Urgency around climate change grows (Washington Post): Nearly 40 percent of Americans believe climate change is a “crisis” and another 38 percent believe it is a “major problem,” a new poll shows, placing a wide majority of Americans at odds with the Trump administration’s position on climate change.
Farm subsidies fueling climate crisis? (Guardian): A report found that $1 million of public money is spent each minute on global farm subsidies, which the report authors link to environmentally destructive agricultural methods that are fueling the climate crisis.
Second ethanol plant idled in Iowa (Radio Iowa): The farmer-owned cooperative that owns Siouxland Energy said it was idling the ethanol plant, the second in northwest Iowa to shut down temporarily, because of Trump administration decisions to exempt some oil refineries from the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Hottest summer on record in Northern Hemisphere (NOAA): It’s a tie but this summer, from June through August, matched the summer 2016 as the hottest summer on record, helping to shrink ice coverage in the Arctic to the second-smallest on record.
Invasive tree-eating insect spreads (NPR): The inch-long spotted lanternfly is the latest invasive insect to reach the United States, killing trees and infesting vineyards. It came from China, which is home to a tiny wasp that could act as a predator.
Kona coffee cheaters (Los Angeles Times): A band of Hawaiian coffee growers is suing retailers, including Amazon, Costco and Walmart, saying chemistry tests prove that millions of pounds of bogus “Kona” coffee are being sold to consumers.