Climate
The U.S.’ deep-sea mining plans could hurt global rules-based order and benefit China, policy experts warn
The U.S. is preparing to mine the sea floor for critical minerals to reduce its dependence on China. But doing so in international waters could undermine a global rules-based order and indirectly benefit Beijing, policy experts warn. Efforts to create international guidelines on seabed mining through the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a U.N. regulator, have […]
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Waymo granted first permit to begin testing autonomous vehicles in New York City
Waymo self-driving cars with roof-mounted sensor arrays traveling near palm trees and modern buildings along the Embarcadero, San Francisco, California, February 21, 2025. Smith Collection/gado | Archive Photos | Getty Images Waymo is getting one step closer to rides in New York City. The Alphabet autonomous vehicle subsidiary received its first permit from the New […]
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UK faces legal challenge for attempting to force through data center development
Erik Isakson | Digitalvision | Getty Images The U.K. government is facing a legal challenge from campaigners over its decision to override a local authority and wave through development of a new “hyperscale” data center. Last year, the local authority of Buckinghamshire, England, denied planning permission for proposals to build a new 90-megawatt data center […]
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These little robots are changing the way solar farms are built, saving time and money
Private renewable energy projects are still moving forward despite a pullback in government support, and new technology is making that construction more efficient. Solar farms, for example, take meticulous planning and surveying, involve long hours and require significant labor. Now, robots are taking on the job. CivDot is a four-wheeled robot that can mark up […]
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How hurricane resilience for commercial real estate is leveraging drones and AI
A screenshot of Site Technologies’ commercial real estate risk assessment tools. Courtesy of Site Technologies A version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Property Play newsletter with Diana Olick. Property Play covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, from individuals to venture capitalists, private equity funds, family offices, institutional investors […]
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How tourists are weathering geopolitical uncertainty, currency moves and extreme heat
Geopolitics, currency moves and extreme weather are increasingly playing into tourists’ considerations for their next vacation and affecting classic holiday destinations. Staple European spots France, Spain and Croatia, for example, have been facing record-breaking heat in recent weeks, which triggered wildfires in some locations. Conflict in the Middle East has meanwhile meant that tourists in […]
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‘Coolcations’ are booming again as tourists prioritize quieter, off-peak trips
Tourists are booking cooler, quieter and less crowded vacations this year, pivoting away from Europe’s traditional summer hotspots amid growing concerns over blistering heat and raging wildfires. The trend reaffirms the phenomenon of so-called “coolcations” — a portmanteau of “cool” and “vacation,” which refers to tourists seeking cooler climes instead of a hot, peak-summer destination. […]
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California legislature passes bill that gives interest on insurance payouts to homeowners
An aerial view of properties cleared of wildfire debris which burned in the Eaton Fire on July 03, 2025 in Altadena, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty Images The California state legislature passed a bill Monday that ensures homeowners, not lenders, receive at least some of the interest on insurance payouts for […]
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Why a landmark ruling from the world’s top court puts financial markets on notice
Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu (C) delivers a speech as he attends a demonstration ahead of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) session tasked with issuing the first Advisory Opinion (AO) on States’ legal obligations to address climate change, in The Hague on July 23, 2025. John Thys | Afp | Getty Images Gripped […]
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This startup wants the $80-billion U.S. railroad industry to switch from diesel to batteries
Voltify plans to build a series of energy microgrids to power its locomotive batteries, as shown in this computer-generated image. Voltify Daphna Langer has a bold ambition: To decarbonize the rail industry in less than a decade. How? By convincing U.S. freight railroad companies to switch from diesel power to rechargeable batteries — part of […]
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