Yessenia Funes, Author at Gizmodo

New York City Plans to Divest From Fossil Fuel Companies and Sue Them Instead

New York City likes to go big or go home—and that includes its stance on climate change. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday a goal to divest the city’s $189 billion pension fund out of fossil fuel corporations within five years. Instead, New York City’s going to sue them. “This is a first-in-the-nation step to…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 10

House GOP Begins Quest to Lock in Trump’s Bears Ears Reduction Permanently

When former President Barack Obama designated 1.35 million acres in Utah as the Bears Ears National Monument in December 2016, there’s no way he could have guessed Congress would be debating a reworked version of the monument’s lands just a year later. But the Trump administration’s attempt to rescind Bears Ears in southern Utah has…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 9

Trump Is Kicking Out 200,000 Salvadoran Earthquake Refugees After Nearly 20 Years

My parents came to the United States from El Salvador after the Civil War left their home in shambles. Dead bodies littered the streets, work was nonexistent, and human rights were a thing of the past. War throughout Central America led the U.S. Congress to pass the 1980 Refugee Act, and almost one million Salvadorans…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 9

The EPA Is Still Warning Puerto Ricans About Sewage-Laced Water Nearly Four Months After Maria

At this point, Puerto Rico’s water troubles sound like a broken record. The Environmental Protection Agency’s latest update on the island post-Hurricane Maria, released on Friday, warned residents to be careful when playing in or touching the water in Puerto Rico’s rivers, streams, and oceans, because raw sewage could be entering it. More than 100…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 8

Natural Disasters Cost Insurers a Record $135 Billion Last Year

A deadly earthquake in Mexico, Hurricane Maria, and South Asia’s fatal monsoon season are just a few of the natural disasters to strike the globe in 2017. And they inflicted a hell of a lot of damage—so much that last year’s natural disaster-related insurance claims totaled a record $135 billion, according to numbers released Thursday.…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 5

Environmentalists Just Scored a Big Pipeline Victory In Pennsylvania

Throughout Pennsylvania, a minor celebration is underway. In a rare and unexpected move on Wednesday, the Department of Environmental Protection issued a temporary halt on construction of the Mariner East 2 natural gas project, citing violations of two different permits. “Everyone really needs to take a deep breath, feel good about this, and acknowledge that…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 5

Trump Suggests We Just Drill Everywhere

Just about all U.S. waters will soon be open for drilling if the Trump administration has its way. On Thursday, Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced the draft National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The proposed program covers the next five years, starting in 2019. In short? Zinke wants fossil fuel…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 4

This Brutally Cold Winter Could Mean Life or Death for the Poor

The weather is all anyone can talk about these days—and for good reason. A “bomb cyclone” is on its way to tear up the East Coast, so it’s freezing outside. But for poor people who struggle to pay their energy bills, weather like this is more than a nuisance. It can be a life or…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 3

Let’s Stop Making the Solution to Climate Change Seem Impossible

Humans are the major driver of climate change, and we’re also the only ones who can stop it. But while purchasing a hybrid or installing solar panels can feel overwhelming, a new study suggests the more a society normalizes these types of behavior, the more people will take action. This is key to limiting climate…

Climate Change Yessenia Funes Jan 3

Experts Recommend Oxygen Tanks to Deal With Delhi’s Crippling Pollution

This could be the year more people in India start wearing oxygen cylinders on their backs. Seriously. Air quality in the capital territory of Delhi nearly reached “severe” levels on the country’s Central Pollution Control Board Index Monday. That’s the worst classification, which only happens when the air quality index passes 400 on a scale…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 2

The Forgotten Land Grab That Gave Us Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park wasn’t always a renowned public attraction. Before it became known for its majestic ice and mountains, the park was home to the members of the Blackfeet Nation. The history of how GNP’s first people lost their historical hunting grounds is a microcosm for racist land grabs that played out across the nation…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Jan 1

Flint Heads Back to Court Because It Just Can’t Get Its Shit Together

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, might feel like forever ago for some. “Isn’t that over?” folks have asked me. The short answer: no. The fear of lead contamination is still palpable in the predominantly black city and, according to a new motion filed in court Wednesday, fixing the problem isn’t going as smoothly as…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Dec 29

Yet Another EPA Chief Is Probably a Climate Denier

One of the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest regional administrators is in line with the rest of its leadership: She’s a climate skeptic. Anne Idsal, the former chief clerk for the Texas General Land Office, is now in charge of overseeing five states and 66 tribes through the EPA’s Region 6. This includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma,…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Dec 28

