the inclusion of a jeopardy
Endangered Gulf of Mexico Whale Threatened by Oil and Gas Vessel Strikes
The Trump administration published a long-awaited environmental assessment on Tuesday that found that vessel strikes related to oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico are likely to jeopardize the existence of the endangered Rice's whale.The analysis, known as a biological opinion, governs how endangered and threatened marine species should be protected from oil and gas activities in the region, which President Donald Trump has renamed the Gulf of America.There are an estimated 51 Rice's whales in the Gulf, according to the analysis, which sets speed restrictions and a requirement for
US Launches Process for Offshore Mineral Lease Sale
with all applicable laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.Earlier in May, the International Seabed Authority issued a statement following the announcement that deep-sea mining firm The Metals Co has asked the Trump administration to approve its plans to mine the international seabed.Leticia Reis de Carvalho Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, said: “The issuance of an Executive Order by the Government of the United States regarding deep-seabed mineral resources raises specific concerns because
International Seabed Authority Responds to Trump Plan
The International Seabed Authority has issued a statement following the announcement that deep-sea mining firm The Metals Co has asked the Trump administration to approve its plans to mine the international seabed.This would make it the first such company to seek the government's permission to operate outside U.S. territorial waters, and it comes after a US Executive order “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources” which was issued on April 24.Leticia Reis de Carvalho Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, said: “The issuance of an
First Deep-Sea Mining Company Asks Trump for International Permit
Deep-sea mining firm The Metals Co asked the Trump administration on Tuesday to approve its plans to mine the international seabed, making it the first such company to seek the government's permission to operate outside U.S. territorial waters.Last week President Donald Trump signed an order aiming to jumpstart mining in both domestic and international waters in an attempt to boost U.S. access to critical minerals and reduce China's market control.The move ratchets up tension between Washington and the United Nations-backed International Seabed Authority, which has been crafting mining standards
China Concerned About US Deep-Sea Metals Stockpile Plan
No country should bypass international laws to authorise resource exploration in the seabed, China's foreign ministry said on Monday, following a report of U.S. plans to stockpile deep-sea metals to counter China's dominance in the sector.The Trump administration is drafting an executive order to enable stockpiling of deep-sea metals found on the Pacific Ocean seabed to counter China's dominance of battery minerals and rare earth supply chains, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.The stockpile would "create large quantities ready and
February 2025
