Climate & Biodiversity News (July 2026)

California condor at the Grand Canyon in Arizona / istockphoto.com, Pavilha

By Jared Green

Environmental Groups Sue Government to Stop a Big Change to the Endangered Species Act,NPR, July 14

Earthjustice, the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and eight other organizations have sued the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to undo the federal administration's efforts to change the definition of harm under the Endangered Species Act. A parallel lawsuit was filed by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Squaxin Island Tribe. With their new rule, the administration will no longer protect species' habitats from damage or harm that comes from development, mining, farming, or other activities. 

Hochul to Approve Nation’s First State-level Data Center Pause, Politico, July 14 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has issued the country's first state-level ban on new data centers. The state will pause new data center permits for one year while policymakers develop a new regulatory approach to reduce the environmental impacts of these facilities. Policymakers are also creating a “community investment framework” that local governments can use when negotiating with data center developers. "New York will lead the way in creating the strongest standards in the nation for data center development," Hochul said. 

Southeast Asian Mangroves Shift from Historic Decline to Net Growth, Mongabay, July 13 

A recent study published in Science analyzed historical satellite data to discover mangroves in Southeast Asia have been gaining since 2010. The region now accounts for 43 percent of the increase in mangrove ecosystems over the past 15 years. "Strengthened legal protections, increased public awareness of the importance of mangroves, and the intrinsic resilience of the trees themselves are likely reasons for Southeast Asia’s conservation success." 

Europe Records 10,000 Excess Deaths During June Heatwaves, New Data Shows, Euronews, July 13

New data published by ‌the European mortality monitor shows that extreme heat led to excess mortality across multiple European countries. The vast majority of fatalities were among Europeans age 65 and older. The data "helps illustrate the scale of risk associated with extreme heat and the growing threat climate change poses to our wellbeing," said Lea Berrang Ford, head of the UK Heath Security Agency's Center for Climate and Health Security.

The Plan to Make Climate Science Harder to Erase, Grist, July 7 

Non-profit organizations and foundations are restoring climate content deleted by the Federal government. Climate.gov, which was one of the most-visited governmental climate websites, has been relaunched by former government employees as Climate.us. The American Geophysical Union and American Meterology Society are also supporting mainstream scientific research that would have been part of the next Congressionally-mandated U.S. National Climate Assessment.