Apparently the EPA Needs a Court Order to Protect Kids Against Lead Paint

The Environmental Protection Agency wanted another six years to update its lead-based paint rules. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court was like: Nah. The court gave the agency just 90 days to propose a rule and just a year to finalize it. This court order, from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, comes nearly 10…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Dec 28

The Most Heroic Earthlings of 2017

This year has been one of the most heartbreaking for lovers of the planet. Climate change has never felt more real or invincible. Massive wildfires tore through California, record-breaking hurricanes ravaged the Southeast and Caribbean, and our president didn’t seem to care about any of it. Who needs President Donald Trump, though? Around the country,…

Environmental Justice Yessenia Funes Dec 28

Nearly 200 Activists Were Killed Defending the Environment This Year

In certain countries, attempting to protect the environment can be a death sentence. Take Brazil, where at least 132 “environmental defenders” have been killed since 2015. This year has seen the deaths of 185 environmental defenders worldwide, according to The Guardian. The Guardian’s been trying to track all these deaths for the first time this…

Earther Yessenia Funes Dec 27

New York Just Sued Trump’s EPA Again

It seems New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman won’t stop filing lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency until it starts, well, protecting the environment. He filed another lawsuit Tuesday—which is one of more than 100 actions his office has taken against the administration (with at least 10 against the EPA) under President Donald Trump. This…

Earther Yessenia Funes Dec 26

The Clean Air Act Is a Bigger Lifesaver Than We Thought

The Environmental Protection Agency wasn’t always home to climate deniers and industry goons focused more on cutting regulations than protecting humans. In fact, the agency might have saved more lives than even it previously estimated. In a paper published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at MIT found that the…

Earther Yessenia Funes Dec 26

A New Climate Change Museum Brings Glaciers to New York

When Miranda Massie ditched being an attorney to launch a museum, climate change had everything to do with it. Five years ago, the thought was aspirational. Now, the Climate Museum is official—its first exhibition opened December 20 in New York City. The two-part installation, called “In Human Time,” takes a look at the state of…

Earther Yessenia Funes Dec 25

A Game of Thrones Character Just Published a Study on the Climate of Westeros (Yes, Really)

HBO’s Game of Thrones has some weird ass climate patterns, and a mock journal article from the University of Bristol’s Cabot Institute this week tries to apply the scientific method to the “winter is coming” mantra. The Order of Maesters keeps intellect alive in the Seven Kingdoms, and Samwell Tarly, the lovable right hand to…

Earther Yessenia Funes Dec 22

Yessenia Funes

New York City Plans to Divest From Fossil Fuel Companies and Sue Them Instead

House GOP Begins Quest to Lock in Trump’s Bears Ears Reduction Permanently

Trump Is Kicking Out 200,000 Salvadoran Earthquake Refugees After Nearly 20 Years

The EPA Is Still Warning Puerto Ricans About Sewage-Laced Water Nearly Four Months After Maria

Natural Disasters Cost Insurers a Record $135 Billion Last Year

Environmentalists Just Scored a Big Pipeline Victory In Pennsylvania

Trump Suggests We Just Drill Everywhere

This Brutally Cold Winter Could Mean Life or Death for the Poor

Let’s Stop Making the Solution to Climate Change Seem Impossible

Experts Recommend Oxygen Tanks to Deal With Delhi’s Crippling Pollution

The Forgotten Land Grab That Gave Us Glacier National Park

Flint Heads Back to Court Because It Just Can’t Get Its Shit Together

Yet Another EPA Chief Is Probably a Climate Denier

Apparently the EPA Needs a Court Order to Protect Kids Against Lead Paint

The Most Heroic Earthlings of 2017

Nearly 200 Activists Were Killed Defending the Environment This Year

New York Just Sued Trump’s EPA Again

The Clean Air Act Is a Bigger Lifesaver Than We Thought

A New Climate Change Museum Brings Glaciers to New York

A Game of Thrones Character Just Published a Study on the Climate of Westeros (Yes, Really)

RAM Shortage Expected to Continue Into Next Year or Later

Marvel Studios’ Former Art Staff Discuss ‘Shortsighted’ Layoffs

Amazon Delivery Drones Involve a Perilous 10-Foot Drop. Users Are Posting the Apparent Results

Organ Transplants Without Lifelong Meds? New Trial Shows It’s Possible

The AI Doomers Who Are Playing With Fire

Mysterious ‘Red Dot’ Galaxies Could Have ‘Relic’ Black Holes Predating the Big Bang

What Discoveries Might Be Hiding in the Artemis 2 Images and Data?

Disney Is Trying to Make Up for Its ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ IMAX FOMO

Anthropic Launches Claude Design, Figma Stock Immediately Nosedives

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Has Always Deserved Better Than This

Alienware’s $350 QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Nixes Everything for a Pretty Screen

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

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