Truthout
Environment & Health
![An illustrated portrait of economist Robert Pollin, his face set in front of a swirling blue and green orb](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/2023_0224pollin-400x300.jpg)
We Face a Climate Abyss, But There Are Sparks of Hope, Robert Pollin Says
We must embrace the positive developments so that we can build effectively from them, the progressive economist argues.
![Fred Stone, a dairy farmer whose land and cows are contaminated with the chemicals known as PFAS, on his farm in Arundel, Maine, on January 4, 2020.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1192561614-1-400x300.jpg)
At Least 330 Species Are Contaminated With Cancer-Causing “Forever Chemicals”
PFAS contamination has been documented in polar bears, tigers in China, plankton off the coast of Panama, and more.
![A worker cleans the inside of a train car near the derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 16, 2023.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1247204532-400x300.jpg)
Locals Alarmed Over Plan to Inject Toxic Ohio Wastewater Underground in Texas
Hundreds of thousands of gallons of toxic water from East Palestine are being disposed of in Harris County, Texas.
![An aerial view shows an oil pumpjack at the Huntington Beach Oil Field on April 20, 2020, in Huntington Beach, California.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/2023_0224-pump-jack-400x300.jpg)
Oil and Gas Industry Spent $124.4 Million Lobbying Amid Record Profits in 2022
The industry targeted rules governing methane emissions as well as oil and gas development on federal land and waters.
![Calls Grow for Rail Safety Laws as Officials Deem Ohio Derailment Preventable](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/SEG1-Derailment-2-400x300.jpg)
Calls Grow for Rail Safety Laws as Officials Deem Ohio Derailment Preventable
Residents of East Palestine demand answers as reports on the ground indicate a growing public health crisis.
![Merck company logo is seen on a sign on the left with Sen. Bernie Sanders on the right, graphic in blues and reds](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/2023_0223-bernie-merck-2-400x300.jpg)
Warren, Sanders: Merck’s Hunt to Extend Cancer Drug Patent May Be Patent Abuse
Merck has submitted new patents that could allow the company to maintain its monopoly on the drug until at least 2036.
![A patient in a hospital gown sits upright in a hospital bed, his back toward the viewer](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/2023_0222-hospice-care-400x300.jpg)
Following Intense Scrutiny, Regulators Overhaul Inspections of Hospice Providers
The new rules, effective immediately, include directives for inspectors to evaluate the abuse and neglect of patients.
![A makeshift memorial for environmental activist Manuel Terán, who was fatally shot by law enforcement during a raid to clear the construction site of a police training facility that activists have dubbed "Cop City" near Atlanta, Georgia, on February 6, 2023.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246854231-400x300.jpg)
Forest Defenders Vow Resistance After Court Green-Lights Phase I of “Cop City”
A judge denied a restraining order against initial construction of the $90 million militarized police training complex.
![This video screenshot released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shows the site of a derailed freight train in East Palestine, Ohio.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/2023_0221-train-derailment-400x300.jpg)
EPA Orders Norfolk Southern to Pay for Cleanup of East Palestine Train Disaster
The EPA is leaving the company in charge of clean up – but the company has been found to be conducting faulty tests.
![Steven Donziger is seen at a "Free Donziger" rally held in front of the Manhattan Court House as Donziger faces sentencing in contempt case in New York City on October 1, 2021.](https://truthout.org/app/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1235627384-400x300.jpg)
Ecocide — Not Eco-Activism — Is a Crime Against Humanity, Says Steven Donziger
Truthout interviews Donziger as he awaits a Supreme Court decision over whether to take up the final appeal in his case.