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A German court ruled against a Peruvian farmer Wednesday in a landmark case that claimed global warming fueled by energy company RWE‘s historical greenhouse gas emissions put his home at risk. Farmer and mountain guide Saśl Luciano Lliuya said glaciers above his hometown of Huaraz are melting, increasing the risk of catastrophic flooding. RWE, which has never operated in Peru, denied legal responsibility, arguing that climate change is a global issue caused by many contributors. Experts said the case had the potential to set a significant precedent in the fight to hold major polluters accountable for climate change. Here’s a look at other climate cases being watched closely. An environmental group has asked the Dutch Supreme Court to uphold a landmark lower court ruling that ordered energy company Shell to cut carbon emissions by net 45% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels. That ruling was overturned in November by an appeals courta defeat for the Dutch arm of Friends of the Earth and other environmental groups, which had hailed the original 2021 ruling as a victory for the climate. Climate activists have scored several courtroom victories, including in 2015, when a court in The Hague ordered the government to cut emissions by at least 25% by the end of 2020 from benchmark 1990 levels. The Dutch Supreme Court upheld that ruling five years ago. ___ The United Nations’ top court held two weeks of hearings in December into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its impacts. The case was spurred by a group of island nations that fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, prompting the U.N. General Assembly to ask the International Court of Justice for an opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change. Any decision in the case, the largest in the court’s history, would be nonbinding advice and could not directly force wealthy nations to actthough it could serve as the basis for other legal actions, including domestic lawsuits. In another advisory opinion requested by small island nations, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea last year said carbon emissions qualify as marine pollution and countries must take steps to mitigate and adapt to their adverse effects. ___ Colombia and Chile are awaiting an advisory opinion from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on whether countries are responsible for climate change harms and, if so, what their obligations are to respond on human rights grounds. A four-day hearing was held this month in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, and an opinion is expected by the end of the year. Much of the testimony focused on Indigenous rights in Latin America, including whether industries violate their rights to life and to defend their land from environmental harm. ___ Dozens of U.S. states and local governments have filed lawsuits alleging that fossil fuel companies misled the public about how their products could contribute to climate change, claiming billions of dollars in damage from more frequent and intense storms, flooding, rising seas, and extreme heat. In March the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit from Republican attorneys general in 19 states aimed at blocking climate change suits against the oil and gas industry from Democratic-led states. And state supreme courts in Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Colorado have rejected attempts by oil companies to dismiss lawsuits, allowing them to proceed in lower courts. Even so, the Department of Justice recently sued Hawaii and Michigan to prevent the states from seeking damages from fossil fuel companies in state court for harms caused by climate change. The DOJ also sued New York and Vermont, challenging their climate superfund laws that would force fossil fuel companies to pay into state-based funds based on previous greenhouse gas emissions. ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
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E-Commerce
A woman paid a witch on Etsy for a love spell. Instead of following through, the witch found the man online and sent him screenshots of the conversation. Now, people are calling it a WIPPA violation. Guys the Etsy witch told on me, @andtheg4gis cried in a TikTok posted on Monday. I said the guy’s name, his birthday and stuff, and she literally DMd him on Instagram and exposed me. The video has since been viewed 2.4 million times and spread across other social media platforms. Imagine getting a hey girly text from a witch, one person commented. Many in the comments are calling for the TikTok user to drop the name of the Etsy seller, just so they know who to avoid. Some are calling for her to report the witch for violating her trust. As a former Etsy witch, either she was a hater or you wanted something HENIOUS, one wrote. Others are less sympathetic. Honestly good on the Etsy witch, one person commented. The ethical considerations of love spells, if you believe they exist, are complex. I mean that sucks but thats also what you get for trying to use a love spell on someone, wrote another. Fast Company has reached out to @andtheg4gis for comment. The $2.3 Billion Business of Belief Love spells are a thriving cottage industry on TikTok and Etsy. A quick search found over 1000 results of love spells for sale, starting from as little as $0.78, up to $5000+. Fast Company can not verify the legitimacy of these spells; use at your own risk. A commitment spell to help you get that ring is currently on sale for $45. The seller has 2,750 reviews. Another seller, with over 150 reviews, offers a Dark Bind spell currently on sale for $49.70. Send over the name, age, gender, your relationship to the subject and a brief explanation. Adding a photo is optional, but does claim to strengthen the spellwhich is available in two intensities. Psychic services, including spells, are big business. About 3 in 10 Americans make use of astrology, tarot cards or fortune tellers at least once a year, according to a nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center. The industry, which includes various specialties such as astrology, palm-reading, psychic readings and fortune telling, generated an estimated $2.3 billion in revenue in 2024 and employed 105,000 people, according to market research firm IBIS World. While 20% use these services “just for fun,” according to Pew, about 1% rely on what they learn from these practices for major life decisions. If you cant trust witches, who can you trust?
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E-Commerce
GameStop is taking its promised bitcoin investment seriously$500-million-worth-of-bitcoin serious, in fact. The video game retailer (which has also become a meme stock) announced the purchase of 4,710 bitcoin, the oldest and largest cryptocurrency, on Wednesday. The company first announced that it had set its sights on cryptocurrency in early March, Fast Company reported, following the GameStop board’s unanimous decision to add bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset, allowing the company to invest its corporate cash, future debt, and equity issuances on digital tokens. Valued at $108,493 per bitcoin at the time of writing, today’s announced investment amounts to around $511 million. As of February of this year, the company held around $4.8 billion in cash, and said in a regulatory filing that it has not set a ceiling for accumulated bitcoin. While the news had an initial positive response in premarket trading, the stock sank as much as 4% (at the time of writing), trading at $30.9 in comparison to the prior day’s closing at $35. Fast Company reached out to GameStop but did not receive a comment at the time of publishing. The bitcoin purchase marks the next step for CEO Ryan Cohen’s plan to improve the company’s profitability. Cost-cutting efforts included closing 590 brick-and-mortar locations last fiscal year. While this year’s fourth-quarter net sales fell to $1.2 billion compared to the prior year’s $1.7 billion, the retailer saw an increase in net income, rising to $131.3 million compared to $63.1 million the year before. The company’s direction has been relatively effective, with stock up around 8% this year, and a current market valuation of $14.2 billion. Following an uptick in stock price in Marchdue in part to the initial investment policy announcementGameStop has seen a steady rise despite a decline in early May. The expansion of the company’s portfolio investment toward cryptocurrency follows in the footsteps of software company Strategy (formerlyMicroStrategy), which is the largest corporate holder of bitcoin following years of investments. The decision to turn to digital tokens also follows President Trump’s focus on cryptocurrency, with his administration establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and the president launching his eponymous token and hosting a private dinner with holders.
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E-Commerce
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