environment News

Grounded Cargo Ship Breaks Apart on New Zealand Reef

A cargo ship grounded off the New Zealand coast since October has split in two, spilling sea containers and debris and sparking fears of a fresh oil spill, maritime officials said Sunday. The wreck of the Greek-owned Rena was described …

New Zealand Says Oil Spill ‘Worst-ever Maritime Environmental Disaster’

Rough weather has jostled a cargo ship stuck off New Zealand’s coast and worsened its oil leak fivefold to make it the country’s worst-ever maritime environmental disaster, the government said Tuesday. Clumps of heavy oil from the Liberia-flagged Rena have …

Va. Supreme Court: Insurer Not Liable For Claims From Global Warming

The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled in favor of an insurance company in a closely watched legal case involving global warming. The high court ruled that Steadfast Insurance Co., which provided commercial general liability (CGL) coverage for energy company AES …

China Orders ConocoPhillips to Halt Output at Bohai Bay Oilfield

China’s State Oceanic Administration (SOA) has ordered a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips to halt all operations at the Penglai 19-3 oilfield in northern China’s Bohai Bay, saying the company has failed to seal a leak that has lasted more than two …

XL Insurance Names Hookings as Australian Environmental Underwriter

XL Insurance, the global insurance operations of XL Group plc, announced the appointment of Andrew Hookings as Environmental underwriter for Australia. He has over 10 years’ insurance industry experience, most recently as Client Relationship Manager for XL Insurance in Sydney. …

Aon UK Set UK ‘Green’ Standard with CEMARS Accreditation

London-based Aon, the risk management business of Aon Corp. in the UK, announced that it has “demonstrated its commitment to reducing its green house gas (GHG) emissions by become the first company in the insurance industry in the world to …

Greenpeace Charges Big Name Brands Sourcing from Polluting China Firms

Some of the world’s leading clothing brands rely on Chinese suppliers that pollute rivers with toxic, hormone-disrupting chemicals banned in Europe and elsewhere, the environment group Greenpeace said on Wednesday. Adidas, Nike, Puma, Calvin Klein, Lacoste, Abercrombie and Fitch and …

U.S. Judge Halts Ecuador Damages Enforcement Against Chevron

A U.S. judge Monday halted enforcement of an $18 billion award against Chevron Corp, siding with the oil company against Ecuadorean plaintiffs in a long-running dispute over Amazon rain forest pollution. The move comes three weeks after an Ecuadorean court’s …