The bowhead whales of Spitsbergen exhibit “extreme diversity” in their songs, which researchers liken to jazz.

The EPA, at the urging of the auto industry, says it will roll back the Obama-era auto-fuel-efficiency standards, calling them “too high.” California says that cars sold in the state must still meet the higher standards, invoking a special waiver to the Clean Air Act that allows it to do so. The EPA threatens to revoke that waiver as well.

General Motors will end production of its Chevrolet Sonic subcompact, preferring to focus on SUVs and pickups.

Numerous scandals engulf EPA administrator Scott Pruitt. His agency’s ethics official retracts his prior OK of Pruitt’s rental arrangement with a top energy lobbyist, saying he lacked all the facts. At least five EPA officials are demoted or reassigned after they question Pruitt’s management and spending requests, which include a $100,000 a month charter-airline membership, a bulletproof desk, and a bulletproof SUV. Two close aides receive huge raises, even after the White House declines to approve them.   

With China now limiting the import of recyclables from the United States, Chinese recyclers are setting up plants in the U.S.

Despite denials from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke that his department is censoring science, the National Park Service deletes all references to the human causation from a report on how park units will deal with climate change. 

The Park Service backs away from an earlier proposal to double entrance fees to many national parks.

The Fish and Wildlife Service wants to end the current practice under the Endangered Species Act that grants threatened species the same protections as endangered ones.

Susan Combs, Zinke's acting secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks, once compared new endangered species listings to "incoming Scud missiles." 

Britain enacts one of the world’s toughest ivory bans. 

The Interior Department seeks to narrow the scope of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, allowing “incidental” killing or harming of birds and restricting penalties under the act to intentional actions. 

The University of California intends to divest from fossil fuels. 

Scientists grow vegetables in Antarctica to practice for colonizing Mars.